NBA MVP Rankings - 28 Mar

There are only a few weeks left in the regular season, and a healthy Nikola Jokic has surged ahead of SGA for the top spot after 4 straight triple-doubles, all of which came in wins for the surging Nuggets, bringing him to 31 on the season, while he is also leading the league in rebounding and assists, a feat that no player has ever achieved before. Here are my current MVP rankings, with career-highs in bold, plus a few updates to my all-time player rankings:

Most Valuable Player

1 (2) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

27.9 Pts (#7), 12.8 Reb (#1), 10.8 Ast (#1), 1.4 Stl (#19), 0.8 Blk, .574 FG% (#9), .385 3P%, .827 FT%

2 (1) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG - OKC

31.4 Pts (#2), 4.4 Reb, 6.6 Ast (#16), 1.4 Stl (#20), 0.8 Blk, .553 FG% (#12), .379 3P%, .884 FT% (#14)

3 (4) Luka Doncic - PG - LAL

33.7 Pts (#1), 7.8 Reb, 8.2 Ast (#3), 1.6 Stl (#6), 0.5 Blk, .476 FG%, .366 3P%, .776 FT%

4 (3) Cade Cunningham - PG - DET

24.5 Pts (#13), 5.6 Reb, 9.9 Ast (#2), 1.5 Stl (#14), 0.9 Blk, .461 FG%, .346 3P%, .814 FT%

5 (5) Victor Wembanyama - C - SAS

24.2 Pts (#14), 11.2 Reb (#5), 3.0 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 3.1 Blk (#1), .505 FG%, .351 3P%, .818 FT%

6 (9) Jamal Murray - PG - DEN

25.5 Pts (#11), 4.4 Reb, 7.2 Ast (#8), 0.9 Stl, 0.3 Blk, .483 FG%, .428 3P% (#9), .885 FT% (#13)

7 (NR) Jalen Johnson - SF - ATL

22.9 Pts (#19), 10.3 Reb (#7), 8.1 Ast (#5), 1.3 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .492 FG%, .353 3P%, .786 FT%

8 (7) Jaylen Brown - SF - BOS

28.6 Pts (#5), 7.0 Reb, 5.2 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .477 FG%, .342 3P%, .802 FT%

9 (6) Donovan Mitchell - SG - CLE

27.9 Pts (#8), 4.5 Reb, 5.8 Ast, 1.5 Stl (#9), 0.3 Blk, .478 FG%, .365 3P%, .859 FT%

10 (NR) Jalen Duren - C - DET

19.5 Pts, 10.6 Reb (#6), 1.8 Ast, 0.9 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .643 FG% (#3), .744 FT%

Honorable Mention: James Harden - PG - CLE; Jalen Brunson - PG - NYK; Tyrese Maxey - PG - PHI; Kawhi Leonard - SF - LAC; Karl-Anthony Towns - C - NYK

All-Time Player Rank Changes

James Harden has passed Chris Paul to move up to #19

Kawhi Leonard has passed Pau Gasol to move up to #56

Draymond Green has passed Kyrie Irving to move up to #60

Trae Young has passed John Wall to move up to #92

DeMar DeRozan has passed Wes Unseld to move up to #98

NBA MVP Rankings - 9 Mar

Joel Embiid's injury has made him officially ineligible for this season's MVP award, though I still have him in my top 10 due to the impact he had while he was playing. It is now virtually a 4-player race, and it's as close now between the 4 as it has ever been this season, and it may come down to where each player's team ends up in the playoff seeding next month. Here are my current MVP rankings:

Most Valuable Players

1 (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

26.0 Pts (#13), 12.3 Reb (#3), 9.2 Ast (#4), 1.2 Stl (#19), 0.9 Blk, .579 FG% (#11), .350 3P%, .824 FT%

2 (3) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG - OKC

31.2 Pts (#2), 5.6 Reb, 6.5 Ast (#13), 2.1 Stl (#1), 1.0 Blk, .546 FG% (#20), .374 3P%, .881 FT% (#15)

3 (2) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

30.8 Pts (#3), 11.2 Reb (#6), 6.4 Ast (#16), 1.2 Stl, 1.0 Blk, .618 FG% (#8), .303 3P%, .661 FT%

4 (5) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

34.6 Pts (#1), 9.0 Reb (#18), 9.8 Ast (#3), 1.4 Stl (#9), 0.6 Blk, .496 FG%, .382 3P%, .786 FT%

5 (8) Domantas Sabonis - C - SAC

20.0 Pts, 13.5 Reb (#1), 8.4 Ast (#5), 0.9 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .610 FG% (#9), .420 3P%, .693 FT%

6 (9) Jayson Tatum - PF - BOS

26.8 Pts (#10), 8.4 Reb, 4.8 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .475 FG%, .373 3P%, .828 FT%

7 (6) Tyrese Haliburton - PG - IND

20.8 Pts, 3.8 Reb, 11.4 Ast (#1), 1.1 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .483 FG%, .377 3P%, .848 FT%

8 (4) Joel Embiid - C - PHI *

35.3 Pts, 11.3 Reb, 5.7 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.8 Blk, .533 FG%, .366 3P%, .883 FT% (#13)

9 (7) Trae Young - PG - ATL

26.4 Pts (#11), 2.7 Reb, 10.8 Ast (#2), 1.4 Stl (#8), 0.2 Blk, .426 FG%, .371 3P%, .856 FT%

10 (10) Anthony Davis - C - LAL

24.7 Pts (#16), 12.3 Reb (#4), 3.6 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 2.4 Blk (#5), .555 FG% (#18), .257 3P%, .816 FT%

Honorable Mention: Jalen Brunson - PG - NYK, LeBron James - PF - LAL, Damian Lillard - PG - MIL, Anthony Edwards - SG - MIN, Victor Wembanyama - C - SAS, Donovan Mitchell - SG - CLE

*Embiid is not qualified for per game stat leaderboards.

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Victor Wembanyama - C - SAS

20.7 Pts, 10.3 Reb (#10), 3.4 Ast, 1.3 Stl (#17), 3.4 Blk (#1), .469 FG%, .335 3P%, .815 FT%

2 (2) Chet Holmgren - C - OKC

17.0 Pts, 7.8 Reb, 2.7 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 2.5 Blk (#4), .540 FG%, .391 3P%, .786 FT%

3 (3) Dereck Lively II - C - DAL

8.6 Pts, 7.0 Reb, 1.2 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 1.4 Blk (#15), .743 FG%, .000 3P%, .529 FT%

4 (5) Keyonte George - PG - UTA

12.0 Pts, 2.8 Reb, 4.4 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .393 FG%, .353 3P%, .822 FT%

5 (4) Ausar Thompson - SF - DET

8.9 Pts, 6.4 Reb, 1.9 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.0 Blk, .488 FG%, .189 3P%, .600 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Chris Paul has passed Russell Westbrook to move back up to #18

James Harden has passed Larry Bird to move up to #20

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed Charles Barkley to move up to #33

Nikola Jokic has passed Patrick Ewing to move up to #35

Anthony Davis has passed George Gervin to move up to #55

Draymond Green has passed Manu Ginobili to move up to #64

Kyrie Irving has passed Bob McAdoo to move up to #67

Jimmy Butler has passed Rod Strickland, Cliff Hagan, and Walt Frazier to move up to #84

There is also a very good chance that we will be seeing a new player joining the top 100 by the end of the month. Watch for my next update to see who it is and whether it happens.

