NBA MVP Rankings: Nikola Jokić Remains on Top as Joel Embiid Drops Out
We have our first casualty of the NBA’s new 65-game requirement for end-of-season awards.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid—a fixture in the Sports Illustrated MVP rankings—is now officially disqualified from the award as he recovers from a meniscus surgery. Embiid has missed 20 of Philly’s 54 games. And even if he miraculously returned immediately after the All-Star break and played the rest of the way, he could appear in only 62 games.
Would that have been enough for an MVP with Embiid playing at such a dominant level? I guess we’ll never know. There’s plenty of great competition for this award left, however. Let’s get to the rankings.
(All stats through Feb. 15. The previous ranking can be seen here.)
1. Nikola Jokić
The Joker’s hold on the top spot is precarious. He’s been his typical brilliant self, but the Denver Nuggets lost three games in a row headed into the All-Star break. There’s a tight race for the award this season, and team success will likely be a factor. Can and should Jokić win if the Nugs finish a few games behind some Western Conference competitors with worthy candidates of their own?
Jokić has been brilliant, but the Nuggets lost three games in a row heading into the All-Star break.
Benny Sieu/USA TODAY Sports
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SGA is one of those candidates on one of those competitors. The young Oklahoma City Thunder continue to impress and are only one game behind the Minnesota Timberwolves in the loss column. Gilgeous-Alexander enters All-Star weekend having scored 70 points combined in his last two contests, wins over the Sacramento Kings and Orlando Magic.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
I think Milwaukee Bucks fans could put forth a compelling argument that many people are beginning to take Antetokounmpo for granted. His numbers this season are not any different from his MVP campaigns. (If anything, they are better.) And the Bucks even play well with Antetokounmpo on the floor and Damian Lillard on the bench. Especially with Embiid out, if Milwaukee can put together a strong run coming out of the break, The Greek Freak has every bit a claim to this award as the top two guys on this list.
4. Luka Dončić
Dončić is going to test the limits of how low a team can finish in the standings with its best player still winning MVP. The Dallas Mavericks would be in the play-in if the season ended today, but that’s really a testament to Dončić, who has largely carried an injury-ravaged Mavs team to 32 wins. And yet, as much as this is an individual award, I think his team is just too low to justify putting him above the other players on this list.
5. Kawhi Leonard
The Los Angeles Clippers have been on a tear for months, and Leonard often looks like the best player in the league. His two-way brilliance is fully back. The Clips are probably too loaded for Leonard to finish any higher than this—it helps having Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook—but with or without those guys, Leonard is showing this season he’s still capable of being the kind of player who can carry a franchise by himself.
Honorable mentions: The Mayor of New York Jalen Brunson, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Donovan Mitchell
