NBA MVP rankings: Final month sets up frantic finish
The NBA regular season ends on April 14, leaving players and teams just under a month to make their impact on the campaign. In terms of the MVP race, several candidates will need to turn it up over the final stretch if they hope to force themselves into the conversation.
10. Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
Previous: 8
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 46.8 | 37.3 | 86.2 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 27.4 |
Though a knee injury has slowed him down since the All-Star break, it's only fair to include Mitchell when you factor in how he's carried the Cavaliers this season.
It should come as no surprise that on the list of Cleveland's 10-best two-man lineups with at least 400 minutes together this season, Mitchell features six different times. And it isn't just with his fellow starters, either. The Cavaliers play some of their best basketball when Spida is paired with fifth-year forward Dean Wade (12.2 net rating), but he's also incredibly impactful alongside Max Strus (11.6), Jarrett Allen (9.8), Caris LeVert (8.4), Georges Niang (7.3), and Isaac Okoro (7.1). Mitchell hasn't just been the Cavaliers' best player as they jostle for that No. 2 seed; he's also been the glue that's kept them together amid several key injuries.
9. Kevin Durant, Suns
Previous: 10
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | 52.5 | 41.9 | 85.3 | 6.7 | 5.4 | 27.8 |
Really, what needs to be said about Durant that hasn't already? At 35 and now well removed from his Achilles tear, the lanky 14-time All-Star is still playing some of the best basketball of his career while only missing seven games thus far. However, the Suns' sixth-place positioning, as well as playing alongside Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, would simply require an outstanding individual campaign to merit serious MVP consideration.
He likely won't win a second regular-season MVP, but Durant's stellar play should still be appreciated.
8. Kawhi Leonard, Clippers
Previous: 5
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | 52.5 | 42.3 | 88.9 | 6.1 | 3.7 | 23.8 |
Whether it's the pressures of the league's mandated 65-game minimum for awards or finally having a clean bill of health, the Clippers should be thrilled by Leonard's availability. With 60 appearances in 66 games this season, the two-time Finals MVP is on track for the most regular-season games of his career, though it's fair to expect that the Clippers may rest him for the postseason if their seeding is cemented early.
That said, his stellar campaign has the Clippers in a great spot with less than a month to go. With Los Angeles sitting just 4.5 games off the West's peak, Leonard has statistically had the team's best impact defensively. No one on the Clippers (with at least 100 minutes played) produces a more significant drop-off in team defense when they head to the bench; opponents score 9.9 points more per 100 possessions when Leonard leaves the court, more than double the 4.2-point difference generated by Paul George.
7. Domantas Sabonis, Kings
Previous: N/A
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | 61.4 | 42.3 | 69.5 | 13.6 | 8.3 | 20.1 |
Sacramento is hovering in a precarious spot between an automatic playoff berth or needing to go through the play-in, but that's hardly any fault of Sabonis'. The Lithuanian center has been a monster for the Kings all year; his ability to distribute - and not just by traditional big man standards - has led to a career-best 8.3 dimes per game, nearly giving him a triple-double average stat line.
The Kings being unable to build upon their memorable 2022-23 season won't help but don't discount what Sabonis has done. Since the calendar flipped to 2024, the 27-year-old center leads all players in total rebounds (515) and total assists (318).
6. Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
Previous: 7
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 46.5 | 37.3 | 83.6 | 5.4 | 5 | 26.5 |
With co-star Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined for the last stretch of the season after undergoing meniscus surgery, the Timberwolves' offensive load will fall on Edwards' shoulders for the remainder of the campaign. Since Towns' injury, Edwards is averaging 31.2 points on 46.3% field-goal shooting over the last five contests.
Despite the scoring outburst, Edwards is 11th in points per game and seventh in total points this season, just slightly behind other MVP candidates like Jayson Tatum and Nikola Jokic. His team has also fallen a bit behind compared to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference. To gain a bit more credit in the race, Ant-Man needs to score more and lead his team over the competition in the West.
5. Jayson Tatum, Celtics
Previous: 6
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 47.4 | 37.9 | 82.9 | 8.3 | 4.9 | 27.1 |
Tatum's case for MVP is fairly straightforward: Boston is the best team in the Association, and he's the team's best player. The Celtics have been dominant this season, as they're the only team with more than 50 wins and have the longest winning streak of the season (11). The Celtics have a commanding 9.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Tatum is the go-to guy on the best offense in the league, with 122.3 points per 100 possessions. Tatum's 27.1 points per game is the best mark on the team, while his 4.9 assists represent a career high. The five-time All-Star has also become a more efficient offensive player this season, averaging career-bests in effective field-goal percentage (55.6%) and true-shooting percentage (60.7%).
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
Previous: 3
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 61.6 | 29.2 | 66.5 | 11.2 | 6.4 | 30.8 |
Despite the Bucks being .500 in March so far, Antetokounmpo has remained dominant. He's scored at least 30 points in five of six contests this month, including a 46-point performance, his fifth-highest total of the season.
The Bucks reclaimed the second seed in the Eastern Conference from the Cavaliers but remain 9.5 games behind the Celtics for the top spot. While at this point it's unlikely Milwaukee will overtake Boston, the Greek Freak's dominance and paint-scoring efficiency give him the edge in the rankings over Tatum.
3. Luka Doncic, Mavericks
Previous: 4
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | 49.3 | 38 | 78.8 | 9 | 9.7 | 34.4 |
Doncic's statistical profile will always make him a favorite for MVP, and while the Mavericks have improved lately, his team's regular-season record doesn't quite reach the same heights as the other top players on our rankings.
Doncic will likely win his first career scoring title since Joel Embiid won't meet the 65-game threshold needed to qualify for postseason awards. The Slovenian is averaging a career-high 34.4 points on remarkable efficiency: 49.3% from the field and 38% from three. Doncic's ability to score in isolation is what makes him such a deadly scorer. Nearly a quarter of all his possessions (23.2%) are in isolation, where he scores a staggering 1.11 points per possession. Doncic uses his large frame and craftiness to force his way to the rim. Only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ja Morant, and Jalen Brunson average more drives per game than Doncic's 18.5. The 25-year-old employs his driving ability to create space for himself and use his deadly pull-up jumper; Doncic's 14.6 points per game off pull-ups is the highest mark in the league.
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
Previous: 1
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | 54.4 | 37.3 | 87.5 | 5.7 | 6.3 | 30.9 |
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are having a breakout campaign this season, and the fact that he's fallen to No. 2 on our MVP rankings has nothing to do with his play. Instead, it's due to the utter dominance Nikola Jokic has shown over the past few months.
The 25-year-old Canadian has mastered the dark arts of efficient scoring: getting to the free-throw line. Gilegous-Alexander is the league's third-leading scorer, averaging 30.9 points per contest. That's because of his willingness to drive the basket and his ability to draw contact and get to the charity stripe. Gilgeous-Alexander leads the league in drives per game (23.9) and is tied with Doncic for third in average free-throw attempts (8.9). His non-stop driving complements his improved ability to shoot off the dribble. Gilgeous-Alexander is scoring 10.6 points per game on pull-up jumpers - the fifth-highest mark in the league.
1. Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
Previous: 2
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | 58.4 | 34.9 | 82.8 | 12.2 | 9.1 | 26 |
Jokic is on the cusp of reaching unprecedented territory.
If the Nuggets star wins another MVP, he'll be the first player since LeBron James to win three times in four seasons. While he was close to accomplishing the three-peat last campaign, Jokic has overtaken Gilgeous-Alexander as the new favorite for the award this year. Over the last 12 games, the Joker has flirted with a triple-double, averaging 25.8 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 9.8 assists to go along with 1.8 steals and a block in 36.2 minutes per contest.
Denver has also gained ground in the Western Conference standings - climbing from the third seed to No. 1 over the span of 18 days. With the Nuggets gearing up for another deep postseason run to defend their championship, they'll need to finish with a better record than the Thunder to keep that top spot, as Oklahoma City owns the tiebreaker. With how Jokic is playing, the Nuggets look like a title contender once more.