NBA MVP Rankings - 30 Dec

The top 5 spots in the MVP race are all extremely close, with Jokic still holding a slight lead over the other 2 recent MVPs, while a couple of young newcomers are also in the conversation. Here are my current MVP and Rookie of the Year rankings, as well as 5 changes in the All-Time Player rankings:

Most Valuable Player

1 (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

26.1 Pts (#13), 12.3 Reb (#1), 9.2 Ast (#3), 1.2 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .555 FG% (#15), .333 3P%, .817 FT%

2 (4) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

30.9 Pts (#4), 11.1 Reb (#6), 5.5 Ast, 1.3 Stl, 1.2 Blk, .608 FG% (#6), .216 3P%, .674 FT%

3 (2) Joel Embiid - C - PHI

35.0 Pts (#1), 11.7 Reb (#5), 6.0 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 2.0 Blk (#9), .540 FG% (#19), .350 3P%, .893 FT% (#10)

4 (3) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

33.7 Pts (#2), 8.4 Reb (#20), 9.2 Ast (#4), 1.4 Stl (#12), 0.6 Blk, .489 FG%, .384 3P%, .785 FT%

5 (5) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG - OKC

31.4 Pts (#3), 5.7 Reb, 6.3 Ast (#16), 2.7 Stl (#1), 0.8 Blk, .548 FG% (#17), .313 3P%, .913 FT% (#5)

6 (6) Tyrese Haliburton - PG - IND

24.7 Pts (#20), 4.0 Reb, 12.4 Ast (#1), 1.0 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .502 FG%, .423 3P%, .847 FT%

7 (8) Trae Young - PG - ATL

27.9 Pts (#8), 3.0 Reb, 11.2 Ast (#2), 1.4 Stl (#11), 0.2 Blk, .432 FG%, .381 3P%, .870 FT%

8 (7) LeBron James - PF - LAL

25.1 Pts (#17), 7.6 Reb, 7.4 Ast (#10), 1.4 Stl (#14), 0.7 Blk, .539 FG%, .413 3P%, .744 FT%

9 (NR) Damian Lillard - PG - MIL

25.9 Pts (#15), 4.4 Reb, 6.8 Ast (#13), 1.0 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .439 FG%, .374 3P%, .922 FT% (#4)

10 (9) Anthony Davis - C - LAL

24.9 Pts (#19), 12.3 Reb (#2), 3.1 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 2.5 Blk (#5), .548 FG% (#16), .393 3P%, .809 FT%

Honorable Mention - Domantas Sabonis - C - SAC, Jayson Tatum - PF - BOS, Tyrese Maxey - PG - PHI, Kevin Durant - PF - PHX, Anthony Edwards - SG - MIN, De'Aaron Fox - PG - SAC

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Victor Wembanyama - PF - SAS

18.8 Pts, 10.4 Reb (#9), 3.0 Ast, 1.3 Stl, 3.2 Blk (#1), .440 FG%, .285 3P%, .790 FT%

2 (2) Chet Holmgren - C - OKC

17.7 Pts, 7.7 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 2.7 Blk (#3), .539 FG%, .392 3P%, .844 FT%

3 (3) Dereck Lively II - C - DAL

8.9 Pts, 7.5 Reb, 1.2 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 1.5 Blk (#15), .734 FG%, .000 3P%, .538 FT%

4 (5) Keyonte George - PG - UTA

10.6 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 5.0 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .355 FG%, .318 3P%, .763 FT%

5 (4) Ausar Thompson - SF - DET

9.3 Pts, 7.4 Reb, 2.3 Ast, 0.9 Stl, 1.1 Blk, .461 FG%, .158 3P%, .695 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

James Harden has passed Oscar Robertson to move up to #21

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed Patrick Ewing to move up to #34

Nikola Jokic has passed Rick Barry to move up to #37

Kawhi Leonard has passed Reggie Miller to move up to #62

Joel Embiid has passed Shawn Kemp, Walter Davis, and Vince Carter to move up to #95

NBA All-Time Top 100 Players - 2023 Update

With the NBA season coming to a close yesterday with the crowning of a new champion, I've added in the season's data to my formula to determine the current ranking of the top 100 players of all time. There was just one active player to join the list this year, with 3 others who were extremely close, 2 of which are virtual guarantees to be here by the end of next season. Players to watch for next year are Jrue Holiday and Joel Embiid (virtual locks), Kyle Lowry, Luka Doncic, and Trae Young (should make it), and Mike Conley, Kevin Love, DeMar DeRozan, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Devin Booker (all with a small chance). Players are listed with their ranking from last season in parentheses:

100 (99) Mel Daniels - C - IND - 1970s

99 (98) Andre Miller - PG - DEN - 2000s

98 (97) LaMarcus Aldridge - PF - POR - 2010s

97 (96) Shawn Kemp - PF - SEA - 1990s

96 (95) Walter Davis - SG - PHX - 1980s

95 (94) Vince Carter - SG - NJN - 2000s

94 (93) Bob Lanier - C - DET - 1970s

93 (92) Amar'e Stoudemire - PF - PHX - 2000s

92 (91) Wes Unseld - C - WAS - 1970s

91 (NR) Jimmy Butler - SF - MIA - 2010s*

90 (89) Gus Williams - PG - SEA - 1980s

89 (88) Dennis Rodman - PF - DET - 1990s

88 (87) Tom Heinsohn - PF - BOS - 1960s

87 (90) John Wall - PG - WAS - 2010s*

86 (86) Rod Strickland - PG - POR - 1990s

85 (85) Cliff Hagan - SF - STL - 1960s

84 (84) Walt Frazier - PG - NYK - 1970s

83 (83) Ray Allen - SG - MIL - 2000s

82 (82) Alonzo Mourning - C - MIA - 1990s

81 (81) Terry Porter - PG - POR - 1990s

80 (80) Dikembe Mutombo - C - ATL - 1990s

79 (79) Louie Dampier - PG - KEN - 1970s

78 (78) Tracy McGrady - SG - ORL - 2000s

77 (77) Tim Hardaway - PG - GSW - 1990s

76 (76) Chris Webber - PF - SAC - 2000s

75 (72) Sam Cassell - PG - MIL - 2000s

74 (71) Dominique Wilkins - SF - ATL - 1980s

73 (69) Carmelo Anthony - SF - DEN - 2010s

72 (75) Kyrie Irving - PG - CLE - 2010s*

71 (68) Alex English - SF - DEN - 1980s

70 (66) Maurice Cheeks - PG - PHI - 1980s

69 (65) Deron Williams - PG - UTA - 2000s

68 (64) Ben Wallace - C - DET - 2000s

67 (63) Bob McAdoo - C - BUF - 1970s

66 (70) Draymond Green - PF - GSW - 2010s*

65 (61) Sam Jones - SG - BOS - 1960s

64 (67) Kawhi Leonard - SF - SAS - 2010s*

63 (60) Manu Ginobili - SG - SAS - 2000s

62 (59) Reggie Miller - SG - IND - 1990s

61 (58) Kevin McHale - PF - BOS - 1980s

60 (57) George McGinnis - PF - IND - 1970s

59 (56) Paul Pierce - SF - BOS - 2000s

58 (55) Chauncey Billups - PG - DET - 2000s

57 (73) Anthony Davis - PF - NOP - 2010s*

56 (62) Damian Lillard - PG - POR - 2010s*

55 (54) George Gervin - SG - SAS - 1970s

54 (53) Pau Gasol - C - LAL - 2010s

53 (52) Scottie Pippen - SF - CHI - 1990s

52 (51) Clyde Drexler - SG - POR - 1990s

51 (50) Mark Jackson - PG - IND - 1990s

50 (49) Rajon Rondo - PG - BOS - 2010s

49 (48) Kevin Johnson - PG - PHX - 1990s

48 (47) Elvin Hayes - PF - WAS - 1970s

47 (46) Dolph Schayes - PF - SYR - 1950s

46 (45) Gary Payton - PG - SEA - 1990s

45 (44) Dan Issel - C - DEN - 1970s

44 (42) Robert Parish - C - BOS - 1980s

43 (74) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN - 2020s*

42 (41) Dwight Howard - C - ORL - 2010s*

41 (40) John Havlicek - SF - BOS - 1970s

40 (39) Bob Pettit - PF - STL - 1960s

39 (38) Allen Iverson - SG - PHI - 2000s

38 (37) Artis Gilmore - C - KEN - 1970s

37 (36) Rick Barry - SF - GSW - 1970s

36 (43) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL - 2020s*

35 (35) Isiah Thomas - PG - DET - 1980s

34 (34) Patrick Ewing - C - NYK - 1990s

33 (33) Charles Barkley - PF - PHI - 1990s

32 (32) Elgin Baylor - SF - LAL - 1960s

31 (31) David Robinson - C - SAS - 1990s

30 (30) George Mikan - C - MNL - 1950s

29 (29) Tony Parker - PG - SAS - 2010s

28 (28) Kevin Garnett - PF - MIN - 2000s

27 (26) Dirk Nowitzki - PF - DAL - 2000s

26 (24) Moses Malone - C - HOU - 1980s

25 (24) Steve Nash - PG - PHX - 2000s

24 (23) Dwyane Wade - SG - MIA - 2010s

23 (22) Jason Kidd - PG - NJN - 2000s

22 (25) James Harden - SG - HOU - 2010s*

21 (21) Oscar Robertson - PG - CIN - 1960s

20 (20) Larry Bird - SF - BOS - 1980s

19 (18) Russell Westbrook - PG - OKC - 2010s*

18 (17) Chris Paul - PG - LAC - 2010s*

17 (19) Stephen Curry - PG - GSW - 2010s*

16 (16) Kevin Durant - SF - OKC - 2010s*

15 (15) Bob Cousy - PG - BOS - 1950s

14 (14) Julius Erving - SF - PHI - 1970s

13 (13) Karl Malone - PF - UTA - 1990s

12 (12) John Stockton - PG - UTA - 1990s

11 (11) Jerry West - PG - LAL - 1960s

10 (10) Hakeem Olajuwon - C - HOU - 1990s

9 (9) Kobe Bryant - SG - LAL - 2000s

8 (8) Bill Russell - C - BOS - 1960s

7 (7) Tim Duncan - PF - SAS - 2000s

6 (6) Magic Johnson - PG - LAL - 1980s

5 (5) Shaquille O'Neal - C - LAL - 2000s

4 (4) Wilt Chamberlain - C - PHW - 1960s

3 (3) Michael Jordan - SG - CHI - 1990s

2 (2) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - C - LAL - 1970s

1 (1) LeBron James - SF - CLE - 2010s*

NBA MVP Rankings - 18 Mar

We're down to the final weeks of the NBA season, and it looks like a two man race for MVP, with Joel Embiid trying to make a late push to join the party as well. Here are my current rankings for MVP, with previous rank in parentheses, along with some changes to my All-Time Player rankings:

Most Valuable Player

1 (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

24.8 Pts (#17), 11.9 Reb (#3), 9.9 Ast (#4), 1.2 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .633 FG% (#7), .402 3P%, .816 FT%

2 (3) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

31.4 Pts (#4), 11.9 Reb (#2), 5.5 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .542 FG%, .284 3P%, .651 FT%

3 (6) Joel Embiid - C - PHI

33.5 Pts (#1), 10.2 Reb (#8), 4.1 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.7 Blk (#6), .545 FG% (#20), .355 3P%, .856 FT%

4 (7) Trae Young - PG - ATL

27.0 Pts (#10), 3.1 Reb, 10.1 Ast (#3), 1.1 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .436 FG%, .338 3P%, .891 FT% (#12)

5 (4) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

33.0 Pts (#2), 8.6 Reb, 8.0 Ast (#6), 1.5 Stl (#11), 0.5 Blk, .500 FG%, .349 3P%, .736 FT%

6 (10) Domantas Sabonis - C - SAC

19.0 Pts, 12.6 Reb (#1), 7.1 Ast (#11), 0.8 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .609 FG% (#10), .360 3P%, .766 FT%

7 (2) Jayson Tatum - PF - BOS

30.2 Pts (#6), 9.0 Reb (#20), 4.7 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .458 FG%, .345 3P%, .861 FT%

8 (5) Ja Morant - PG - MEM

27.1 Pts (#9), 6.0 Reb, 8.2 Ast (#5), 1.1 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .463 FG%, .316 3P%, .744 FT%

9 (NR) Damian Lillard - PG - POR

32.4 Pts (#3), 4.7 Reb, 7.2 Ast (#10), 0.9 Stl, 0.3 Blk, .467 FG%, .377 3P%, .915 FT% (#4)

10 (NR) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG - OKC

31.3 Pts (#5), 4.8 Reb, 5.5 Ast, 1.7 Stl (#4), 1.0 Blk, .511 FG%, .351 3P%, .906 FT% (#6)

Honorable Mention

De'Aaron Fox - PG - SAC; James Harden - PG - PHI; Tyrese Haliburton - PG - IND; Darius Garland - PG - CLE; Jrue Holiday - PG - MIL

All-Time Player Rank Changes

James Harden has passed Jason Kidd to move up to #22

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed John Havlicek to move up to #40

Damian Lillard has passed Chauncey Billups to move up to #55

Nikola Jokic has passed Sam Jones to move up to #62

Anthony Davis has passed Alex English, Maurice Cheeks, Deron Williams, and Ben Wallace to move up to #66

Draymond Green has passed Alex English to move up to #70

NBA MVP Rankings - 19 Nov

It's one month into the NBA season, and only a couple of teams have separated themselves from the pack, Boston and Milwaukee in the East, which has put their start players in the top spots in my first MVP rankings of the season. Nikola Jokic, who has won the award twice in a row, will likely not win it a third time, because it generally takes something astounding to convince voters to pick the same player three times in a row, but he still makes the list, though much lower than usual. Here are my current MVP rankings:

Most Valuable Player

1. Jayson Tatum - PF - BOS

30.3 Pts (#7), 7.4 Reb, 4.5 Ast, 1.3 Blk (#19), .473 FG%, .353 3P%, .869 FT%

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

29.5 Pts (#8), 12.0 Reb (#2), 5.3 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 1.2 Blk, .506 FG%, .587 FT%

3. Damian Lillard - PG - POR*

27.6 Pts, 4.5 Reb, 7.0 Ast, .443 FG%, .364 3P%, .874 FT%

4. Trae Young - PG - ATL

25.9 Pts (#11), 3.3 Reb, 9.3 Ast (#2), .382 FG%, .308 3P%, .905 FT% (#15)

5. Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

34.3 Pts (#1), 9.1 Reb (#17), 8.1 Ast (#5), 2.0 Stl (#2), .497 FG%, .291 3P%, .770 FT%

6. Ja Morant - PG - MEM

28.6 Pts (#9), 6.2 Reb, 7.1 Ast (#9), 1.1 Stl, .465 FG%, .391 3P%, .792 FT%

7. Lauri Markkanen - SF - UTA

22.2 Pts, 8.3 Reb, 2.4 Ast, .544 FG%, .357 3P%, .819 FT%

8. Devin Booker - SG - PHX

28.1 Pts (#10), 4.8 Reb, 6.1 Ast, 1.1 Stl, .481 FG%, .362 3P%, .892 FT%

9. Donovan Mitchell - SG - CLE

31.2 Pts (#4), 4.5 Reb, 5.8 Ast, 1.4 Stl (#16), .502 FG%, .415 3P%, .889 FT%

10. Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

20.8 Pts, 9.5 Reb (#14), 8.9 Ast (#3), 1.5 Stl (#13), .606 FG% (#8), .286 3P%, .875 FT%

*Lillard not eligible for stat leaderboards due to games missed.

Honorable Mention: Tyrese Haliburton - PG - IND, Stephen Curry - PG - GSW, Joel Embiid - C - PHI, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - SG - OKC, Kevin Durant - PF - BRK

All-Time Player Rank Updates

James Harden has passed Steve Nash to move up to #24

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed Robert Parish to move up to #42

Damian Lillard has passed Sam Jones to move up to #61

Anthony Davis has passed Sam Cassell and Dominique Wilkins to move up to #71

Nikola Jokic has passed Sam Cassell and Dominique Wilkins to move up to #72

NBA Playoff MVP Rankings - Thru Round 1

The first round of the playoffs ended last night without a single series going the full 7 games, and there have been a lot of impressive performances so far. I've gone through all of the numbers in the first round to determine which players are the current leaders in the race to win the Finals MVP award this season, even though the actual award doesn't take the full playoffs into account. Obviously players are only eligible if their team is still alive, so Nikola Jokic, who was the third-best player of the first round, is not on this list, and neither is Brandon Ingram, who came in at #11. Here are the 10 players who had the most impact on their teams advancing past the first round:

Playoff MVP

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

28.6 Pts (#4), 13.4 Reb (#2), 6.2 Ast, 0.2 Stl, 1.4 Blk, .568 FG% (#9), .154 3P%, .683 FT%

2. Chris Paul - PG - PHX

22.3 Pts, 4.3 Reb, 11.3 Ast (#1), 1.8 Stl (#3), 0.2 Blk, .567 FG%, .308 3P%, .960 FT% (#3)

3. Ja Morant - PG - MEM

21.5 Pts, 8.7 Reb, 10.5 Ast (#2), 1.5 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .386 FG%, .200 3P%, .712 FT%

4. Stephen Curry - PG - GSW

28.0 Pts (#5), 3.4 Reb, 5.4 Ast, 1.6 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .500 FG%, .404 3P%, .744 FT%

5. Jimmy Butler - SF - MIA

30.5 Pts (#2), 7.8 Reb, 5.3 Ast, 2.8 Stl (#1), 0.5 Blk, .543 FG%, .438 3P%, .794 FT%

6. Jayson Tatum - SF - BOS

29.5 Pts (#3), 4.5 Reb, 7.3 Ast (#5), 1.8 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .456 FG%, .419 3P%, .868 FT%

7. James Harden - SG - PHI

19.0 Pts, 5.0 Reb, 10.2 Ast (#3), 1.0 Stl, 1.2 Blk, .405 FG%, .382 3P%, .860 FT%

8. Jalen Brunson - PG - DAL

27.8 Pts (#6), 4.8 Reb, 4.2 Ast, 0.8 Stl, 0.0 Blk, .484 FG%, .364 3P%, .846 FT%

9. Joel Embiid - C - PHI

26.2 Pts (#9), 11.3 Reb (#7), 2.3 Ast, 0.3 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .520 FG%, .190 3P%, .831 FT%

10. DeAndre Ayton - C - PHX

20.5 Pts, 9.8 Reb (#9), 2.5 Ast, 0.7 STl, 1.2 Blk, .700 FG% (#2), .500 3P%, .750 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Chris Paul has passed Russell Westbrook to move up to #17

Stephen Curry has passed Dwyane Wade and Jason Kidd to move up to #21

James Harden has passed Moses Malone to move up to #25

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed Clyde Drexler, Mark Jackson, and Rajon Rondo to move up to #48

Nikola Jokic has passed Ray Allen, Alonzo Mourning, Terry Porter, Dikembe Mutombo, Louie Dampier, Tracy McGrady, Tim Hardaway, Chris Webber, and Kyrie Irving to move up to #73

Draymond Green has passed Rod Strickland, Cliff Hagan, Walt Frazier, and Ray Allen to move up to #82

Kyle Lowry has a decent chance of reaching the top 100 this postseason, Jrue Holiday has a small chance, and Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid could maybe make it with a dominant Finals MVP-type performance.

NBA All-Star Teams

The NBA just announced the starters for this year's All-Star teams, and they were pretty good overall, though there was one very notable outlier, Andrew Wiggins being named a starter for the West. The Western Conference is the weakest it has ever been at forward, but have far too many guards who deserve to make the team. Below I've listed the players I feel should be All-Star starters and reserves in each conference, as well as several potential players that should be considered as injury replacements if needed, with actual starters marked with an asterisk.

