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The NBA MVP race has blown wide open since the season started. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry were the top two favorites for the better part of the season, but their cases have weakened as other candidates have emerged.
Chris Paul, Joel Embiid, LeBron James and Ja Morant are making a splash, while Jimmy Butler and Paul George have fallen off.
Paul's Suns and Morant's Grizzlies have two of the top three records in the league, so their case is extremely strong. CP3 might not have flashy stats to support his case, but Morant's numbers certainly boost his chances.
On the other hand, Embiid and James are playing at an extremely high level, but their teams have had wildly different results in the past four weeks.
The Philadelphia 76ers (25-18) have won 10 of their last 13 games since sitting at .500 (15-15) on Dec. 16. That push has Philadelphia in a tightly-packed Eastern Conference race. While the 76ers are seventh, they are only 2.5 games out of first place.
Philadelphia went 2-7 with Embiid out after testing positive for COVID-19 in November. Plus, he's carrying a team that is dealing with the distraction of disgruntled guard Ben Simmons, who continues to sit. The 76ers are 22-10 in games with Embiid on the floor.
Any of the top six teams in the East can contend for the conference title. What's more, the Charlotte Hornets (24-20) have won eight of their past 11 games and are just four games out of first place. And even the eighth-place Washington Wizards (23-21) are just five games out of first as well.
The Lakers (22-22), meanwhile, have gone 6-9 since the team was a season-best three games above .500 (16-13) on Dec. 15. James, at age 37, has been a marvel, playing some of the best basketball of his career. But his efforts haven't been able to overcome the loss of Anthony Davis to a knee injury and the disappointing play of Russell Westbrook.
The Lakers are seventh in the West but are seven games behind the fourth-place Utah Jazz (29-15). A clear gulf has emerged between the top four teams in the West, who have the top four records in the NBA, and the scrum behind them.
Let's take a look at the top five power rankings of the NBA MVP race by Sportskeeda.
No. 5: Nikola Jokic
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 5th (-).
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 2; Games lost - 2.
Overall: Games played - 42; Games won - 22; Games lost - 20.
Last Week: PPG - 20.8, APG - 10.5, RPG - 12.0
Overall: PPG - 25.3, APG - 7.4, RPG - 13.9
Last Week: FG% - 63.0%, SPG - 1.0, 3P% - 41.7%
Overall: FG% - 56.6%, SPG - 1.3, 3P% - 35.9%
Nikola Jokic, the reigning MVP, is only on the ladder of every NBA MVP race because of his personal astounding numbers. He leads the league in multiple advanced stats and has an exceptionally high PER of 32.2, which would be an NBA record for a season.
The Denver Nuggets (22-20) have won 7 of their past 10 games, staying afloat despite injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., who have not played all season. They went 0-4 in November when Jokic missed four games with a wrist injury. (Three of the losses were to Chicago, Phoenix and Milwaukee, so Denver may not have won anyway. But without their top three, they didn't stand a chance.)
Jokic's scoring has declined in the past week, though. From averaging nearly 30 points a game the previous week, he is down to 20.8 a night. Jokic, however, did shoot 42% from 3-point range and 63% overall while dishing out 10.5 assists a game.
No. 4: DeMar DeRozan
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 4th (-)
Last Week: Games played - 5; Games won - 1; Games lost - 4
Overall: Games played - 42; Games won - 27; Games lost - 15
Last Week: PPG - 20.6, APG - 5.4, RPG - 5.2
Overall: PPG - 25.6, APG - 4.8, RPG - 5.0
Last Week: FG% - 44.6%, SPG - 0.4, FT% - 90.6%
Overall: FG% - 48.6%, SPG - 0.8, FT% - 85.8%
The Chicago Bulls (27-15) lead the East, but injuries have taken a toll as they have lost four in a row and five of six after a nine-game winning streak.
Zach LaVine has missed two games and the most of a third after injuring his left knee (although he is not expected to miss significant time). Alex Caruso, a key defensive player and second-unit member, has missed 13 games after entering health and safety protocols. He has cleared the protocols and should return soon.
Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan's numbers have fallen. From averaging nearly 27 points per game, he is now down to 20 a night on poor shooting splits. He has missed every single 3-pointer he has attempted in the last eight games.
The Bulls got blown out on back-to-back nights by the Brooklyn Nets and the Golden State Warriors. DeRozan risks falling out of the race if the Chicago Bulls continue to lose games and drop in the East standings.
No. 3: Stephen Curry
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 2nd (↓1).
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 1; Games lost - 3
Overall: Games played - 43; Games won - 31; Games lost - 12.
Last Week: PPG - 19.3, APG - 6.7, RPG - 5.3
Overall: PPG - 26.3, APG - 6.0, RPG - 5.4
Last Week: 3P% - 32.0%, SPG - 1.7, FT% - 85.7%
Overall: 3P% - 38.4%, SPG - 1.4, FT% - 91.4%
Stephen Curry has fallen another spot in the MVP race, because he is struggling offensively. He is in the midst of the worst shooting stretch of his career, shooting 37%, including 34% from 3-point range, in the last 19 games. Whenever Curry's shots aren't falling, he starts to create shots for his teammates, and that can be seen in his increased assists.
The Golden State Warriors (31-12) have gone 13-10 in their last 23 games after starting 18-2. He will likely be atop the power rankings once again after his slump ends and they start winning games.
Like some of the others in the rankings, Curry is missing a key teammate. Forward Draymond Green has missed six of the past seven games, and the Warriors are 2-4 in those games. He is expected to miss another two weeks with calf soreness.
No. 2: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 3rd (↑1)
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 1; Games lost - 2
Overall: Games played - 46; Games won - 27; Games lost - 19
Last Week: PPG - 29.0, APG - 7.0, RPG - 8.0
Overall: PPG - 28.5, APG - 6.1, RPG - 11.2
Last Week: FG% - 46.3%, FT% - 81.4%, BPG - 2.0
Overall: FG% - 53.5%, FT% - 71.3%, BPG - 1.5
Giannis Antetokounmpo has maintained his productive numbers, but the Milwaukee Bucks have hit a rough patch. They have lost six of their last eight games, including back-to-back losses to the Charlotte Hornets. The Bucks have fallen to fifth in the East, and the "Greek Freak" might fall in the MVP race if they continue to rack up losses.
Jrue Holiday has been out the past six games with an ankle injury, with Milwaukee going 2-4 in that stretch.
However, as far as his personal numbers go, he is dominating the floor. The two-time MVP is averaging nearly a 30-point triple-double while also blocking two shots per game. Once mocked for his free throws, he is now amazingly shooting 81% from the charity stripe over the last few games.
No. 1: Kevin Durant
Previous week’s NBA MVP Power Ranking - 1st (-).
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 2; Games lost - 2.
Overall: Games played - 43; Games won - 27; Games lost - 16.
Last Week: PPG - 19.5, APG - 5.5, RPG - 2.5
Overall: PPG - 29.3, APG - 5.8, RPG - 7.4
Last Week: FG% - 61.1%, 3P% - 66.7%, FT% - 92.9%
Overall: FG% - 52.0%, 3P% - 37.2%, FT% - 89.4%
Just like every other MVP candidate in this ranking, Kevin Durant's Brooklyn Nets are also enduring losses – losing seven of their last 11 games. The only reasons he is still leading the race are his stellar numbers and Brooklyn's 27-16 record. He leads the league in scoring with 29.3 points per game.
Plus, he shot an incredible 66.7% from 3-point range while making 61% of his shots overall in his last two games.
Unfortunately, Durant's MVP case is shaky. Kyrie Irving's return, even just for road games, will limit his numbers as another high-volume scorer will eat into his points. Durant has also suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee and is expected to miss four to six weeks, so he will, inevitably, drop in the race. Also, if the Nets keep winning despite his absence, the MVP narrative could weaken.
Guess the Lakers players!
