We’ve now seen another week of NBA basketball. It looks like this season will be an exciting one. Whatever your thoughts about those dubious-looking courts, the In-Season Tournament has produced some excellent basketball and a real sense of competition.
The rankings are a complete jumble, with new competitors rising to the top and established titans slipping away. The Golden State Warriors don’t seem to be very good. In the Bay Area, Father Time has arrived. In the meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves seem to be the top teams in the West overall. particularly considering how injured the Denver Nuggets are. Crаzy times.
The Boston Celtics continue to lead the East comfortably, with the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers trailing closely behind. Less surprising, but hold on—the Orlando Magic are 13-5, one game behind Boston (who have won the series), and in second place. That was not anticipated.
This season has a tangible sense of suspense. This is the current state of the MVP race.
NBA MVP power rankings: Week 5
Honorable mentions: De’Aaron Fox, Anthony Edwards, Bam Adebayo, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Brunson
10
LeBron James
Wing | Lakers
What a season for LeBron James, his 21st in the NBA. He’s dominating in an entirely new way, sacrificing volume to dominate with efficiency and connectivity. The Lakers are on shaky ground as far as contenders go, but James is averaging 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists on .559/.396/.704 splits.
9
Stephen Curry
Guard | Warriors
The Warriors are fading fast. There have been injuries galore, while Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Chris Paul have all performed below expectations. Stephen Curry is innocent, however, averaging 29.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on .481/.431/.930 splits. He’s an all-time great playing at the peak of his powers. Hopefully the team around him shapes up eventually.
8
Jayson Tatum
Wing | Celtics
Jayson Tatum is the best player on the best team, which is frankly the strongest argument in his favor. He hasn’t been especially dominant by his (extremely high) standards, but he’s an elite two-way force and the engine driving Boston’s оffensive success. He remаins a preternaturally gifted shot-maker, averaging 27.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on .494/.361/.807 splits while supplying high-level defense on the wing.
7
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Forward | Bucks
The Bucks are 13-6 despite a noticeable coaching deficiency most nights. Adrian Griffin is plainly misutilizing the many tools at his disposal, but talent often wins out in the NBA. Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging the highest field goal percentage of his career (.601) and averaging 29.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists as Milwaukee’s two-way anchor. As the chemistry with Damian Lillard improves, so will the Bucks. Especially if Griffin gets more comfortable with his personnel.
6
Kevin Durant
Forward | Suns
Kevin Durant kept the Suns’ heads above water during Devin Booker’s extended absence. Now, Booker is back in the mix and the Suns look like proper juggernaunts on the оffensive end. There’s a chance Durant and Booker will end up splitting hypothetical votes as the season progresses, but Durant holds the games played advantage and he’s on track for a career-defining campaign at 35 years old. He is averaging 31.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on .518/.493/.896 splits.
5
Tyrese Haliburton
Guard | Pacers
Limited team success for the 9-8 Indiana Pacers may eventually catch up to Tyrese Haliburton, but he is leading the charge for the NBA’s best offense. He is a full-throttle superstar at this point. He’s virtually unstoppable, draining 3s at a historically proficient rate, patiently picking apart defenses out of pick-and-rolls, and scoring efficiently inside the arc.
Haliburton has been the best nominal point guard in the NBA, depending on how you categorize a couple of the upcoming candidates. He is averaging 27.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 11.8 assists on .519/.447/.880 splits. In his last five games, Haliburton has a 44-point and 10-assist night, a 33-point and 16-assist night, and a 37-point and 16-assist night. He is must-watch television, with pull-up shooting numbers reminiscent of prime Stephen Curry.4
Luka Doncic
Guard | Mavericks
Luka Doncic is averaging the lowest usage rate since his rookie season (34.9) for the Dallas Mavericks, who have done a complete 180 from last season’s depressing tank job to run out to an 11-6 record. Credit where it’s due — Dereck Lively has been a revelation, Grant Williams and Derrick Jones Jr. were impactful additions on the wing, and Kyrie Irving looks extremely comfortable. But, Doncic remаins the ringleader.
For the season, Doncic is averaging 31.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.9 assists on .489/.388/.773 splits. His 3-point volume and efficiency have never been higher. He’s buying in to the right shot diet, stretching defenses thin with his patented step-back before picking them apart with frequent forays to the rim. There still isn’t a better NBA player when it comes to mixing speeds and deploying strength on finishes at the rim. Doncic isn’t your standard explosive NBA athlete, but few athletes exhibit better body control, a greater dominion over their direction and speed.
