The 2023-24 NBA season is off to an exciting start as we have some MVP candidates completely distinguished from the rest in terms of production, numbers, and all-around impact. Winning the MVP award this season will come down to the finest margins including team record and individual stats, but separation between some players will be almost miniscule. This season might have one of the most exciting MVP races in recent memory based on how the best players have been performing.
Without further ado, here are the 10 leading MVP candidates right now as we rank them based on the success they have had on an individual and team level over the first months of the season. While it is clearly too soon to be crowning any individual player the absolute MVP winner, we have a pretty strong indication of who the favorites are as we continue to approach the finality of the in-season tournament and the turn of the New Year.
Honorable Mention
Anthony Edwards
2023-24 Season Stats: 26.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Anthony Edwards has arrived as a budding superstar and it might not take more than a year or two before we are talking about him just as we talk about the likes of Devin Booker as the best shooting guard in the NBA. Edwards is posting a career-high 26.2 points per game on 46.4% from the field and 37.7% from three so he has taken over the number one role on the Minnesota Timberwolves with ease.
As the best player on the best team in the Western Conference in terms of record, Edwards is always going to generate MVP votes but he just misses out on the top-10 due to intense competition around the NBA. It also takes away from him that Karl-Anthony Towns (21.8 PPG) and Rudy Gobert (11.6 RPG) are also playing at a very high level beside him.
10. Tyrese Maxey
2023-24 Season Stats: 27.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 6.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Without James Harden, Tyrese Maxey has to take a step into a bigger role and he has done extraordinarily well. Maxey is on course to make his first All-Star Team and also win the Most Improved Player award. Averaging 27.0 points per game on 46.4% from the field, 39.6% from three, and 89.9% from the stripe, Maxey has been on an absolute tear to start the season and has not slowed down in terms of efficiency.
The 76ers currently have a 12-6 record and while Joel Embiid will be receiving the bulk of the praise, Maxey has been right behind him. The 23-year-old is bursting with potential and his partnership with Joel Embiid has kickstarted the post-Harden era in an almost perfect fashion despite no other stars on the team.
9. Tyrese Haliburton
2023-24 Season Stats: 27.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 11.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Nobody has seen Tyrese Haliburton coming this strong. Most in the NBA Universe knew he would become an All-Star someday, but his ability to score and also be a primary playmaker has elevated him into a player receiving MVP votes in only his fourth season. Averaging 27.0 points and 11.8 assists with only 2.5 turnovers per game, Haliburton has been dominant.
There have been comparisons with legendary point guard Steve Nash because the Canadian averaged 18.8 points and 10.5 assists per game in his second MVP award-winning season and Haliburton has already surpassed these numbers. Sure, Haliburton is benefitting from the fast-paced NBA game but his numbers have been more than extraordinary so far.
8. De’Aaron Fox
2023-24 Season Stats: 30.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG
De’Aaron Fox will have a chance to legitimately be in the MVP conversation if he can build on a tremendous campaign in 2023 and actually continue being one of the most clutch players in the league. So far, he has been one of the best point guards in the league by averaging 30.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game on 48.9% from the field and 36.3% from three.
The speedy point guard looks ready to make his second straight All-Star Team and help the Sacramento Kings climb up the West rankings once again. The Kings are a threat in the West with a 10-7 record so far and will continue to win games now that Fox is healthy and competing again at a high level.
7. Kevin Durant
2023-24 Season Stats: 31.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.1 BPG
The Phoenix Suns have three All-Stars in their prime, but the player who has been carrying them this season is Kevin Durant. Devin Booker has only played 10 games of the season so far, and Bradley Beal has only played three. That means Durant has guided the Suns to a solid 11-7 record almost singlehandedly without much help.
What is particularly impressive about Durant’s campaign is that he is averaging 31.3 points per game on 51.8% from the field, 49.3% from the field, and 89.6% from the free-throw line. His efficiency has been tremendous and if he can keep it up, will manage his third season accomplishing that feat. As Devin Booker and Bradley Beal get back to health, they will start taking some votes away from Durant but until then, the superstar forward is having one of the best individual seasons of his career.
6. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2023-24 Season Stats: 30.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is continuing where he left off last year. The All-Star and All-NBA First-Team player put up a career-high 31.4 points per game last season and he did it without having the luxury of Chet Holmgren by his side. This season, he has had Chet by his side and is averaging 30.6 points per game to go along with 5.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.
Gilgeous-Alexander has enough help to climb the team standings in comparison to last year, and that bodes well for his MVP ranking because the Thunder have a 12-6 record through the first 18 games. There is no reason to believe that Gilgeous-Alexander won’t maintain his level of play and stat-stuffing production because he has all the tools to succeed right now.
5. Jayson Tatum
2023-24 Season Stats: 27.7 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Jayson Tatum is the best player on the best team in the Eastern Conference and that places him automatically in contention for the top-10. The fact that he is a top-five talent in the NBA catapults him into the top-five. Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday have elevated the championship aspirations in Boston but Tatum has been the man on the team so far.
He is having another great start to a season, averaging 27.7 points per game on 49.4% from the field and 36.1% from the field. The superstar is not only an elite offensive player but a growing leader as well. The Boston Celtics have an impressive 14-4 record as long as Tatum continues to perform well alongside his new teammates, it will be hard to ignore him in the MVP race.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo
2023-24 Season Stats: 29.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.4 BPG
The Greek Freak just received major reinforcements this summer with Damian Lillard coming on board. There is no doubt the Milwaukee Bucks have the scariest duo in the league but that is mainly because Giannis Antetokounmpo is so dominant on both ends of the court. Even with Lillard by his side, Antetokounmpo is averaging a monster double-double while adding over a steal and block per game.
He is posting a double-double and still cannot be handled in any one-on-one situation. The Greek Freak is trying to impose his presence against every opponent because the chance for the Milwaukee Bucks to make the NBA Finals is too high to ignore. Milwaukee currently holds a 13-6 record and while Damian Lillard has been consistent (25.5 points per game), Giannis has been the superstar and driving force of the team so far.
3. Luka Doncic
2023-24 Season Stats: 31.1 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 7.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Luka Doncic has been one of the best players in the NBA over the past few months and that is due to pure impact. The Dallas Mavericks have gone 11-6 to start the season and that is impressive considering they missed the playoffs last year. His stats have been MVP-caliber, as usual, but his pure impact is there to see.
Even with Kyrie Irving averaging 2.46 points per game, Doncic has carried the team so far and we expect this to continue all season long. Teams are struggling to find a defensive solution for Luka because his shot-making is simply superb and he is a triple-double machine, making him a long-term contender for a top-three spot in the MVP race.
2. Joel Embiid
2023-24 Season Stats: 32.0 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.9 BPG
At this moment, Joel Embiid is a top-two player in the world. He won the MVP award last season, has earned two scoring titles, and is one of the best two-way players in the league. The Philadelphia 76ers star will be in the running for the MVP even if James Harden is a member of the Clippers and Tyrese Maxey has been thrust into a new role as the sidekick to the superstar.
His numbers are MVP-worthy and he has not slowed down even if James Harden is not feeding him the rock anymore. It was clear that Embiid is who he is even if the reigning assist-leader is not by his side anymore. The superstar center is scoring at will, averaging 32.0 points per game on 49.8% from the field, 31.5% from three, and 87.8% from the field. If not for one player, Embiid will be the favorite for the MVP award.
1. Nikola Jokic
2023-24 Season Stats: 29.0 PPG, 13.2 RPG, 9.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG
A two-time MVP, Nikola Jokic is having a terrific campaign as a triple-double threat and the leader for the 13-6 Denver Nuggets. The Serbian is not only scoring at a high level but also crashing the boards and acting as a primary playmaker for his team. Just when we think Jokic can’t get any better, he finds a way.
In terms of pure stats, Jokic might be having his best season. The big man will average close to a triple-double again this season and will be the best player on the best team in the Western Conference in terms of percentage to make the NBA Finals again. It would be an incredible achievement for the Serbian to win his third MVP trophy but he is on track to accomplish it.Â