Eastern Conference

Starters

F - Giannis Antetokounmpo - MIL *

F - DeMar DeRozan - CHI *

C - Joel Embiid - PHI *

G - Trae Young - ATL *

G - James Harden - BKN

Reserves

F - Kevin Durant - BKN *

F - Zach LaVine - CHI

C - Domantas Sabonis - IND

G - Darius Garland - CLE

G - LaMelo Ball - CHA

F - Jimmy Butler - MIA

F - Jayson Tatum - BOS

Injury Replacements

G - Bradley Beal - WAS

C - Jarrett Allen - CLE

G - Jrue Holiday - MIL

F - Khris Middleton - MIL

F - Kevin Love - CLE

Western Conference

Starters

F - LeBron James - LAL *

F - Draymond Green - GSW

C - Nikola Jokic - DEN *

G - Chris Paul - PHX

G - Stephen Curry - GSW *

Reserves

G - Ja Morant - MEM *

G - Dejounte Murray - SAS

C - Rudy Gobert - UTA

C - Karl-Anthony Towns - MIN

F - Jaren Jackson Jr - MEM

G - Luka Doncic - DAL

G - Devin Booker - PHX

Injury Replacements

G - Donovan Mitchell - UTA

G - Russell Westbrook - LAL

C - JaVale McGee - PHX

F - Paul George - LAC

F - Brandon Ingram - NOP

All-Time Player Rank Updates

Chris Paul has passed Oscar Robertson to move up to #19

James Harden has passed Dirk Nowitzki to move up to #26

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed George Gervin to move up to #53

Kyrie Irving has passed Alonzo Mourning to move up to #79

Nikola Jokic has passed LaMarcus Aldridge, Mel Daniels, and Andre Miller to move up to #96

LaMarcus Aldridge has passed Mel Daniels to stay at #98

NBA MVP Rankings - 24 Dec

The MVP race is more wide-open right now than it has ever been, with 7 players running very close together at this point. A couple of them will probably be eliminated from the running if they aren't able to get their teams near the top of the league, but there is a lot of time left in the season, so winning percentage isn't as big a factor as it will be later in the season. At this point, the best overall player in the league has taken over the top spot in my rankings, but that could, and probably will, change many times over the next several months. Here are my full current award rankings, with previous rankings in parentheses:

Most Valuable Player

1 (6) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

25.9 Pts (#7), 13.5 Reb (#2), 7.2 Ast (#11), 1.3 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .575 FG% (#10), .365 3P%, .756 FT%

2 (4) Kevin Durant - PF - BKN

29.7 Pts (#1), 7.9 Reb, 5.9 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .523 FG% (#18), .382 3P%, .886 FT% (#16)

3 (1) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

27.0 Pts (#4), 11.6 Reb (#6), 5.8 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.6 Blk (#11), .529 FG% (#15), .280 3P%, .681 FT%

4 (2) Stephen Curry - PG - GSW

27.7 Pts (#2), 5.4 Reb, 5.9 Ast (#19), 1.6 Stl (#14), 0.5 Blk, .438 FG%, .402 3P%, .928 FT% (#2)

5 (5) Trae Young - PG - ATL

27.3 Pts (#3), 4.0 Reb, 9.3 Ast (#3), 1.0 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .460 FG%, .377 3P%, .891 FT% (#12)

6 (7) Chris Paul - PG - PHX

14.4 Pts, 4.0 Reb, 9.9 Ast (#1), 2.0 Stl (#5), 0.3 Blk, .490 FG%, .319 3P%, .814 FT%

7 (3) James Harden - PG - BKN

20.8 Pts, 7.9 Reb, 9.6 Ast (#2), 1.4 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .404 FG%, .337 3P%, .885 FT% (#17)

8 (NR) Rudy Gobert - C - UTA

15.5 Pts, 15.1 Reb (#1), 1.1 Ast, 0.8 Stl, 2.3 Blk (#2), .714 FG% (#1), .683 FT%

9 (NR) Donovan Mitchell - SG - UTA

25.1 Pts (#9), 3.8 Reb, 5.1 Ast, 1.6 Stl (#14), 0.2 Blk, .458 FG%, .342 3P%, .868 FT%

10 (NR) Dejounte Murray - PG - SAS

17.8 Pts, 8.4 Reb, 8.8 Ast (#4), 2.0 Stl (#5), 0.4 Blk, .438 FG%, .341 3P%, .696 FT%

Honorable Mention: DeMar DeRozan - PF - CHI, Zach LaVine - SF - CHI, Luka Doncic - PG - DAL, Russell Westbrook - PG - LAL, LaMelo Ball - PG - CHA, Draymond Green - PF - GSW, JaVale McGee - C - PHX, Devin Booker - SG - PHX

Sixth Man of the Year

1 (1) JaVale McGee - C - PHX

10.5 Pts, 7.5 Reb, 0.6 Ast, 0.4 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .653 FG% (#4), .250 3P%, .688 FT%

2 (2) Montrezl Harrell - C - WAS

14.5 Pts, 7.4 Reb, 2.2 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .647 FG% (#5), .333 3P%, .735 FT%

3 (4) Ricky Rubio - PG - CLE

12.6 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 6.6 Ast (#15), 1.4 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .357 FG%, .335 3P%, .845 FT%

4 (3) Tyler Herro - SG - MIA

20.9 Pts (#20), 5.0 Reb, 3.7 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .445 FG%, .399 3P%, .857 FT%

5 (NR) Jalen Brunson - PG - DAL

15.5 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 5.3 Ast, 0.8 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .497 FG%, .337 3P%, .775 FT%

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Josh Giddey - SG - OKC

11.2 Pts, 7.0 Reb, 6.0 Ast (#18), 1.0 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .397 FG%, .250 3P%, .651 FT%

2 (3) Alperen Sengun - C - HOU

9.2 Pts, 4.9 Reb, 2.8 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .495 FG%, .289 3P%, .712 FT%

3 (4) Cade Cunningham - PG - DET

15.3 Pts, 6.2 Reb, 5.2 Ast, 1.4 Stl (#20), 0.6 Blk, .383 FG%, .314 3P%, .849 FT%

4 (2) Evan Mobley - PF - CLE

13.8 Pts, 8.3 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 0.9 Stl, 1.8 Blk (#5), .474 FG%, .333 3P%, .773 FT%

5 (NR) Scottie Barnes - PF - TOR

15.6 Pts, 8.3 Reb, 3.4 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.0 Blk, .494 FG%, .356 3P%, .726 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Draymond Green has passed Gus Williams, Dennis Rodman, and Tom Heinsohn to move up to #85

Nikola Jokic has passed Adrian Dantley to move up to #100

NBA MVP Rankings - 11 Dec

A former MVP put up two 4-point games over the past 2 weeks, while helping his team move up to #3 in the East, which has helped him move up to take the overall lead in my latest MVP rankings. Another former 2-time MVP is in the runner-up spot, and 3 other former MVPs are also in the top 6. Here are my current rankings for MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Sixth Man, along with 1 change in my all-time player rankings (previous rank is in parentheses):

Most Valuable Player

1 (3) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

27.6 Pts (#2), 11.8 Reb (#6), 5.7 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.7 Blk (#10), .534 FG% (#15), .295 3P%, .676 FT%

2 (1) Stephen Curry - PG - GSW

27.5 Pts (#3), 5.5 Reb, 6.3 Ast (#17), 1.8 Stl (#10), 0.5 Blk, .439 FG%, .413 3P%, .934 FT% (#2)

3 (5) James Harden - PG - BKN

20.8 Pts, 7.9 Reb, 9.6 Ast (#2), 1.4 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .404 FG%, .337 3P%, .885 FT% (#14)

4 (4) Kevin Durant - PF - BKN

28.5 Pts (#1), 7.6 Reb, 5.4 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .530 FG% (#17), .373 3P%, .872 FT%

5 (2) Trae Young - PG - ATL

26.5 Pts (#4), 4.1 Reb, 9.5 Ast (#3), 1.0 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .452 FG%, .386 3P%, .887 FT% (#13)

6 (6) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

26.1 Pts (#6), 13.4 Reb (#2), 7.2 Ast (#12), 1.2 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .579 FG% (#9), .352 3P%, .745 FT%

