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Nikola Jokic leads the NBA MVP ladder that has started to heat up as the 2023-24 regular season inches to an end. After the All-Star break, the action resumed and the familiar names who are in our top five retained their places. Denver Nuggets big Nikola Jokic continues to head the pack with guards Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Luka Doncic taking second and third place respectively.
Giannis Antetekounmpo and Jayson Tatum round up the remaining two slots. With less than 30 games to play for each of these sides, the MVP race will only get tougher from here on out.
With the All-Star break coming in, the lack of games in Week 17 doesn't necessarily ring in massive changes in the MVP standings. On that note, here is a quick look at the MVP ladder for Week 18.
NBA MVP ladder race 2024: Top 5 candidates ft. Nikola Jokic (Week 18)
#5 Jayson Tatum
- Games played: last week 2 (Won 2, Lost 0)
- Stats last week: 22 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists
- Stats this season: 26.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists
The Boston Celtics star picked up from where he left off after the All-Star break as the side notched up wins over the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum had an all-round performance with 25 points against the Bulls and 19 against the Knicks. While they weren't game-high performances, it added to the impact the forward would have when he was on the floor.
#4 Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Games played last week: 1 (Won 1, Lost 0)
- Stats last week: 33 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 assists
- Stats this season: 30.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 6.4 assists
The Milwaukee Bucks played just one game after the All-Star break before the weekend hit. They propped up a 112-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, courtesy of Giannis Antetokounmpo's 33-point double-double that included 17 rebounds.
The forward played a whopping 41 minutes and made significant plays on both ends of the floor to help Milwaukee start their business end of the regular season on a winning note. With Joel Embiid out of the race, Antetokounmpo is one of the bigs to watch out for if he can give Nikola Jokic a run for his money.
#3 Luka Doncic
- Games played last week: 1 (Won 1, Lost 0)
- Stats last week: 41 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists
- Stats this season: 34.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 9.5 assists
Like the Bucks, Luka Doncic and the Mavericks played one game after the All-Star break before going down to the Indiana Pacers over the weekend. However, it was the Slovenian who ensured Dallas started with a win with a 41-point explosion against the Phoenix Suns. He also recorded eight boards and 11 assists as the Mavs won 123-113. Can he surpass his European superstar competitor Nikola Jokic this season as the MVP?
#2 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Games played last week: 2 (Won 2, Lost 0)
- Stats last week: 30.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists
- Stats this season: 31.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists
The OKC Thunder played back-to-back on Feb. 22 and 23 against the LA Clippers and the Washington Wizards, winning both the matchups. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who was named as one of the players for the future by the likes of Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant torched the Clippers with 32 points.
He followed it up with a 30-point outing against the Wizards. The guard has been one of the players who is a favorite to win MVP and it remains to be seen if he can continue to maintain his consistent run this season and get past Nikola Jokic.
#1 Nikola Jokic
- Games played last week: 2 (Won 2, Lost 0)
- Stats last week: 25 points, 17 rebounds, and 14.5 assists
- Stats this season: 26.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.3 assists
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets were clinical in both their wins after the All-Star break. They played the Wizards and the Portland Trail Blazers on a back-to-back and won both the matchups. Jokic recorded triple-doubles in both games.
He notched up 21 points, 19 rebounds, and 15 assists against Washington. The video game numbers followed as he propped up 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 14 assists against the Blazers. These performances see him take the top spot in our rankings for Week 18.