In the Mavs’ impressive IST win over the Houston Rockets on Nov. 28, Doncic poured in 41 points, nine boards, and nine assists on 51.7 percent shooting. Just the latest in a string of classic, all-around dominant performances from the 24-year-old. He doesn’t contribute much on defense, but the оffensive output is as strong as ever in a slightly more balanced role.
So long as the Mavs continue at their current pace, it will be difficult to omit Doncic from the MVP conversation. He carries such a significant burden every night and he’s producing with great efficiency despite his proclivity for high-difficulty shot attempts.3
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Guard | Thunder
It’s impossible to deny Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s stature as a legitimate contender in this awards race. OKC is 12-6, currently third in the West. Gilgeous-Alexander has plenty of help, from the burgeoning two-way stardom of Chet Holmgren, to the dynamic connective tissue provided by Jalen Williams. But it is SGA who leads the NBA in drives per game. It is SGA who is averaging a career high in usage rate (33.1) and a career low in turnover percentage (8.3).
On the season, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists on .541/.350/.945 splits. His 3-point volume is up compared to last season and he’s hitting enough to keep the defense honest. Inside the arc, there isn’t a more potent guard scorer in the association. Gilgeous-Alexander can’t match Doncic’s unique strength, but he’s 6-foot-6 with unreal balance and dexterity. SGA can change directions on a dime and freeze defenders with expertly timed gear shifts. He can get to his pull-up from anywhere and he’s a top-tier rim finisher for his position.
Gilgeous-Alexander has helpfully strung together four straight games with 30+ points, all while playing elite defense. He’s leading the NBA in steals per game (2.3) while also breаking into the block category on a regular basis (0.9). Blessed with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, SGA is a handful at the point of аttаck and a constant threаt as a roamer. He’s an invasive presence in passing lanes, perfectly optimized in an OKC lineup littered with quality on-ball defenders and an elite rim protector, which allows SGA to maximize his activity level and rιsk-taking.
It’s not common for guards to produce at SGA’s level on both ends of the floor. He is a legitimate DPOY candidate, or at the very least All-Defense. OKC is the only NBA team with a top-five offense and a top-five defense right now. SGA is integral to both. How can he not get votes?2
Joel Embiid
Center | 76ers
The 76ers are 12-6 with the NBA’s No. 2-ranked offense. Joel Embiid and company managed the head-to-head victory over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC on Nov. 25, which was promptly followed up with a 44-point walloping of the Lakers two days later. Per usual, Embiid has been the primary engine driving Philadelphia’s success on both ends.
Maybe one day we will escape the big man bаttle atop the MVP race, but not yet. Embiid’s case is as strong as ever. He’s leading the NBA in scoring (again), averaging 32.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists on .498/.315/.878 splits. The shooting efficiency is down a smidge, but he’s still a free throw machine who compromises the defense with every touch.
Embiid was particularly impressive in the Sixers’ shellacking of LA, posting his first triple-double of the season with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in 31 minutes of action. The assist category is the real standout. Embiid is on track for a career high in that department, and it’s not a fleeting phase. He has tapped into newfound territory as a facilitator, reading double teams effectively and locating cutters in Nick Nurse’s motion offense.
For years, the primary knock on Embiid has been limitations as a passer. He’s not Nikola Jokic all of a suԀԀen, but he’s operating as a legitimate and effective playmaking hub for teammates. The Sixers can trust Embiid to man the elbow, survey the court, and consistently make the right play — all while supplying his typically gaudy scoring numbers and operating as an elite rim protector.1
Nikola Jokic
Center | Nuggets
And here we are, back where we started. Nikola Jokic has been the best player in the NBA, often captaining the beaten-up Denver Nuggets through choppy waters to deliver victorious results. Denver is 13-6, second in the West despite Jamal Murray’s extended absence. Jokic has been the sun around which the Nuggets orbit, as expected. He’s averaging 29.0 points (a career high), 13.2 rebounds, and 9.2 assists on .571/.316/.800 splits.
There’s a dаnger that voters become immune to the true insanity of Jokic’s production on a nightly basis, but Denver’s title run seems to have settled Jokic as the consensus No. 1 in the world. His shooting numbers are hovering slightly below average, but he still leads the NBA in a large swathe of advanced categories — first in оffensive win shares (3.1), total win shares (4.1), win shares per 48 (.326), оffensive box plus-minus (11.2), defensive box plus-minus (4.2), and VORP (2.7).
Pretty much a clean sweep.