7 (7) Chris Paul - PG - PHX

14.4 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 10.2 Ast (#1), 2.0 Stl (#4), 0.4 Blk, .480 FG%, .333 3P%, .828 FT%

8 (NR) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

25.6 Pts (#8), 8.0 Reb, 8.5 Ast (#5), 1.0 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .447 FG%, .326 3P%, .698 FT%

9 (NR) Zach LaVine - SF - CHI

25.8 Pts (#7), 5.2 Reb, 4.2 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 0.3 Blk, .487 FG%, .377 3P%, .848 FT%

10 (8) LaMelo Ball - PG - CHA

20.0 Pts, 7.7 Reb, 8.3 Ast (#7), 1.9 Stl (#5), 0.4 Blk, .418 FG%, .391 3P%, .900 FT% (#8)

Honorable Mention: Draymond Green - PF - GSW, DeMar DeRozan - PF- CHI, Anthony Davis - C - LAL, Ja Morant - PG - MEM, Donovan Mitchell - SG - UTA, Rudy Gobert - C - UTA

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Josh Giddey - SG - OKC

10.6 Pts, 6.7 Reb, 5.9 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .404 FG%, .259 3P%, .700 FT%

2 (3) Evan Mobley - PF - CLE

13.9 Pts, 8.2 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 0.9 Stl, 2.0 Blk, .481 FG%, .333 3P%, .783 FT%

3 (2) Alperen Sengun - C - HOU

8.8 Pts, 4.5 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .500 FG%, .357 3P%, .694 FT%

4 (4) Cade Cunningham - PG - DET

15.3 Pts, 6.2 Reb, 4.5 Ast, 1.4 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .375 FG%, .306 3P%, .854 FT%

5 (NR) Jeremiah Robinson-Earl - C - OKC

6.8 Pts, 6.0 Reb, 0.9 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 0.3 Blk, .419 FG%, .338 3P%, .667 FT%

Sixth Man of the Year

1 (2) JaVale McGee - C - PHX

10.5 Pts, 7.3 Reb, 0.6 Ast, 0.3 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .657 FG% (#4), .500 3P%, .660 FT%

2 (1) Montrezl Harrell - C - WAS

15.2 Pts, 8.0 Reb, 2.2 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .648 FG% (#5), .250 3P%, .752 FT%

3 (3) Tyler Herro - SG - MIA

20.8 Pts, 5.3 Reb, 3.8 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .444 FG%, .392 3P%, .864 FT%

4 (4) Ricky Rubio - PG - CLE

13.0 Pts, 4.0 Reb, 6.4 Ast (#16), 1.1 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .357 FG%, .343 3P%, .843 FT%

5 (5) LaMarcus Aldridge - C - BKN

13.9 Pts, 5.7 Reb, 0.9 Ast, 0.4 Stl, 1.2 Blk (#20), .575 FG% (#11), .345 3P%, .810 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Draymond Green has passed John Wall to move up to #88

NBA MVP Rankings - 27 Nov

We are almost a quarter of the way through the NBA season, so I'm finally ready to release my first MVP rankings of the season. These are based on how well each player is performing in each category compared to the league average, as well as how well their team is performing overall. I've also got my leaders for the Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man below, and changes in my all-time Top 100 player ranks so far this season:

Most Valuable Player

1. Stephen Curry - PG - GSW

28.4 Pts (#1), 5.8 Reb, 6.9 Ast (#11), 1.6 Stl (#15), 0.6 Blk, .461 FG%, .417 3P%, .940 FT% (#1)

2. Trae Young - PG - ATL

25.6 Pts (#8), 3.6 Reb, 9.2 Ast (#3), 0.9 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .465 FG%, .386 3P%, .900 FT% (#12)

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

27.1 Pts (#3), 11.7 Reb (#5), 6.0 Ast (#18), 1.2 Stl, 1.8 Blk (#7), .520 FG% (#18), .284 3P%, .675 FT%

4. Kevin Durant - PF - BKN

28.1 Pts (#2), 7.6 Reb, 5.3 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .556 FG% (#14), .398 3P%, .857 FT%

5. James Harden - PG - BKN

20.7 Pts, 7.6 Reb, 9.2 Ast (#2), 1.4 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .414 FG%, .378 3P%, .894 FT% (#16)

6. Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

26.4 Pts (#4), 13.6 Reb (#2), 6.4 Ast (#15), 1.2 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .593 FG% (#9), .410 3P%, .747 FT%

7. Chris Paul - PG - PHX

14.1 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 10.4 Ast (#1), 2.1 Stl (#4), 0.3 Blk, .472 FG%, .345 3P%, .855 FT%

8. LaMelo Ball - PG - CHA

19.4 Pts, 7.7 Reb, 7.8 Ast (#9), 1.9 Stl (#8), 0.4 Blk, .417 FG%, .380 3P%, .895 FT% (#14)

9. Damian Lillard - PG - POR

22.0 Pts (#19), 3.8 Reb, 7.9 Ast (#7), 0.7 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .399 FG%, .303 3P%, .909 FT% (#9)

10. Jimmy Butler - SF - MIA

23.9 Pts (#13), 5.9 Reb, 5.3 Ast, 1.9 Stl (#7), 0.3 Blk, .527 FG% (#16), .231 3P%, .850 FT%

Honorable Mention: Ja Morant - PG - MEM, Draymond Green - PF - GSW, DeMar DeRozan - SF - CHI, Rudy Gobert - C - UTA, Zach LaVine - SG - CHI

Rookie of the Year

1. Josh Giddey - SG - OKC

10.8 Pts, 7.3 Reb, 5.7 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .403 FG%, .277 3P%, .654 FT%

2. Alperen Sengun - C - HOU

9.0 Pts, 4.8 Reb, 2.4 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .481 FG%, .429 3P%, .667 FT%

3. Evan Mobley - PF - CLE

14.6 Pts, 8.0 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 1.6 Blk, .494 FG%, .308 3P%, .771 FT%

4. Cade Cunningham - PG - DET

12.9 Pts, 6.2 Reb, 5.0 Ast, 1.4 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .332 FG%, .238 3P%, .867 FT%

5. Davion Mitchell - PG - SAC

8.9 Pts, 2.7 Reb, 3.4 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .374 FG%, .273 3P%, .609 FT%

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Montrezl Harrell - C - WAS

16.9 Pts, 8.8 Reb, 2.2 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .649 FG%, .167 3P%, .786 FT%

2. JaVale McGee - C - PHX

10.2 Pts, 7.1 Reb, 0.7 Ast, 0.4 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .674 FG%, .625 FT%

3. Tyler Herro - SG - MIA

21.8 Pts, 5.7 Reb, 3.7 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .454 FG%, .398 3P%, .872 FT%

4. Ricky Rubio - PG - CLE

15.1 Pts, 3.8 Reb, 6.2 Ast, 1.3 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .371 FG%, .363 3P%, .859 FT%

5. LaMarcus Aldridge - C - BRK

13.6 Pts, 5.9 Reb, 0.9 Ast, 0.3 Stl, 1.2 Blk, .575 FG%, .391 3P%, .778 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Stephen Curry has passed Moses Malone to move up to #24

Damian Lillard has passed Bob McAdoo to move up to #62

Anthony Davis has passed Louie Dampier, Tracy McGrady, Tim Hardaway Sr, and Chris Webber to move up to #72

Draymond Green has passed Vince Carter, Bob Lanier, Amare' Stoudemire, and Wes Unseld to move up to #89

Top 25 NBA Regular Seasons of All Time

Here is a list of the top 25 statistical regular seasons of all time, ranking only the top regular season for each player included, with other qualifying seasons by the same player listed in between the rankings. This is done using the same method I used for my overall all-time player rankings.

