The season is slowly coming to a close, as the playoffs are rapidly approaching. Teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers were expected to contend, but have fallen off drastically from their potential. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets also have a tall task ahead of them to get in a strong position to have an advantage in the postseason. Alternatively, other teams such as the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers have greatly impressed with their play so far.
- 10. Zach LaVine
- 9. Jimmy Butler
- 8. Luka Doncic
- 7. Devin Booker
- 6. Stephen Curry
- 5. Ja Morant
- 4. DeMar DeRozan
- 3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
- 2. Nikola Jokic
- 1. Joel Embiid
- Next
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While the NBA team power rankings are becoming more clear to see, what about the rankings of all the top players? We have seen enough from the league’s best stars with regards to who is in the MVP race and who isn’t, and it is time to provide the updated MVP power rankings at the start of the month of March. It is important to mention that prior top-5 MVP candidate Chris Paul will no longer be in the race, as it is expected he will miss 6-8 weeks with an injury. A total of 58 games played will not be enough for a player to win an MVP award.
10. Zach LaVine
2021-22 Statistics: 24.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG
The Chicago Bulls have been one of the best stories around the league and Zach LaVine has continued his excellent play so far. While we sorely missed LaVine in the Dunk Contest this year, the shooting guard clearly has bigger plans on his mind as the Bulls have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
LaVine has been on fire all season long, nailing 40.1% of his threes and 48.0% of his field goals. A great attacker of the basket and a long-range sniper, LaVine has formed one of the best duos in the league alongside DeMar DeRozan.
9. Jimmy Butler
2021-22 Statistics: 21.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Jimmy “Buckets” has done more than just score the ball this season because his all-around play and leadership have been tremendous, to say the least. The elite defensive wing has made everyone around him better, from budding star Tyler Herro to role players such as Max Strus and Gabe Vincent.
Butler has set a standard for the Heat that hard work and winning are at the core of everything they do. The former No. 30 overall pick turned himself into a two-way All-Star, and he demands that from everyone else. Currently, the Heat hold the best record in the Eastern Conference with Butler as their best player.
8. Luka Doncic
2021-22 Statistics: 27.6 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 8.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 PG
The Dallas Mavericks finally moved on from Kristaps Porzingis in favor of two scoring threats: Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. Luka might have more floor spacing now because he is dominating the game with his scoring and playmaking like few others right now. The Slovenian superstar is putting up elite numbers across the board yet again.
Doncic has the Mavericks in a playoff spot yet again, as they hold the 5th seed. Luka will likely be an MVP candidate for the rest of his career and has an outside shot of winning it this year because of his incredible ability to elevate the play of others around him. If Doncic can somehow grab a top-3 or top-4 seed, his MVP case could become massive by the end of the year.
7. Devin Booker
2021-22 Statistics: 25.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG
The news of Chris Paul’s injury will probably hurt the Suns’ record by the end of the year, but they should still hold onto a top-3 seed in the West thanks to the presence of Devin Booker. Quite possibly the next dominant shooting guard in the league going forward, Booker is having a tremendous season on the offensive end.
The former No. 13 overall pick just made his 3rd All-Star Team this season and is averaging 25.6 PPG on 44.8% shooting from the field and 36.8% from three. Phoenix will desperately need Booker to up his scoring and playmaking even more over the next few weeks because without Paul, it is up to the shooting guard to carry this team to victories.
6. Stephen Curry
2021-22 Statistics: 25.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Two-time MVP Stephen Curry is back in the MVP race as he continues to lead the Warriors to a top-two seeding in the West. The point guard has had his shooting struggles well documented this season but has picked up his numbers over the last few weeks. The superstar point guard is averaging 25.7 PPG on 37.6% shooting from deep this season.
With Chris Paul likely to miss the rest of the regular season, Stephen Curry should be dominant enough to lead the Warriors to the top spot in the West. His shooting is still the best ever, and the return of Klay Thompson will only make Curry better on the floor. If Steph can capture the number one seed, his MVP argument will be very high.
5. Ja Morant
2021-22 Statistics: 27.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Ja Morant just made his first All-Star Team, and he is certainly deserving considering how dominant he has been. The ultra-athletic guard is averaging a whopping 27.1 PPG on 49.0% shooting this year. He is running away with Most Improved Player, taking his numbers up across the board. Last year, Morant put up 19.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 7.4 APG on 44.9% shooting.
Morant’s scoring has been incredibly high, but his all-around play has been almost as exceptional. The point guard is learning how to control the pace of the game, make others better, and lead by example. At only 22 years old, we could be looking at a superstar already.
4. DeMar DeRozan
2021-22 Statistics: 28.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 5.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG
To many fans and analysts, DeMar DeRozan should be the frontrunner for the MVP award considering his elite play for the Chicago Bulls all year long. The All-Star is the most clutch player in the league this year, making big shots left and right while carrying his team to wins. An excellent mid-range scorer, DeRozan is a top-5 scorer in the game right now.
The Bulls have fallen slightly behind the Heat in the West rankings, which is a reason why DeRozan is barely out of the top-3 race. But he has a chance to truly win the MVP award if he can get his team back to the top spot, but a top-4 placing is nothing to sniff at.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
2021-22 Statistics: 29.4 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.4 BPG
Two-time MVP and reigning NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo is having an excellent year for the Bucks, and he seems to be getting his squad ready for another playoff push. The Greek Freak is ranked 2nd in the league in scoring, 7th in rebounds, and 19th in assists. An elite two-way player that is the best player in the world right now, his MVP standing is very strong.
The Bucks are currently sitting 5th in the East, with only 4.0 games behind the top spot. If Giannis can get closer to the 1st seed, he could very well end up being a 3-time MVP at the end of the year. As great as The Greek Freak has been for Milwaukee, he is still behind two other superstars who are carrying their teams through spectacular play.
2. Nikola Jokic
2021-22 Statistics: 25.5 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 8.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.7 BPG
What Nikola Jokic is doing on the court cannot be undermined by even a little bit, because he is literally carrying the team to a playoff spot. The Nuggets are still missing Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr, two starters who give Denver a legitimate shot to compete for a title.
But Jokic has been at the core of everything, whether that includes scoring or assisting others. The dynamic big man is putting up video game numbers at the center position and is making the game look so easy whenever he plays. The reigning league MVP has a very strong chance to win his second-straight award because only one man is ahead of him and that is Joel Embiid.
1. Joel Embiid
2021-22 Statistics: 29.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.5 BPG
Joel Embiid is in a pole position to win his first MVP award, and nobody should have a problem with that. The oft-injured big man has played 48 games so far and is currently leading the league in scoring at 29.8 PPG. More importantly, Embiid finally has an All-Star guard who can score from the perimeter in James Harden.
The duo of Embiid and Harden will be a force all season long and should give the 76ers enough wins to finish in a top-2 seeding. With the best big man in the league getting help from the best shooting guard in the league, Philadelphia could be having their first MVP since Allen Iverson very soon. In terms of offensive dominance and physical impact, no player has been better than Joel Embiid this year.
