NBA MVP Mondays: Nikola Jokic leads tight race vs. Giannis, Jayson Tatum

Will Nikola Jokic hold onto the lead over Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and others in the NBA MVP race?

If the NBA season ended tomorrow, who would be the league’s MVP? Nobody seems to have an answer to this is a question right now. Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and a few others are in the first tier of players contending for the MVP award, yet each of these candidates faces vast differences.

Jokic is the triple-double king, but at the same time, the Denver Nuggets have struggled this season. In the Eastern Conference, Giannis and Tatum have been their respective team’s MVPs for different reasons. Whereas Antetokounmpo has been the driving force behind getting the Milwaukee Bucks above .500 amid their terrible start, Tatum has elevated his play coming off a championship season with the Boston Celtics.

There is then Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring heroics with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Anthony Davis’ paint dominance with the Los Angeles Lakers. Overall, this is the tightest MVP race the NBA has seen in years, which should make for a very interesting conclusion to 2024.

What about other preseason MVP contenders like Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, and Victor Wembanyama? With the way the 2024-25 season has gone, any player could enter or fall out of the top five of the MVP rankings at any time.

Still, it’s Jokic who remains at the top of the rankings, with Giannis and Tatum right on his tail.

1. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets

Previous ranking: #1

2024-25 season stats: 15 games, 29.6 points, 13.2 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 1.5 steals, 56.2 FG%, 50.8 3P%

The Nuggets are just 10-8 this season. After Jokic rallied Denver to five straight wins early in November, Denver has since lost five of their last eight games. This is partly due to Jokic’s absence due to the birth of his second child, but also because the Nuggets are struggling to find consistency outside of him.

As far as the three-time MVP’s numbers go, Jokic is once again leading the league in rebounding, win shares, and player efficiency rating. It is worth noting that the Serbian big man led the league in these advanced metrics each of the three seasons he won MVP. Jokic also leads the league with eight triple-doubles in 15 games.

If Jokic finishes the year averaging a triple-double, it will be hard to name someone else the NBA MVP unless Denver is to somehow miss the playoffs. The fact that he is putting up these numbers while shooting over 55 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point range is ridiculous.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks

Previous ranking: #4

2024-25 season stats: 17 games, 32.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.4 blocks, 60.9 FG%

Early on, the Bucks were 2-8 and sitting near the bottom of the NBA standings. A few weeks later, the Bucks are now 10-9 and have won six straight games, tied for the longest win streak in the league. This has been a miraculous turnaround for Milwaukee, and their success starts with pinpointing Giannis’ excellence.

During the Bucks’ recent nine-game run in which Antetokounmpo has only played eight games, he has averaged 34.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 8.3 assists. This past week, Giannis recorded a 42-point triple-double against the Washington Wizards in the lone game he played.

It may not be hard to say that this is the best season of Antetokounmpo’s career. He is averaging career highs in points, assists, and field goals made, plus Antetokounmpo has resurrected the Bucks’ season. Should Milwaukee continue to win games and get back to where everyone thought they would be to begin the year, Giannis’ MVP chances will only increase.

3. Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Previous ranking: #2

2024-25 season stats: 20 games, 29.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 46.0 FG%, 38.1 3P%

Tatum is in the midst of his most efficient and impactful season with the Celtics sitting near the top of the East standings at 14-6. Just this past week, Tatum led Boston to a 2-1 record, with their only loss coming against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who own the best record in the league. In these three games, the Celtics star averaged 29.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.

While he doesn’t have a triple-double this season, Tatum is recording triple-double-like numbers in addition to being his team’s leading scorer. More importantly, he is also putting in work defensively to ensure that the Celtics are one of the best two-way teams in the entire league.

What often gets overlooked about Tatum is that while this is his eighth NBA season, he is still just 26 years old. He is just now reaching the prime years of his career, which is why it shouldn’t be a surprise to see the Celtics stars getting better. Tatum is on the cusp of achieving greatness, and he finds himself practically even with Jokic and Giannis in the middle of the MVP race.

4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Previous ranking: #5

2024-25 season stats: 20 games, 30.0 points, 6.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.1 blocks, 50.4 FG%, 34.4 3P%

Since Chet Holmgren suffered his pelvic injury that will sideline him likely through the All-Star break, the Oklahoma City Thunder have gone 7-3. The main reason why this team is still a real contender without their star big man is because of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his ability to not only lead an offense but make those around him better. Out of all the players in the league, Gilgeous-Alexander is proving to be the best scorer right now.

Gilgeous-Alexander has recorded 30 points in six of his last seven games — something that isn’t new for the Thunder star. Last season, SGA led all players in the league by scoring at least 30 points in 51 total games. So far this season, he has picked up right where he left off, scoring 30 points in nine of the 20 games he’s played thus far.

The Thunder guard ranks third in scoring, eighth in steals, and 18th in assists. He is also one of four players averaging at least 25 points, six assists, and five rebounds along with Jokic, Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic.

5. Anthony Davis – Los Angeles Lakers

Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Previous ranking: #3

2024-25 season stats: 19 games, 28.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 1.3 steals, 55.6 FG%, 40.6 3P%

Anthony Davis is the only reason the Los Angeles Lakers are above .500 right now. With LeBron James taking a step back on the verge of his 40th birthday, Davis has been the leader of the Lakers’ offense, scoring at least 25 points in six of his last nine games. Better yet, Davis has a streak of five straight games with a double-double, and he has recorded a double-double in nine of his previous 10 games.

Health has always prevented Davis from receiving the awards and recognition he deserves. However, after spending time working on his body over the last year, the Lakers’ big man has become more durable and reliable, leading to the best start of his career.

Aside from being tied for ninth in double-doubles, Davis ranks sixth in scoring, seventh in rebounding, and fourth in total blocks. The ability to get things done at a high rate on both ends of the court is why Davis finds himself in the mix for the NBA MVP award so far this season.

Just missing the cut

6. Kevin Durant – Phoenix Suns (Ranked No. 7 last week)

7. Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers (Ranked No. 6 last week)

8. Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves (Ranked No. 8 last week)

9. Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks (Ranked No. 10 last week)

10. Karl-Anthony Towns – New York Knicks (Unranked last week)