1. Wilt Chamberlain - C - PHW - 1961-62

50.4 Pts (#1), 25.7 Reb (#1), 2.4 Ast, 48.5 Min (#1), .506 FG% (#2), .613 FT%

All-NBA First Team, MVP Runner-up, 49-31 record

1a. Wilt Chamberlain - C - SFW - 1962-63

2. Russell Westbrook - PG - OKC - 2016-17

31.6 Pts (#1), 10.7 Reb (#10), 10.4 Ast (#3), 1.6 Stl (#12), 0.4 Blk, 34.6 Min (#20), .425 FG%, .343 3P%, .845 FT%

MVP, All-NBA First Team, 47-35 record

2a. Wilt Chamberlain - C - SFW - 1963-64

3. LeBron James - PF - CLE - 2017-18

27.5 Pts (#3), 8.6 Reb (#15), 9.1 Ast (#2), 1.4 Stl, 0.9 Blk, 36.9 Min (#1), .542 FG% (#14), .367 3P%, .731 FT%

All-NBA First Team, MVP Runner-up, 50-32 record

4. James Harden - PG - HOU - 2016-17

29.1 Pts (#2), 8.1 Reb, 11.2 Ast (#1), 1.5 Stl (#19), 0.5 Blk, 36.4 Min (#6), .440 FG%, .347 3P%, .847 FT%

All-NBA First Team, MVP Runner-up, 55-27 record

4a. Wilt Chamberlain - C - PHW - 1960-61

5. Shaquille O'Neal - C - LAL - 1999-00

29.7 Pts (#1), 13.6 Reb (#2), 3.8 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 3.0 Blk (#3), 40.0 Min (#4), .574 FG% (#1), .524 FT%

MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive Second Team, 67-15 record

5a. Wilt Chamberlain - C - PHW - 1959-60

5b. LeBron James - PG - LAL - 2019-20

5c. Wilt Chamberlain - C - PHI - 1966-67

6. Oscar Robertson - PG - CIN - 1963-64

31.4 Pts (#2), 9.9 Reb (#16), 11.0 Ast (#1), 45.1 Min (#2), .483 FG% (#7), .853 FT% (#1)

MVP, All-NBA First Team, 55-25 record

6a. Russell Westbrook - PG - OKC - 2015-16

7. Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL - 2019-20

29.5 Pts (#5), 13.6 Reb (#2), 5.6 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 1.0 Blk, 30.4 Min, .553 FG% (#13), .304 3P%, .633 FT%

MVP, All-NBA First Team, Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defensive First Team, 56-17 record

7a. LeBron James - SF- CLE - 2015-16

8. Michael Jordan - SG - CHI - 1988-89

32.5 Pts (#1), 8.0 Reb, 8.0 Ast (#10), 2.9 Stl (#3), 0.8 Blk, 40.2 Min (#1), .538 FG% (#11), .276 3P%, .850 FT%

All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team, MVP Runner-up, 47-35 record

8a. LeBron James - SF - CLE - 2008-09

9. Nikola Jokic - C - DEN - 2021-21

26.4 Pts (#12), 10.8 Reb (#9), 8.3 Ast (#6), 1.3 Stl, 0.7 Blk, 34.6 Min (#15), .566 FG% (#14), .388 3P%, .868 FT%

MVP, All-NBA First Team, 47-25 record

9a. Wilt Chamberlain - C - PHI - 1965-66

9b. James Harden - PG - HOU - 2018-19

9c. Oscar Robertson - PG - CIN - 1964-65

10. Magic Johnson - PG - LAL - 1986-87

23.9 Pts (#10), 6.3 Reb, 12.2 Ast (#1), 1.7 Stl (#16), 0.5 Blk, 36.3 Min, .522 FG%, .205 3P%, .848 FT% (#20)

MVP, All-NBA First Team, 65-17 record

11. Stephen Curry - PG - GSW - 2015-16

30.1 Pts (#1), 5.4 Reb, 6.7 Ast (#10), 2.1 Stl (#1), 0.2 Blk, 34.2 Min, .504 FG%, .454 3P% (#2), .908 FT% (#1)

MVP, All-NBA First Team, 73-9 record 

11a. Michael Jordan - SG - CHI - 1989-90

11b. Wilt Chamberlain - C - PHI - 1965-66

11c. LeBron James - SF - MIA - 2011-12

11d. James Harden - SG - HOU - 2019-20

11e. Wilt Chamberlain - C - SFW/PHI - 1964-65

11f. LeBron James - SF - CLE - 2009-10

12. George McGinnis - PF - IND - 1974-75

29.8 Pts (#1), 14.3 Reb (#5), 6.3 Ast (#3), 2.6 Stl (#2), 0.7 Blk, 40.4 Min (#5), .451 FG%, .354 3P% (#4), .724 FT%

MVP, All-ABA First Team, 45-39 record

12a. Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL - 2020-21

12b. LeBron James - SF - CLE - 2016-17

12c. Oscar Robertson - PG - CIN - 1961-62

13. Bob McAdoo - C - BUF - 1974-75

34.5 Pts (#1), 14.1 Reb (#4), 2.2 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 2.1 Blk (#6), 43.2 Min (#1), .512 FG% (#5), .805 FT%

MVP, All-NBA First Team, 49-33 record

13b. Oscar Robertson - PG - CIN - 1966-67

14. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - C - LAL - 1975-76

27.7 Pts (#2), 16.9 Reb (#1), 5.0 Ast (#15), 1.5 Stl, 4.1 Blk (#1), 41.2 Min (#2), .529 FG% (#5), .703 FT%

MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive Second Team, 40-42 record

15. Steve Nash - PG - PHX - 2004-05

15.5 Pts, 3.3 Reb, 11.5 Ast (#1), 1.0 Stl, 0.1 Blk, 34.3 Min, .502 FG%, .431 3P% (#6), .887 FT% (#6)

MVP, All-NBA First Team, 62-20 record

15a. Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL - 2018-19

15b. James Harden - SG - HOU - 2017-18

15c. Russell Westbrook - PG - OKC - 2017-18

15d. Michael Jordan - SG - CHI - 1990-91

15e. Shaquille O'Neal - C - ORL - 1994-95

15f. Michael Jordan - SG - CHI - 1987-88

16. Tiny Archibald - PG - KCO - 1972-73

34.0 Pts (#1), 2.8 Reb, 11.4 Ast (#1), 46.0 Min (#1), .488 FG% (#20), .847 FT% (#12)

All-NBA First Team, #3 in MVP voting, 36-46 record

17. Chris Paul - PG - NOH - 2007-08

21.1 Pts (#19), 4.0 Reb, 11.6 Ast (#1), 2.7 Stl (#1), 0.1 Blk, 37.6 Min, .488 FG%, .369 3P%, .851 FT%

All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive Second Team, MVP Runner-up, 56-26 record

