NBA MVP Rankings: Luka, KD look to thwart Jokic's 3-peat chase
As we enter the second half of the 2022-23 NBA campaign, the fog around the MVP field is clearing, and familiar names are leading the charge. Here are the top 10 players in the running for the prestigious prize.
10. LeBron James, Lakers
Previous ranking: Unranked
Think the Los Angeles Lakers are bad now? Imagine where they would be without James.
Since L.A. lost Anthony Davis to injury, James has put the team on his back, which is probably the kind of load-bearing that doctors would caution a 38-year-old against. In 12 straight games without his co-star, James has turned in some of his best performances of the season, including a 47-point outing against the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 30 that saw him fall just shy of a triple-double.
During that same stretch, he's averaged 33.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.9 assists while somehow keeping a scuttling Lakers squad within striking distance of a play-in berth.
9. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
Previous ranking: Unranked
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been a tough out this season thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander's marvelous play. The Thunder own an 8-5 record over the last 13 games, ranking top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating for the fifth-best net rating at 5.8.
Over that stretch, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 29.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. He’s exceeded 35 points three times since Dec. 19, including a 44-point performance in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans and a 37-point effort in a blowout win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
8. Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
Previous ranking: Unranked
Mitchell is in the midst of the best individual campaign of his six-season career. The Cleveland Cavaliers guard is averaging a career-high 28.8 points on 62.4% true shooting for the league's 13th-best offense, keeping the team afloat during Darius Garland's somewhat inconsistent campaign.
Mitchell's 71-point performance against the Chicago Bulls was the largest single-game output in the NBA this season, and it ranks second this millennium behind Kobe Bryant's legendary 81-point outburst versus the Toronto Raptors in 2006. It reminded the league how effortlessly the 26-year-old can score when he's dialed in.
7. Joel Embiid, 76ers
Previous ranking: 9
Embiid might come up short for the MVP award yet again, but if he can stay healthy, he will be a factor in the race until the very end. The 76ers talisman is putting up another sensational season on both ends of the floor. At 33.4 points per game, he's on pace to set a new career high for a third straight year, and he's also leading the fourth-best defense in the NBA.
Since ranking ninth in the last edition of these rankings, Embiid has failed to crack 30 points just three times in 12 appearances. in fact, he's scored more than 40 just as frequently over that period. Maintaining that baseline while avoiding foul trouble and nagging injuries should see him climb higher as the campaign progresses.
6. Ja Morant, Grizzlies
Previous ranking: 6
Holding firm at No. 6, Morant has the Memphis Grizzlies surging at the right time. With multiple teams collapsing in the Western Conference, Morant has posted 29 points, 8.5 assists, and four rebounds to help Memphis author a 10-3 record over its last 13 contests.
With wins over potential playoff teams including the Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings, the Grizzlies have a 3.5-game cushion for second in the conference. Morant scored 38 points against the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 11, his seventh 30-point performance over that 13-game stretch.
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
Previous ranking: 2
Overblown concern or genuine worry? After following up two 40-20 games with a 55-point spectacle to open 2023, Antetokounmpo scored single digits in two of his next four contests before missing back-to-back matchups against the Miami Heat with knee soreness. Overblown or not, the Milwaukee Bucks star has still done more than enough to remain in the top half of this list.
Antetokounmpo became the only player since Moses Malone in 1982 to register consecutive games of at least 40 points and 20 rebounds, pulling off the feat in Milwaukee's final two games of 2022. Even after his recent nine- and seven-point duds, he's still averaging 31.9 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 5.4 assists over his last 11 games.
4. Kevin Durant, Nets
Previous ranking: 5
Missing at least a month with an MCL injury might be an obstacle to winning MVP down the line, but Durant is in the midst of one of the best offensive campaigns of his storied 15-season career. The former MVP is making every basket in sight, averaging 29.7 points on a career-best true shooting percentage.
His ridiculous scoring output in 2022-23 has transcended the MVP conversation. With 1,158 total points this season, Durant has moved to 14th on the all-time scoring list, just 26 points behind 13th-ranked Oscar Robertson.
3. Jayson Tatum, Celtics
Previous ranking: 1
Though he's dropped from No. 1, Tatum remains on the podium. His stats and team record are still impressive: The Boston Celtics have the best record in the league, and Tatum is averaging career highs in points (30.6) and rebounds (8.2).
But his shooting has cooled down, as he's made 46.1% of his shots from the field over his last 12 games - the lowest among players who rank top 10 in scoring over that stretch. His 3-point shooting has also dipped to 31.7% in that span, though the 24-year-old is still making three triples per game.
2. Luka Doncic, Mavericks
Previous ranking: 3
Already no stranger to the incredible, Doncic somehow hit another gear over the last month. In just 13 games, the Dallas Mavericks star put up one 40-point showing, two 50-point displays, and a stupefying 60-point triple-double with 21 rebounds and 10 assists in a late-December win over the New York Knicks. The latter was the first and only 60-20-10 game in NBA history - further proof that Doncic is a talent unlike any other.
And yet, only now does it seem his astounding solo performances may finally be translating to consistent victories for the Mavericks, as they rolled off a seven-game winning streak to go 9-6 over the last month (during which Doncic sat out two losses). That the Slovenian star is doing all this without a true co-star only strengthens his MVP case.
1. Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
Previous ranking: 4
Voter fatigue be damned, Nikola Jokic is on pace to make it three MVPs on the bounce. The Serbian star is sitting on a virtual triple-double on the season and is the undisputed reason why the Denver Nuggets haven't relinquished the top spot in the Western Conference since our last MVP rankings. Over those 14 games, Jokic is shooting a blistering 50% on two 3-point attempts per contest while averaging 23.7 points, 11.3 assists and 11 rebounds.
Jokic is putting together another season for the ages, and the stats don't seem real. When he's on the floor, the Nuggets score at a rate that would easily top the league. When he isn't, Denver is worse offensively than the bottom-ranked Houston Rockets.
Honorable mentions: Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics).