2022-23 NBA MVP Race: Nikola Jokic Takes The Lead, Kevin Durant Enters The Chat

The 2022-23 NBA season is heating up as teams rapidly approach the mid-way point of the year this week. The standings in each conference remain tight both for conference leaders and teams fighting to make the play-in. In the East, the Celtics, Nets, Bucks, and Cavaliers are all within 3 games of each other for the first seed. In the West, just 6.5 games separate the first-seed Denver Nuggets and the 8th-seeded Portland Trail Blazers. There is still plenty of time left in the season for teams to navigate their way into contention unless, of course, you are one of the teams whose season’s obituary is already being written, like the Rockets, Spurs, Pistons, and Hornets.

At the height of all this madness are the players pushing teams into good standing. The league hasn’t seen individual talent so dispersed around the league in a very long time, and the fans have been the main beneficiaries so far. It has been nearly 3 weeks since our last MVP rankings, and the race has taken a significant turn. For weeks, the 3 players at the top remained Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and Jayson Tatum. There is a new leader in the clubhouse this week, and we are here to break that down as well as the 9 other candidates making a charge to be MVP.

This is the 2022-23 NBA MVP race.

10. Domantas Sabonis

Previous Ranking: N/A

2022-23 Stats: 18.9 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 6.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Coming in at No. 10 is someone who wasn’t in our previous Top 10 but has earned a spot this week with his spectacular play. Domantas Sabonis has been at the forefront of the Sacramento Kings’ surprising start to the season. Sabonis is currently leading the NBA in rebounding with 12.4 RPG while adding 18.9 PPG and 6.7 APG. The Kings sit in 5th place in the Western Conference at 20-18 on the season, seeking to earn their first playoff berth since 2006.

The Kings are 4-5 since our last rankings, but Sabonis has been on a tear. In those 8 games, Sabonis has averaged 22.0 PPG, 13.9 RPG, and 7.8 APG. He is shooting the ball over 60.0% on that stretch as well, attacking the rim with much more confidence. Despite an injury to his thumb causing discomfort, Domantas Sabonis, along with his teammates, have breathed significant life into a franchise that desperately needed it.

9. Tyrese Haliburton

Previous Ranking: N/A

2022-23 Stats: 20.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 10.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Speaking of teams that no one expected to be in playoff contention, the player at No. 9 is leading his own team to a surprising start. Tyrese Haliburton has the Pacers in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference this season, along with a rejuvenated group and young stars to compliment his play. Currently, Haliburton is leading the NBA in assists while also averaging 20.0 PPG and shooting over 40.0% from three on 40.4% shooting from three. No one else in the league is doing those things.

Since our last MVP rankings, Haliburton has led the Pacers to a 7-2 record over 9 games, and the Pacers are 7th in the East. Over that time, Haliburton has averaged 23.4 PPG, 8.8 APG, and 1.8 SPG. He is attempting 8.6 threes per game on average, connecting on 45.5% of them, and shooting 51.4% overall from the field. If Haliburton can lead this team to the playoffs, his standing on this list could be higher, and the Pacers could make some serious noise in a first or second-round matchup.

8. Donovan Mitchell

Previous Ranking: N/A

2022-23 Stats: 28.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG

One player that has been high up on our rankings, then off our rankings, and now makes his way back is Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers. After not making it in our previous Top 10, Mitchell found his way back with a historical performance individually and a persistent team effort as well. Mitchell became the 7th player to score 70 points in a game on January 2nd but the Cavaliers being in the thick of the Eastern Conference’s race for the top seed helps his case as well.

The Cavaliers are 4-4 since our last ranking came out and are only 3 games out of first place in their conference. Mitchell has played in 7 of those games and has averaged 28.1 PPG, 6.7 APG, and 2.0 SPG. After years of criticism for his lack of ability on the defensive side of the ball, Mitchell has shown vast improvement across the board in that department. The Cavaliers are in their best position to compete since the final season in which they had LeBron in 2018. Donovan Mitchell is a big reason for that.

7. Ja Morant

Previous Ranking: 6th

2022-23 Stats: 27.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 8.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Since our last rankings, Ja Morant has dropped one slot to No. 7 as of this week. That speaks much more to the play of the 6 players ahead of him than it does to any sort of drop-off in production for Morant. The Grizzlies are also playing outstanding basketball and find themselves in a war for the top spot with the Denver Nuggets. Morant has led the way among all the criticism and unwarranted shade thrown his way.

Since our last MVP rankings were released, Morant has led Memphis to a 6-3 record over 9 games. He averaged 28.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 8.8 APG over that span while shooting the ball at 49.2% overall. He has struggled from beyond the arc as of late, shooting 24.5% on 5.9 attempts per game over his last 9 contests. If the Grizzlies can overthrow Denver for the top spot by the end of the season, Morant’s conversation can be had way more toward the top of this list.

6. Joel Embiid

Previous Ranking: 10th

2022-23 Stats: 33.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.7 BPG

The biggest leap from a player compared to our previous rankings is Joel Embiid jumping from 10th to 6th. Embiid has missed 10 games out of 38 this season so fast but has been by far the most impactful player on the court for the Sixers once again in 2022-23. Embiid has been an unstoppable scoring machine on offense for Philadelphia while being a formidable opponent on defense. Embiid is taking more shots and shooting a higher percentage than last season when he finished 2nd in the MVP race and won the scoring title.

In their last 9 games since our previous rankings were released. The Sixers have gone 6-3 in that stretch and Embiid has missed two of those contests as well. In the 7 games he played, Embiid averaged 34.9 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 2.1 BPG. Embiid is shooting 54.0% from the field and has shot 84.9% from the free throw line. Embiid and the Sixers have battled injuries and rotational issues because of them but are still a Top 5 seed in the East and well on their way to another playoff berth.

5. Jayson Tatum

Previous Ranking: 1st

2022-23 Stats: 30.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.8 BPG

Perhaps the biggest drop-off in position belongs to the man who previously held the No. 1 ranking, Jayson Tatum. Once again, this ranking is based on how others have played as well as or better than Tatum over the last 9-10 games. Sure, the Celtics own the best record in the NBA at 28-12, but they did hit a rough patch over this time. Also, Tatum happens to have a counterpart named Jaylen Brown to form one of the best duos in basketball this season.

Over the last 9 games, the Celtics are 6-3 on that stretch, and Tatum has played exceptionally well. He averaged 32.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 4.3 APG, and 1.1 SPG. He struggled from three, shooting 32.5% on 8.9 attempts but also attacked the rim with authority and built his overall field goal percentage to 47.8%. Tatum and the Celtics have a small lead in the East at the top, with the Nets, Bucks, and Cavaliers on their heels. For now, it seems nothing will stop Tatum from getting the Celtics back to the Finals as he did in 2022.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Previous Ranking: 2nd

2022-23 Stats: 32.0 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 5.2 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Giannis Antetokounmpo is experiencing something that hasn’t come into question in a long time. Is he still the best player in the world? Yes, Giannis is playing at an elite level, better than almost everybody in basketball. At this current moment, he is not on the level that the 3 players ahead of him are. Giannis has been on a crazy stretch of games, and the Bucks are thriving once again. However, it isn’t as clear-cut in the East as it was earlier this season.

In their last 8 games since our previous rankings were released, the Bucks have gone 3-5 in that stretch. Giannis has been playing great, going for 35.0 PPG, 14.1 RPG, and 5.4 APG. He has struggled with turnovers, though, giving it up 5.6 times per game on average. Despite shooting abysmally from three. Giannis has still kept the Bucks afloat with the work he does in the paint and attacking the rim. Giannis and the Bucks will need to right the ship and play better than they have the last 8 games in order to get their own and Gianni’s status atop the league back on track.

3. Kevin Durant

Previous Ranking: 4th

2022-23 Stats: 29.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG

For all of those who questioned where the Nets were headed amid early season struggles, Kevin Durant has a message for you. Don’t bury them just yet. Not only can we not bury them, but we also cannot count them out as a serious championship contender. The Nets have been on a tear these past few weeks, propelling themselves to a spot in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference amid tremendous play from both Durant and Kyrie Irving. 

On Sunday evening, Durant was forced to leave the Nets’ game vs. the Miami Heat with an apparent knee injury. On Monday Morning, his injury was confirmed to be an MCL sprain, and he will be re-evaluated in 2 weeks.

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain in right knee and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 9, 2023

The Nets have won 14 of their last 15 games, which includes a streak of 12 in a row that ended last week. Durant has been on a tear since our last rankings came out and is averaging 28.8 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.0 BPG over his last 8 contests. What has been even more incredible is his efficiency. Durant was shooting 57.4% from the floor overall, mostly on mid-range jump shots, and shooting 43.7% from three on 5.5 attempts. The injury comes at a time when Durant had just entered the Top 3 conversation in our MVP rankings. This will likely cost him a few spots as time goes on. 

2. Luka Doncic

Previous Ranking: 5th

2022-23 Stats: 34.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG

The historic run that Luka Doncic has enjoyed over the last few weeks has been covered ad nauseam. It has been covered that way mainly because we rarely have in NBA history seen a stretch like this. Doncic has had a stretch that included the first 60-point, 20-rebound, 10 -assist triple-doubled recorded in NBA history and a rocket-like jump back to the top of the MVP standings.

In their last 9 games, the Mavericks have been led to an 8-1 record by Doncic and a spot at 4th in the Western Conference. Over that time, Doncic has built o his league-leading scoring with 38.8 PPG and has added 10.8 RPG as well as 9.1 APG. His 3-point shooting has improved from the start of the year, as he is hitting on 37.9% of his 7.3 attempts. He has kept turnovers down to under 4.0 per game and is defying all expectations set for a lackluster Mavericks roster. Doncic is steamrolling toward MVP with only one man ahead of him.

1. Nikola Jokic

Previous Ranking: 3rd

2022-23 Stats: 25.3 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 9.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Does it seem rather boring that the reigning back-to-back MVP is ranked No. 1 at the near halfway point in the 2022-23 season? Well, if you know anything about the way Nikola Jokic is playing and the impact it has on the Nuggets, then it shouldn’t be boring in the slightest. Jokic has the Nuggets currently atop the Western Conference while putting up similar numbers to his 2 MVP seasons before this. The only difference in 2022-23 is that he has his best teammates back on the court with him.

Behind Jokic, the Nuggets have earned an 8-2 record over the last 10 games that they have played. They hold the No. 1 spot in the West behind 25.6 PPG, 10.4 RPG, and 10.8 APG from Jokic as he adds to his case for the best offensive center ever and his 3rd straight MVP award. Jokic has made the Nuggets a powerhouse in the West, and the midseason favorites to represent the conference in the NBA Finals should everything remain as is. His MVP case is icing on the cake for the start of the 2022-23 season. 

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