While the NBA season is still fairly young, fans across the league have already begun spirited debates. Poor starts by the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers spearheaded discussions about revised title favorites. Additionally, good starts by other teams got some of their players involved in discussions for All-Star berths and end-of-season awards.

Thus, even though we're less than a month into the regular season, here are three very early NBA MVP candidates.

Early Bird MVP Candidates

3) Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers

In a season where the Clippers are without Kawhi Leonard, George has successfully taken the mantle of the team's best player. He leads LA, 7-4, in all major per-game metrics other than blocks, averaging 26.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.5 steals.

It's clear the team would be down in the dumps without George, whose heroics still did not save them in four games. This is a major step forward for George, who's been criticized in the past for underperforming expectations. The memes and jokes about his poor outings earned him a nickname of Pandemic P. However, it seems like that's a thing of the past and George is well on his way to really contend for the MVP, just like he did with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2018-19.

Of course, this is all dependant on two factors. One of them is longevity. If his current level of play proves unsustainable, George will not be considered for this award going forward. He hasn't been seen as a leader of a team since he was with the Indiana Pacers, the type of narrative incredibly relevant to MVP discussions. The second is the possible return of Leonard. If Leonard returns before the end of the regular reason and re-establishes himself as the Clippers'alpha dog, it would be difficult to make arguments for George to remain an MVP frontrunner.

2) Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets

The Nets are 9-4 right now, but not exactly firing on all cylinders. A clear championship favorite coming into 2021-22, Brooklyn's solid record isn't an accurate indication of its two-way performance relative to expectations. However, just like in George's case, pretty much all of the Nets' struggles are in spite of Durant's play rather than because of it.

Durant is averaging 29.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, with ridiculous shooting splits of 58.9/43.3/82.5. When those numbers are put in the context of the Nets season, they are even better. Narratives, remember, are a major part of MVP conversations. Right now, the narrative around the Nets is that Kyrie Irving is out due to his refusal to get vaccinated and James Harden is having difficulties with new officiating rules. When that context is considered, Durant's season is even more impressive.

Again, similar to George, continuity and longevity are going to be huge for Durant's MVP case. He's played all 13 games so far, including two back-to-backs. Due to his injury history and teams' proclivity for resting older superstars, Durant surely won't play in all 82 games. He is making it count, of course, but it will be interesting to see whether he can sustain this tempo. Durant is being asked to carry the load completely, and that can be tiring. The Nets might even restructure their workload as the season progresses so their best players can be ready for the playoffs, which could hurt Durant's MVP case.

Up to this point, however, Durant's MVP resumé is as strong as its been since he won the award in 2014.

1) Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

The Warriors are having an amazing start to the season. Granted, most teams they've played against are toward the bottom of the league and most of their games have come at home. However, Golden State's start has still been a revelation, and Steph Curry's fingerprints are all over it. Almost every time the Warriors take the floor this season, we can count on incredible stat lines from the two-time MVP.

Curry is averaging 28.4 points per game, with shooting splits of 45.3/40.0/95.0. Though not quite up to his personal best, Curry's efficiency has still been stellar. The 40.0% clip from downtown is even more impressive considering the ridiculous volume and difficulty of Curry's attempts. Sometimes, there are no words to describe his on-court exploits.

Of course, there are also potential hurdles to consider when it comes to Curry's MVP case. His main issue stems from the fact the Warriors will be getting an important piece back in December, Klay Thompson. In Golden State's current pecking order, Curry takes the most shots, but both he and Jordan Poole, the surprise of the season, will need to give up part of their offensive share to Thompson once he comes back.

That could be a possible setback, along with the fact that the Warriors might slow down after they face better teams and start playing on the road more often.