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We are just a few weeks into the 2022-2023 NBA season and the Kia NBA MVP Race is already beginning to take shape.
So far, a couple of players have been able to separate themselves from the pack thanks marginally to their their teams' hot starts to the season. Overall, however, the race is fairly wide open in the early stages of the season.
On that note, here are five players leading the NBA MVP race so far.
#5 Ja Morant | Memphis Grizzlies
Last season’s Most Improved Player of the Year, Ja Morant, seems to have taken another leap forward as the primary scorer for the Memphis Grizzlies this season.
Through seven games, Morant is averaging a career-high 31.4 points to go along with 5.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game on 52.5% shooting. He is also shooting 51.9% from beyond the arc on 3.9 attempts per game after not shooting over 34.4% from three in his previous three seasons.
This gives him a hyper-efficient 64.8% true shooting percentage on the season.
The Grizzlies, as a team, are now 5-2 in games that Ja Morant has played in. They lost the only game that Morant missed due to illness against the Utah Jazz. This puts them at 5-3 and tied for fourth place in the Western Conference after eight games.
Memphis just needs to once again move up the standings and another top-two seed will certainly be welcome. If they can do so with Morant playing the way he has been, then his position in the NBA MVP race will undoubtedly continue to rise.
#4 Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns
Many counted out the Phoenix Suns this season after their embarrassing second-round playoff loss against the Dallas Mavericks earlier this year.
The Suns finished last season with a franchise-best 64 wins in the regular season. Now 6-1 and in first place in the Western Conference standings, they are currently on an even better 70-win pace this season. Phoenix also has the top offensive rating in the league at 118.3.
The Suns' All-Star guard Devin Booker has been a big reason for his team’s hot start. Booker is averaging a career-high 27.7 points to go along with 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game in seven games this season. He is also shooting a career-best 50.4%, including 57.3% on 2-pointers.
However, even with the Suns’ elite record, it might be hard for Booker to win the MVP award without eclipsing the 30 PPG mark. He will hope for a couple of big games next week to improve his scoring average.
#3 Luka Doncic | Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic probably has the most impressive statline of anyone on this list.
Doncic has absolutely carried the Mavericks so far this season and is nearly averaging a 30-point triple-double to make a serious MVP case. He is averaging a career-high 36.1 points to go along with 8.9 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game on 51.4% shooting.
Doncic also became just the third player ever to start a season with seven straight 30-point games, joining Jack Twyman and NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain.
If not for the Mavericks' middling 4-3 record that has them tied for seventh in the Western Conference, Doncic may be first on this list. Dallas has struggled when "Luka Magic" hasn't been on the court, which will be a concern going forward.
Nonetheless, Doncic will have a great shot at bringing home his first MVP award if he keeps playing at such a historic level.
#2 Donovan Mitchell | Cleveland Cavaliers
Probably the biggest surprise on this list is newly-acquired Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell has taken on more of a facilitator role with the Cavaliers than he did with his previous team, the Utah Jazz. Much of this has to do with the fact that fellow All-Star guard Darius Garland missed five games due to an eye injury.
However, Mitchell has still been fantastic as Cleveland's primary scorer with career-high averages of 31.1 points, 7.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He is also shooting a career-best 48.1% and 43.8% from beyond the arc after seven regular-season games.
The Cavaliers are now 6-1 and second in the Eastern Conference, trailing only the undefeated Milwaukee Bucks. They have won all five of their games without Garland and are undefeated in six games after a loss in their season opener against the Orlando Magic.
Mitchell may not be able to keep up this level of production moving forward, but for now, he’s looking like a legitimate MVP candidate for the first time in his career.
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks
Not many picked two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to win his third MVP award this season.
Much of this has to do with the fact that Antetokounmpo has suffered from voter fatigue over the past couple of seasons. It was also related to people being lower on the Milwaukee Bucks due to them missing All-Star wing Khris Middleton to start the season.
This hasn’t made a difference though as Antetokounmpo has led Milwaukee to a franchise-best 7-0 start. The 2021 NBA champions also hold the top defensive rating in the league (101.3) and have looked the real deal right from the start.
Much of this has had to do with Giannis Antetokounmpo's incredible form. The "Greek Freak" is averaging a career-high 33.6 points to go along with 12.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. He is shooting an efficient 56.9% from the field as well.
As long as the Milwaukee Bucks keep dominating with Giannis Antetokounmpo as their centre-piece, he will be the favorite in the Kia NBA MVP race for 2022-23 season.
