Kia NBA MVP Race: November 9th, 2021 | Latest Power Rankings by Sportskeeda

As the third week of NBA action winds down, the chatter around the Kia NBA MVP race has picked up steam. A lot of drama unfolded last week that has changed the scenario of the league standings. Rebuilding teams are pulling off comebacks against playoff contenders while certain teams are dealing with injury issues early in the season.

The Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors are at the top of their respective conferences. The Warriors are the only team with just one loss and have ranked first in the league in several categories. The Brooklyn Nets have finally found their mojo after a subpar start to their season while the LA Lakers have been bitten by the injury bug. Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls have pleasantly surprised the NBA with their dominance to begin the season.

Luka Doncic has slipped out of our NBA MVP rankings because other players have made a serious impact this week. He did sink a game-winning buzzer-beater against the Boston Celtics in his last game so he might climb up the ladder again. Giannis Antetokounmpo is also out of out top five NBA MVP power rankings because the Milwaukee Bucks have simply not been winning anymore.

Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler and Nets' Kevin Durant have made their way into the top 5 but there is no guarantee that they will stay in the top five. Let's dive into Sportskeeda's Kia NBA MVP power rankings.

#5 Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler with the Miami Heat

Previous week’s NBA MVP Power Ranking - N/A

Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 2; Games lost - 1

Overall: Games played - 9; Games won - 7; Games lost - 2

Last Week: PPG - 23.3, APG - 4.7, RPG - 4.3

Overall: PPG - 24.7, APG - 5.2, RPG - 6.1

Last Week: FG% - 52.3%, SPG - 1.3

Overall: FG% - 52.7%, SPG - 2.3

Jimmy Butler has forced his way into our early NBA MVP power rankings. He leads the team in points and steals and is second-highest in rebounds, blocks and assists. Butler is averaging 24.7 points, 5.2 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 0.3 blocks per game. He is third-highest in the NBA in steals and is 12th in points per game.

Butler is back to being the Miami Heat's Swiss Army knife as he does a little bit of everything for the team. He is third in the NBA in PER (Player Efficiency Rating) and is leading the NBA in Win Shares and Offensive Win Shares. Jimmy Butler was atop the NBA MVP ladder for many publications until last week but has since dropped off. If the Miami Heat keep winning, he might climb the power rankings.

#4 Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets

Previous week’s NBA MVP Power Ranking - 2nd (↓2)

Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 1; Games lost - 2

Overall: Games played - 9; Games won - 5; Games lost - 4

Last Week: PPG - 28.3, APG - 4.7, RPG - 10.7

Overall: PPG - 25.4, APG - 5.2, RPG - 13.4

Last Week: FG% - 58%, 3P% - 36%, SPG - 1.3

Overall: FG% - 60%, 3P% - 40%, SPG - 1.6

The reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has fallen by two spots in our standings because the Denver Nuggets lost two consecutive games to the Memphis Grizzlies. But the Joker has continued his brilliance on the court. He is averaging 25.4 points and 13.4 rebounds per game, eighth and third in the NBA respectively. Jokic has registered two games with 30+ points and seven games with double-digit rebounds. He registered a game-winning block in their last game against the Houston Rockets.

The Denver Nuggets are struggling with injuries but when healthy, they are a force to be reckoned with. Nikola Jokic is out there gunning for back-to-back MVP awards and if the Nuggets win more games, he'll climb up the ladder once again. However, if his team continues to lose games, Nikola Jokic might get kicked off the top five NBA MVP rankings. The teams on their next week's slate are the Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers and the Atlanta Hawks.

#3 Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers

Previous week’s NBA MVP Power Ranking - 5th (↑2)

Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 4; Games lost - 0

Overall: Games played - 10; Games won - 8; Games lost - 2

Last Week: PPG - 22.3, APG - 4.3, RPG - 11.0

Overall: PPG - 21.4, APG - 4.0, RPG - 9.4

Last Week: 3P% - 50%, BPG - 1.0

Overall: 3P% - 39%, BPG - 1.4

Joel Embiid might not lead the league in statistical categories but he is doing everything it takes for his team to win. The Philadelphia 76ers are currently at the top of the Eastern Conference table with an 8-2 record and are only one of three teams with two or fewer losses. Embiid is carrying the 76ers to wins despite the absence of Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris, which makes his NBA MVP case stronger.

However, according to recent reports, Joel Embiid and Matisse Thybulle have entered the NBA's health and safety protocols while Danny Green is sidelined due to a hamstring injury. We can expect the 76ers to lose the next few games and Embiid will inevitably drop in the NBA MVP ladder.

#2 Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors

Previous week’s NBA MVP Power Ranking - 1st (↓1)

Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 3; Games lost - 0

Overall: Games played - 9; Games won - 8; Games lost - 1

Last Week: PPG - 18.0, APG - 5.7, RPG - 4.7

Overall: PPG - 25.1, APG - 6.2, RPG - 6.6

Last Week: FT% - 100%, SPG - 1.3

Overall: FT% - 97%, SPG - 1.4

Stephen Curry's case for the NBA MVP award is messed up because he lacks personal numbers but his team is constantly winning. Over the last three games, he has averaged 18 points per game and is shooting a career-low from three-piont range (37%). He cleaned the glass brilliantly to begin the season but his rebounding has taken a hit as well. Hence, he has fallen by one spot in our NBA MVP power rankings but is still great enough to stay in the top five.

Stephen Curry is either leading the NBA MVP race in most publications or is second. The NBA's official MVP ladder has him ranked second. The Golden State Warriors are so dominant that they have won their last four games in blowouts despite Curry scoring pedestrian numbers. His supporting cast is finally stepping up and the Warriors are currently at the top of the league leaderboard with a 8-1 record. They are also the only team in the NBA with just one loss through the first nine games and are leading the league in most categories, including defensive rating.

Curry's brilliance is his gravity and every time he steps foot on the floor, he draws double and triple-teams 30 feet from the basket. The reason why the Warriors' role players are playing so well is because Stephen Curry is attracting defenders even without the ball in his hands. Hence, he is leading the NBA is box +/- and is third in offensive box +/-.

#1 Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets

Previous week’s NBA MVP Power Ranking - N/A

Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 3; Games lost - 0

Overall: Games played - 10; Games won - 7; Games lost - 3

Last Week: PPG - 30.7, APG - 5.7, RPG - 8.0

Overall: PPG - 28.7, APG - 6.5, RPG - 7.5

Last Week: FG% - 55%

Overall: FG% - 57%

Kevin Durant wasn't in last week's NBA MVP power rankings because we feel the media will not give him the votes by the end of the season as he plays alongside two other All-Stars. The narrative is that he cannot be solely responsible for the team's wins because of the other star players. Many stars have not won the award because of this reason and Durant, as great as he has been, might not win as well.

Nonetheless, the Brooklyn Nets are winning and Kevin Durant is putting on a show. He dropped nearly 31 points a game last week and is currently leading the NBA in scoring with 28.7 points per game. Durant is also grabbing eight boards a game and has dished out nearly six dimes as well. He has been incredibly efficient, shooting 57% from the floor and defenses have had no answer for him lately. James Harden is playing like a shell of himself ever since the new rules were implemented and Kyrie Irving is still unavailable. Hence, his showtime performances make a case for the NBA MVP award.

The Brooklyn Nets are currently 7-3 through their first 10 games and are on a five-game win streak. Kevin Durant has had five games win double-digit rebounds, one game with double-digit assists and has scored over 25 points in eight of the 10 games so far.