2022-23 NBA MVP Race: Nikola Jokic Is The Clear Favorite

As we have been covering all season long, the 2022-23 NBA season is one of the most competitive in recent memory. As teams have climbed past the midway point and approach the All-Star game, contenders desperately jock for position atop league standings, and others are trying to insert their names into the race in each conference. The Nuggets are atop the West with a 34-13 record, while the Celtics are atop the East with a 35-12 record, 4.5 games in front of the 76ers. Included in this incredible race between teams in each conference is one of the craziest and most unpredictable MVP races of the last 25 years.

The players in the Top 10 for MVP are consistently changing and fluctuating as different stars have gone on incredible runs as the season wears on. One constant has been the Top 3, which includes three players born outside the United States. Today, we will countdown our new Top 10 compared to what they have done since we released our last MVP rankings two weeks ago. The race for the MVP award is one that fans are constantly conversing about, so let us be your source for all things MVP related.

This is the current 2022-23 MVP race.

10. Jimmy Butler

Previous Ranking: N/A

2022-23 Stats: 21.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.1 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Considering most fans and analysts thought the Miami Heat were on the decline just a few weeks ago, it is a great sight to see Jimmy Butler made his way into the Top 10 for MVP this week. From out of the play-in tournament just a month ago to sixth place in the Eastern Conference today, Butler has led his team back into the playoff picture with great play on both sides of the ball as they sit Just 3.5 games back of fifth place in the East ready to make another surprising run in the NBA playoffs should they keep it up.

Since we last discussed the MVP award, the Miami Heat have played six games and finished with a 4-2 record for their recent surge up the standings. Butler has contributed as both an offensive and defensive factor in the run averaging 22.0 PPG on 50.0% shooting along with 5.3 RPG and 1.3 SPG. His best overall game came in a win over the Thunder on January 10th. Butler had an absurd game where he had 35 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and even added 3 blocks. Butler’s play has breathed some life back into a Miami team that was thought to be on the verge of a rebuild. Now, they have no choice but to push forward with Butler as their leader.

9. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Previous Ranking: N/A

2022-23 Stats: 30.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.1 BPG

Coming in at the No. 9 spot is a player who has made his way back into the Top 10 race for the MVP. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fell out of our last rankings after the Thunder began to slip in the standings despite his great play. Currently, the Thunder have battled back to a 22-24 record, which puts them just .5 of a game back from the eight-seeded Utah Jazz. The recent surge by the Thunder can be contributed mostly to one man, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Since our last rankings were released, the Thunder accumulated a 4-2 record over their last six games. During that time, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 28.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.0 APG, and 2.3 SPG. Already known as an offensive juggernaut this season, Shai has now implemented a disruptive defensive part of his game as well. Over the last two weeks, he has put together two different 37-point performances, one in a win over the Sixers and another in a loss against the Kings. If Gilgeous-Alexander can get the Thunder to the playoffs, look for the likely first-time All-Star to finish much further up this list.

8. Kevin Durant

Previous Ranking: 3rd

2022-23 Stats: 29.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.8 BPG

Kevin Durant is the lifeblood and heartbeat of the Brooklyn Nets. With him in the lineup this season, the Nets emerged as one of the best teams in the entire NBA and were cruising toward the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Durant was a Top 3 MVP candidate just two weeks ago when we last released our rankings, scoring nearly 30.0 PPG on incredibly efficient shooting. Today, the Nets need him once again in the very worst way.

Since Durant played his last game on January 8th and Durant suffered a lower leg injury, the Nets have won just one game and suffered four losses. The Nets have had to turn to Kyrie Irving for his services as the number one option, but they have taken a step back and fallen to fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. Durant is most likely out for at least another two weeks, making his return all the direr for a Nets team that had finally gotten it right after the early season drama.

7. Domantas Sabonis

Previous Ranking: 10th

2022-23 Stats: 18.8 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 7.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Domantas Sabonis seems to be settling in very nicely in his first full season as the center for the Sacramento Kings. The Kings have enjoyed a magnificent start to their 2022-23 campaign sitting at 26-19 through 46 games this season. Sabonis and his relationship on the court with point guard De’Aaron Fox have had much to do with their best start since their last playoff appearance, as they sit 3rd in the Western Conference for the first time in forever.

Since the last time we released our rankings, the Kings have been on a tear. They won six out of seven games over the last two weeks, which has propelled their jump in the standings. Over that time, Sabonis has averaged 18.0 PPG, 13.3 RPG, and 10.8 APG. He has recorded two triple-doubles in those seven games, including a 19-point, 15-rebound, 16-assist performance in a blowout over Houston. The other one came in an 18-point, 14-rebound, 14-assist win over the Thunder. Sabonis and the Kings look well on their way to snapping the longest current playoff drought in the NBA.

6. Ja Morant

Previous Ranking: 7th

2022-23 Stats: 27.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 7.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG

The Memphis Grizzlies have been on a tear as well since our last rankings update. Ja Morant has led the team to an overall record of 21-14, which is just 1.5 games behind the Nuggets for first place in the Western Conference. Once again, fans and media downplayed the 2021-22 season from Memphis as a fluke. The team has responded by taking on the role of villain and proving all of them wrong, which was on full display this past weekend versus the Lakers at the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles.

During our last rankings, the Grizzlies were in the midst of a winning streak that would last 11 games. They have gone 5-1 over their last six games, with Morant leading the way. He has averaged 27.2 PPG and 7.4 APG over that time, shooting 45.5% from the floor. His best performances came in a 38-point explosion in a victory over the Spurs and a 24-point, 8-assist performance in a win over the Cavaliers. Not many people like Memphis right now. They’ve got swag and attitude that rubs so many the wrong way. One thing is for sure, the Grizzlies are good and look primed to be a contender come playoff time.

5. Joel Embiid

Previous Ranking: 6th

2022-23 Stats: 33.6 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.7 BPG

Joel Embiid moves up to the fifth spot in our rankings this week, looking to continue to fly up the board as time continues on. Embiid and the Sixers have looked tremendous over the last two weeks and continue to push for a top spot in the East. The Sixers are currently 14 games over .500 and sit at 30-16 or second in the Eastern Conference at this moment. Embiid has been at the forefront of their latest push up the standings as he continues to fight for the title of the best center in the NBA.

Over the last two weeks, the Sixers have gone 6-1 and are currently on a five-game winning streak. Embiid has played in all but one of those contests averaging 34.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, and 1.8 BPG in that span. He scored at least 30 points in his last six appearances and even had a 41-point game in a win over the Clippers. With Embiid’s help over the past two weeks, the Sixers have defeated the Lakers, Clippers, Pistons, Jazz, Kings, and Trail Blazers. Is this the year that The Process finally pays off?

4. Jayson Tatum

Previous Ranking: 5th

2022-23 Stats: 31.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.8 BPG

Another player moving up one spot in this week’s MVP rankings is Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics. Tatum and the Celtics have continued to build their lead in the Eastern Conference, sitting at 35-12 on the season. Tatum has been one of the Top 5 MVP candidates since we released our first rankings months ago, getting as high as No. 1 and dropping to as low as No. 5. As a team, the Celtics are clicking on all cylinders, offensively and defensively stifling opponents on a nightly basis.

The Celtics are winners of nine games in a row overall and are 7-0 since our last rankings. Over that time, Jayson Tatum went on a tear averaging 33.5 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and 5.5 APG in six games. He scored at least 30 points in all but one of those contests, which included a 51-point explosion in a win over the Hornets just last week. Tatum has made yet another case to be the MVP frontrunner but is he any better than the four players ahead of him on this list?

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Previous Ranking: 4th

2022-23 Stats: 31.0 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 5.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Another player who has been a mainstay in our Top 5 for MVP all season long is Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis and the Bucks have been on a bit of a skid the last two weeks, but the big man from Greece has remained among the best players in the game today. His impact on both sides of the floor has been incredible, just as it has been the past few seasons. The Bucks are currently 29-17 and sit third in the East, one game out of second place.

Giannis has missed the past five games with an injury but has been on a tear before that. He is averaging over 30.0 PPG once again this season while remaining an unstoppable offensive force and the same old defensive success story. Without Giannis, the Bucks have gone 2-3 in their last five games, speaking volumes to the impact Giannis has on their team and the rest of the NBA. Without him, they have slipped out of second and continue to tumble slowly down the standings. If they wish to get back into the thick of the race for the top spot in the conference, Giannis will need to be there in order to make it happen.

2. Luka Doncic

Previous Ranking: 2nd

2022-23 Stats: 33.7 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Luka Doncic has not only remained in the Top 5 all season long, but his spot in the Top 3 is pretty much solidified at this point. Doncic has the Mavericks back into the thick of things in the Western Conference as the fifth seed with a 25-22 record overall. He is still leading the NBA in scoring at 33.7 PPG, with some challengers beginning to creep up behind him for that title. The Mavericks, despite a lackluster supporting cast for their MVP, are right back where they were last year, just two games behind the third-seeded Kings.

In their last six games, the Mavericks have stumbled, however, going 2-4 over that stretch. Doncic has done his part in trying to turn things around once again for Dallas, averaging 31.4 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 9.0 APG in five of those six games. Doncic had just one game below 30 points scored, where the team was brutalized by Portland in a 20-point loss. He had a 43-point performance in a loss against the Clipper on January 12 and, most recently, a 34-point, 12-rebound, 7-assist performance in a win over the Heat. Can Dallas do anything to support Luka moving forward, or are they doomed for mediocrity for the remainder of 2022-23?

1. Nikola Jokic

Previous Ranking: 1st

2022-23 Stats: 25.1 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 9.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Did you expect anyone else at this point? Nikola Jokic has once again taken the No. 1 spot this week as he and the Denver Nuggets continue to roll in 2022-23. Jokic has taken over as perhaps the best offensive player in basketball, as he has remained a dominant scorer, passer, and playmaker. Opponents have been stumped as to find ways to slow the big man from Serbia, and the Nuggets have capitalized on that by compiling a 33-13 record, leading the West by 1.5 games over the Grizzlies.

The Nuggets are currently on a nine-game winning streak and are 7-0 since our last MVP rankings came out. Jokic missed two of those games, but the team has continued to win regardless despite his absence. In those five games, he averaged 23.8 PPG, 12.4 RPG, and 12.4 APG, dominating every matchup that was put in front of him. The Nuggets have been dubbed the team to beat in the Western Conference to this point in the 2022-23 season, and the back-to-back reigning MVP is the most prominent reason why that is so. 

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