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The landscape of the NBA MVP award continues to change and so too our power rankings. Unfortunately for LeBron James and LA Lakers fans alike, it seems less and less likely that the four-time MVP will be able to win his fifth, as he continues to miss games due to a high ankle sprain.
James' injury, however, has opened up the field to other competitors. In this week's edition of our NBA MVP power rankings, we have one new member while our top two will likely take the race down to the wire.
2020-21 NBA MVP - April Power Rankings
LeBron James falls out of our NBA MVP power rankings for the first time this season, with the LA Lakers star not expected to return until the end of the month.
That has paved the way for two of the Eastern Conference's best all-round players to emerge as the third choice for the award while Embiid and Jokic battle it out as favorites.
Let's take a look at who is leading the race for the NBA MVP award.
#5 - Damian Lillard
MP - 35.9, PPG - 28.7, AST - 7.6, RPG - 4.2 FG% - 44.1%.
Previous NBA MVP Power Rankings - N/A
Damian Lillard must ponder what he has to do to be a legitimate choice for the NBA MVP award. The 30-year old continues to put up explosive shooting numbers and has been the main reason why the Portland Trail Blazers have stayed in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Western Conference standings this season.
The Trail Blazers' injury woes have been well-documented. Without CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic this season, Lillard has averaged 31.2 points and 8.5 assists in 24 matches, winning 13.
With both stars now back in the fold, Lillard's offensive responsibilities have been reduced, and therefore may hamper his chances of an NBA MVP award run. However, there would be little argument should he take home the award. The point guard is still an elite scorer, recording five games of 40 or more points this season. He will be the focal point in the Trail Blazers' playoff run.
Few teams will want to come up against Portland in the first round of the postseason, primarily due to Lillard.
#4 James Harden
MP - 37.1, PPG - 25.2, AST - 10.9, RPG - 8.0 FG% - 46.3%.
Previous NBA MVP Power Rankings - 3rd (↓2)
James Harden is another player who could see his NBA MVP hopes shattered due to injury. The Nets point guard drops two spots in our power rankings due to his absence in his team's last five games owing to hamstring tightness.
Before that, 'The Beard' had been relentless and was making a late charge for the NBA MVP award. In March, Harden was averaging agonizingly close to a triple-double with 27.9 points, 11.5 assists and 9.8 rebounds across 12 matches.
Over the past few years, Harden has led all scorers in the league, but he has tweaked his game to fit into the Brooklyn Nets' star-studded billing as not only an elite scorer but their primary creator on offense too.
Harden is averaging his highest assists per game since 2017 and leads the league in minutes, showing how pivotal he has become since his arrival. He is recording a career-best offensive rating of 121 and is averaging two more rebounds per game than he did in his previous three seasons in Houston.
#3 Giannis Antetokounmpo
MP - 34.0, PPG - 28.8, AST - 6.2, RPG - 11.4 FG% - 56.5%
Previous MVP Power Rankings - 4th (↑1)
Despite the left knee soreness that has sidelined him for the last five games, reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has risen in our power rankings as he continues his hunt for a historic three-peat of the award.
It is hard to believe that, at the moment, the 26-year-old only has an outside chance of winning the MVP award. The Milwaukee Bucks star is averaging similar numbers while shooting at an improved rate compared to last season.
His recent absence from the Bucks lineup could hurt his chances even more with no word on his return date. In his absence, Milwaukee has gone 2-3 and is giving up too many offensive rebounds and is also struggling with turnovers.
In his final games before his lay-off, Antetokounmpo scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against the Lakers before exploding for 47 points and 12 rebounds against the Trail Blazers.
He has improved his all-round game, already recording the most triple-doubles in a season with seven, and is posting a career-high offensive rating of 121. It's been another MVP-level season from the two-time winner of the award.
#2 Joel Embiid
MP - 32.3, PPG - 29.4, AST - 3.1, RPG - 11.1 FG% - 51.8%
Previous MVP Power Rankings - 3rd (↑1)
"When I'm on the floor, I feel like I've been the best all season, just doing my thing."
That was Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid's response to the MVP debate after leading his side to victory in Oklahoma with 27 points and nine boards in 27 minutes.
There's every chance that Embiid will win the NBA MVP race as he's now rated the closest competitor to Jokic in the odds market.
That win over the Oklahoma City Thunder brought the Sixers back to the top of the East, a position they have held for the majority of the season thanks in part to their leader. Embiid is having a career year and is one of the most dominant players in the paint in the NBA.
One of the clearest examples of this was in Philly's win over the Celtics last week in which Embiid finished with 35 points. The 76ers look poised to have their best postseason in years and Embiid will be at the heart of their attempt to win a championship.
#1 Nikola Jokic
MP - 35.4, PPG - 26.2, AST - 8.8, RPG - 10.9 FG% - 56.7%
Previous MVP Power Rankings - 1st (-)
Nikola Jokic has improved his odds even more recently in the race for the NBA MVP award and keeps his position atop our power rankings. The Denver Nuggets big man has been at the heart of their charge up the West, averaging close to a triple-double in each of their last ten games - of which Denver has won eight.
During that time Jokic pulled up his season-average for assists, ranking 4th among all players with 9.6 per game. He ranked 3rd for +/- of players who had participated in all ten games and had either a double-double or triple-double every night.
The Serbian embodies the modern-day NBA center, able to help his team across the floor, shoot threes and dominate in the paint. He is averaging a career-high in shooting percentages from all positions and is putting up more points, rebounds, steals and assists than ever before as the focal point of the Nuggets offense.
Jokic has been the leading candidate to win the NBA MVP award this season. It would take something special for one of the other four candidates on our list to stop him from becoming the first Denver Nuggets player in franchise history to win the MVP award.
Guess the Lakers players!
