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The NBA released its latest MVP power rankings amid Joel Embiid's impending ineligibility for the award. Embiid is set to miss his 15th game of the season on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks due to a knee injury. Fans online were bewildered by the rankings because of some stars being ahead of others.
In the latest Kia MVP Ladder on NBA.com, Nikola Jokic is the new player atop the rankings following Embiid's surgery news. It means that the reigning MVP will miss more than 15 games this season, making him ineligible to win the award and named on the All-NBA Teams.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came in second, while Embiid dropped to third due to inactivity. Giannis Antetokounmpo remained at No. 4 followed by Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic, Domantas Sabonis, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker to finish the Top 10.
NBA fans are shocked that some of the stars they like are lower than the others. Some are even upset that the rankings are missing stars who deserve to be in the MVP conversation.
One fan wrote:
"Doncic lower than Tatum."
One fan cannot believe Jalen Brunson is not in the top-10 despite carrying the New York Knicks to fourth in the East:
"Brunson not being on here is crazy."
Another fan is baffled at how Domantas Sabonis is not an All-Star but is seventh in the MVP rankings:
"7th in MVP voting but isn't an All-Star."
Here are other reactions on X to the latest NBA MVP power rankings:
Joel Embiid to be ineligible to win NBA MVP
The NBA enforced a new eligibility rule for individual awards and All-NBA Team selections this season. Players are required to play at least 65 games of the possible 82 to be eligible for any individual award or All-NBA honors.
Joel Embiid was the favorite to win the NBA MVP heading into the season. He showed that he deserved to win the award over Nikola Jokic by having monster performances for consecutive games. He was much better than in his MVP season, which is difficult to do.
However, Embiid dealt with a hip injury in November, a sprained ankle toward the end of December and a sore left knee last month. He missed 12 games last week when he returned against the Golden State Warriors. He didn't look comfortable and was favoring his left knee.
Embiid suffered a catastrophic injury to the same left knee in the loss to Golden State when Jonathan Kuminga accidentally fell on it. He has been ruled out for an extended period and will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus later this week.
