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The two players who have been NBA MVP favorites since the season began, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, have both had below-average weeks. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has gained serious MVP traction, while players like Jimmy Butler and Paul George have fallen off the race.
DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine are both off the top five of the race as well, because they are sidelined. The Bulls have the risk of losing a bunch of games because 10 players on the roster are under COVID-19 protocols, including the two NBA MVP candidates. The NBA has postponed Chicago's next two games.
Chris Paul makes an appearance in our NBA MVP power rankings because his exploits can no longer be ignored, and the rest of the candidates don't have compelling cases anymore.
Here's the top five of the NBA MVP Power Rankings by Sportskeeda.
No. 5: Chris Paul
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - N/A
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 2; Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 25; Games won - 21; Games lost - 4
Last Week: PPG - 14.3, APG - 10.0, RPG - 3.0
Overall: PPG - 14.4, APG - 10.2, RPG - 3.9
Last Week: BPG - 1.0, SPG - 1.0
Overall: BPG - 0.4, SPG - 2.0
Chris Paul's MVP case is shaky because the league loves volume scorers. He is averaging a career-low 14.4 points per game which, needless to say, is underwhelming. However, he makes a case for the award based on his playmaking and ability to elevate the team. Paul is leading the NBA in assists per game with 10.2 a night while maintaining his eye for stealing the ball with 2.0 per game. The Phoenix Suns have the best record in the NBA, at 21-4, and CP3 is the major reason for it.
No. 4: Nikola Jokic
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 4th (↑1)
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 2; Games lost - 2
Overall: Games played - 26; Games won - 13; Games lost - 13
Last Week: PPG - 28.3, APG - 11.0, RPG - 13.3
Overall: PPG - 26.5, APG - 7.2, RPG - 13.5
Last Week: FG% - 55.4%, SPG - 1.5
Overall: FG% - 58.2%, SPG - 1.2
Nikola Jokic's MVP case hinges on his team winning games, and so far that isn't a possible scenario. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are both likely out for the season, and the Denver Nuggets are .500 so far with a 13-13 record. The award has never gone to a player on a losing team, so regardless of his personal numbers, Jokic will not receive enough votes.
He is still arguably the most valuable player in the NBA based on pure value. The Nuggets are horrendously bad when he is off the floor and incredibly good when he is on the court. Jokic also leads the NBA in most advanced stats, like box plus-minus, PER and several others.
No. 3: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 3rd (-)
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 3; Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 28; Games won - 18; Games lost - 10
Last Week: PPG - 25.8, APG - 5.5, RPG - 11.3
Overall: PPG - 27.3, APG - 5.9, RPG - 11.7
Last Week: 3P% - 40%, SPG - 1.3, BPG - 1.3
Overall: 3P% - 28.9%, SPG - 1.1, BPG - 1.6
Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for his third MVP trophy, and he is doing an excellent job convincing everyone he deserves it. The Milwaukee Bucks (18-10) have won 12 of their past 14 games. They are unbeaten when their Big 3 play together, and their confidence after winning the championship is through the roof. The Greek Freak is averaging the second-most points in the NBA and is in the top 20 in every other category.
No. 2: Kevin Durant
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 2nd (-)
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 2; Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 23; Games won - 16; Games lost - 7
Last Week: PPG - 33.5, APG - 5.5, RPG - 7.3
Overall: PPG - 29.4, APG - 5.6, RPG - 7.6
Last Week: FG% - 49.5%, FT% - 92.6%, BPG - 2.0
Overall: FG% - 52.9%, FT% - 87.7%, BPG - 0.8
Kevin Durant would have fallen in the MVP Power Rankings had he not just dropped 51 points Sunday night. The 51-point mark is the highest-scoring game this season, eclipsing Stephen Curry's 50. Durant is, once again, leading the league in scoring with 29.4 points per game and he might earn his fifth career scoring title.
The Nets (19-8) lead the Eastern Conference, and it is mostly because of KD as James Harden is playing like a shell of himself and Kyrie Irving remains absent.
No. 1: Stephen Curry
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 1st (-)
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 2; Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 26; Games won - 21; Games lost - 5
Last Week: PPG - 23.7, APG - 5.0, RPG - 4.7
Overall: PPG - 27.1, APG - 6.3, RPG - 5.6
Last Week: FT% - 91.7%, SPG - 1.0, 3P% - 33.3%
Overall: FT% - 92.7%, SPG - 1.7, 3P% - 40.4%
Stephen Curry is approaching history as he closes in on the all-time 3-pointer record, and the Golden State Warriors (21-5 entering Monday's game at the Indianapolis Pacers) are winning games in the process. There is a #CurryWatch counter in every game as he comes closer to the record, and it has brought joy for a lot of fans.
He is averaging the third-most points in the NBA with 27.1 and was leading the league until his recent shooting slump. The Golden State Warriors have the second-best record in the NBA, and Curry is leading most major sportsbooks and publications as the MVP favorite so far.
