The two mostly likely candidates for MVP this year are Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic, neither of whom move the needle with their athleticism. It certainly doesn't hurt to be athletic, but the game has moved towards things like spacing, court vision, timing, teamwork, leverage, passing, and elite shooting. The Europeans are starting to dominate the NBA because they focus so much on skill development and basketball IQ. That's what the European club systems are all about - actual skill development rather than just playing a ton of games like AAU.