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As the third week of 2021-22 NBA action winds down, the chatter around the Kia NBA MVP race has picked up steam. Many teams have fallen out of the top spots of the worldwide power rankings, such as the Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz and LA Lakers. A plethora of mid-table and bottom-table teams have upset the playoff contenders this season, producing comeback wins almost every night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid have fallen off our top five list because the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers have struggled to rack up wins. Meanwhile, Paul George's exploits can no longer be ignored as he makes his way into our NBA MVP Power rankings after a phenomenal week.
Luka Doncic has also fallen out of our top five rankings for the 2021-22 NBA MVP award. But he is expected to climb the ladder if the Dallas Mavericks win enough games. DeMar DeRozan is steadily climbing the NBA MVP ladder. But it is increasingly difficult to rank him in the top five because his teammate Zach LaVine is having an MVP-caliber season himself.
And finally, the MVP battle between former teammates, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, has intensified. So without further ado, let's dive into Sportskeeda's latest (Nov. 15th) NBA MVP power rankings:
#5 Jimmy Butler
Previous week’s NBA MVP Power Ranking - 5th (-)
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 1; Games lost - 3
Overall: Games played - 13; Games won - 8; Games lost - 5
Last Week: PPG - 19.0, APG - 4.5, RPG - 2.5
Overall: PPG - 23.6, APG - 5.1, RPG - 5.5
Last Week: FG% - 52.4%, SPG - 1.0, 3P% - 50%
Overall: FG% - 52.7%, SPG - 2.1, 3P% - 29.4%.
Jimmy Butler's stock is falling, and he might soon plummet out of everyone's NBA MVP rankings. He averaged just 19 points per game last week, and played just 49 cumulative minutes in the Miami Heat's last four games.
Butler is dealing with a right ankle sprain, and if he continues to be absent, the Heat could lose a lot of games. He is already not getting the recognition for the NBA MVP award his peers, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, are receiving.
Nevertheless, Jimmy Butler is averaging phenomenal numbers, and his contributions till now cannot be ignored. He leads the Miami Heat in points and steals, and is second-highest in blocks and assists. Butler is averaging 23.6 points, 5.1 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. He is sixth-highest in the NBA in steals and 14th in points per game this campaign.
#4 Paul George
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - N/A
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 3; Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 13; Games won - 8; Games lost - 5
Last Week: PPG - 25.3, APG - 5.0, RPG - 8.3
Overall: PPG - 26.5, APG - 5.2, RPG - 8.2
Last Week: FT% - 93%, SPG - 1.3
Overall: FG% - 89%, SPG - 2.2.
Paul George is showing the league that he can carry a team without Kawhi Leonard as well. He is putting up spectacular numbers, and has forced his way into several NBA MVP power rankings across the world.
George is averaging career-high numbers in three of the five main categories. He is tied for third in the NBA in scoring with 26.5 points per game.
Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups spoke about Paul George's performance after the LA Clippers' win over Portland, saying:
"(I'm happy for him)...He's playing at an MVP level...He's just a matchup nightmare."
The LA Clippers went on a seven-game winning streak that ended against the Chicago Bulls, but the streak itself was impressive. Many gave up on the LA Clippers after Kawhi Leonard injured his ACL, but Paul George is keeping Clipper Nation's playoff hopes alive.
#3 Nikola Jokic
Previous week’s NBA MVP Power Ranking - 4th (↑1)
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 4; Games lost - 0
Overall: Games played - 13; Games won - 9; Games lost - 4
Last Week: PPG - 25.0, APG - 9.7, RPG - 14.3
Overall: PPG - 25.2, APG - 6.7, RPG - 13.7
Last Week: FG% - 58.5%, 3P% - 36%, SPG - 1.0
Overall: FG% - 60%, 3P% - 40%, SPG - 1.4.
Nikola Jokic is out for back-to-back NBA MVP awards this season. He is showing the league he can win without Jamal Murray, and has fared well thus far.
The Denver Nuggets are on a five-game win streak, and The Joker has averaged a triple double over the last week. He got suspended in one game, but the Nuggets still came out victorious. Jokic then dropped a 22-point triple double on his return, bagging 19 boards and ten dimes.
The Denver Nuggets are certainly not scary enough to make noise in the West, but Jokic has been carrying them day in and day out. He is tenth in the NBA in scoring and third in rebounding. Jokic is leading the NBA in PER, Offensive and Defensive Box +/-, win shares and defensive rating.
#2 Kevin Durant
Previous week’s NBA MVP Power Ranking - 1st (↓1)
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 3; Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 14; Games won - 10; Games lost - 4
Last Week: PPG - 32.3, APG - 4.5, RPG - 7.8
Overall: PPG - 29.6, APG - 5.1, RPG - 8.4
Last Week: FG% - 62.9%, 3P% - 52.6%, FT% - 91.2%
Overall: FG% - 58.6%, 3P% - 42.4%, FT% - 84%.
Kevin Durant's NBA MVP case is tenuous because the media might 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 superstars have not won the award because of this reason, including Durant himself when he played alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in Golden State. Hence, as great as KD has been, he might not win the award this season as well.
However, his performances have been undeniable. A true cheat code on the court, Kevin Durant is perplexing defenders with his scoring ability. He is averaging an absurd 70%+ on mid-range shots.
Over the last four games, Durant has dropped 32.3 points a night on otherworldly shooting splits of 63/53/91. His most notable game this season was scoring 30 points on 92% shooting (11-12) against the Magic.
#1 Stephen Curry
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 2nd (↑1)
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 3; Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 13; Games won - 11; Games lost - 2
Last Week: PPG - 34.8, APG - 7.8, RPG - 5.5
Overall: PPG - 28.1, APG - 5.5, RPG - 6.2
Last Week: FT% - 93%, SPG - 2.3, 3P% - 41.4%
Overall: FT% - 95%, SPG - 1.7, 3P% - 38.7%.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to deny Stephen Curry's NBA MVP case. He is the second-highest scorer in the league with 28.1 points per game, and is doing so while facing double and triple teams on a nightly basis.
He is the engine that runs the Golden State Warriors' offense, and the team is holding the league's best 11-2 record right now. The Warriors are ranked first in a bevy of different categories, such as three-point shooting, fast-break points per game, assists rate, eFG% (effective field goal), TS% (true shooting), net rating, defensive rating, among others.
Stephen Curry also exploded for 50 points against Trae Young and the Hawks, which further solidified his NBA MVP case. Even at age 33, he continues to exceed expectations, and is still widely known as the show in basketball.
He also dropped 40 points against the Chicago Bulls with nine three-pointers, thereby establishing the Golden State Warriors as bonafide title contenders. The narrative before the game was that they were facing bottom-table teams, so defeating the 8-3 Bulls by 26 points was a huge statement.
Curry outscored every player last week, as expected, to receive the Western Conference Player of the Week award.
Poll : Can Stephen Curry win MVP?
Yes
No
84 votes