17a. Oscar Robertson - PG - CIN - 1965-66

17b. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - C - MIL - 1971-72

17c. Stephen Curry - PG - GSW - 2014-15

17d. LeBron James - PF - MIA - 2012-13

17e. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - C - LAL - 1976-77

17f. Steve Nash - PG - PHX - 2005-06

17g. Magic Johnson - PG - LAL - 1988-89

18. Kevin Durant - SF - OKC - 2013-14

32.0 Pts (#1), 7.4 Reb, 5.5 Ast, 1.3 Stl, 0.7 Blk, 38.5 Min (#3), .503 FG%, .391 3P%, .873 FT% (#7)

MVP, All-NBA First Team, 59-23 record

19. Kevin Garnett - PF - MIN - 2003-04

24.2 Pts (#3), 13.9 Reb (#1), 5.0 Ast, 1.5 Stl (#19), 2.2 Blk (#11), 39.4 Min, .499 FG% (#11), .256 3P%, .791 FT%

MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team, 58-24 record

20. George Mikan - C - MNL - 1950-51

28.4 Pts (#1), 14.1 Reb (#2), 3.1 Ast (#19), .428 FG% (#3), .803 FT% (#11)

All-NBA First Team, 44-24 record

20a. Shaquille O'Neal - C - LAL - 2000-01

21. Allen Iverson - PG - PHI - 2004-05

30.7 Pts (#1), 4.0 Reb, 7.9 Ast (#5), 2.4 Stl (#2), 0.1 Blk, 42.3 Min (#2), .424 FG%, .308 3P%, .835 FT%

All-NBA First Team, #5 in MVP voting, 43-39 record

22. Dwyane Wade - SG - MIA - 2008-09

30.2 Pts (#1), 5.0 Reb, 7.5 Ast (#8), 2.2 Stl (#2), 1.3 Blk (#16), 38.6 Min (#6), .491 FG%, .317 3P%, .765 FT%

All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive Second Team, #3 in MVP voting, 43-39 record

23. John Wall - PG - WAS - 2016-17

23.1 Pts (#18), 4.2 Reb, 10.7 Ast (#2), 2.0 Stl (#2), 0.6 Blk, 36.4 Min (#7), .451 FG%, .327 3P%, .801 FT%

All-NBA Third Team, #7 in MVP voting, 49-33 record

24. Hakeem Olajuwon - C - HOU - 1993-94

27.3 Pts (#3), 11.9 Reb (#4), 3.6 Ast, 1.6 Stl, 3.7 Blk (#2), 41.0 Min (#2), .528 FG% (#10), .421 3P%, .716 FT%

MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team, 58-24 record

24a. Michael Jordan - SG - CHI - 1992-93

25. Tim Duncan - PF - SAS - 2002-03

23.3 Pts (#7), 12.9 Reb (#3), 3.9 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 2.9 Blk (#3), 39.3 Min (#18), .513 FG% (#7), .273 3P%, .710 FT%

MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team, 60-22 record

Top 100 NBA Players: #27 - James Harden

James Harden

Teams

Oklahoma City Thunder - 2009-12

Houston Rockets - 2012-21

Brooklyn Nets - 2021-present

Playoffs

Appearances - 12 (2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021)

Conference Finals - 4 (2011,2012,2015,2018)

NBA Finals - 1 (2012)

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

MVP - 1 (2018,2019)

Sixth Man of the Year - 1 (2012)

All-NBA First Team - 6 (2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020)

All-NBA Second Team - 0 (2013,2014,2021)

All-NBA Third Team - 1 (2013)

*(actual in bold, deserved in italics)

All-Time Ranks

Three-Pointers Made - #5

Points Per Game - #10

Total Points - #38

Total Assists - #42

Assists Per Game - #42

Free Throw Percentage - #49

Total Steals - #67

Steals Per Game - #75

League Leads

Points Per Game (#1-2018,2019,2020, #2-2015,2016,2017, #5-2013,2014)

Total Points (#1-2015,2016,2019,2020, #2-2017,2018, #4-2013)

Three-Pointers Made (#1-2018,2019,2020, #3-2016,2017, #4-2015)

Total Assists (#1-2017, #4-2018, #5-2019)

Total Steals (#1-2020, #2-2019, #3-2015)

Assists Per Game (#1-2017, #3-2018)

Steals Per Game (#2-2019, #5-2020)

After being named the Pac 10 Player of the Year as a sophomore with averages of 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, James Harden entered the NBA Draft, where he was taken with the #3 overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Harden played with the Thunder for 3 seasons, all in a reserve role, but that role increased each season, and in 2012 he was named the Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. He was also a big part of the Thunder's push to the NBA Finals, though he averaged only 12.4 points in the Finals once they got there, losing in 5 games to the Miami Heat.

Oklahoma City offered him an extension after that season, but Harden wanted to be a starter, so he was traded to the Houston Rockets just days before the next season began. He immediately showed that he belonged, averaging 25.9 points in his first season as a starter and being named to the All-NBA Third Team.

After posting nearly identical numbers the next year, he was named to the All-NBA First Team, but the next big step happened the next year. That season he averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game and led the Rockets to the Conference Finals, the first time getting that far as a star, but the team fell to the Warriors in 5 games, and Harden had a terrible final game, with 14 points and 13 turnovers.

Two years later, he had his best individual season after being moved to point guard for the first time in his career, setting career highs with 8.1 rebounds and 11.2 assists, which also led the league, along with 29.1 points per game. The Rockets reached the second round, but Harden again struggled in the decisive game, scoring only 10 points before fouling out.

Harden moved back to shooting guard the next year, and after three seasons finishing as the runner-up in the scoring race, Harden finally won his first scoring title, pouring in 30.4 points per game, along with 5.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists. Houston finished with the league's best record, and Harden won the MVP, but they were again turned back in the Conference Finals by the Warriors, this time in 7 games, though Harden redeemed himself somewhat by scoring 32 in the final game.

The next year Harden was a scoring machine, averaging 36.1 per game, ending up winning the scoring title by 8.1 points, the largest margin in 56 years, but he lost the MVP to Giannis Antetokounmpo. For the 4th time in 5 seasons, the Warriors ended Houston's season, this time in the second round, once again keeping Harden from reaching the Finals as a star player.

Harden won his third consecutive scoring title in 2020, finishing the season with 34.3 per game, but Houston fell to the eventual champion Lakers in the second round of the playoffs, which led to coach Mike D'Antoni being fired, which led Harden to ask for a trade. He began last season in Houston, but was traded early in January to the Brooklyn Nets.

In Brooklyn Harden was able to reduce his scoring load, and he finished the season with only 24.6 per game, his lowest since leaving Oklahoma City, but he also averaged 7.9 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game, and was in the MVP race before he went down with a hamstring injury that caused him to miss over a month. He came back in the playoffs, but was ineffective in the team's second round loss to the Bucks.

Harden is one of the best scorers in the game today, but he also puts up numbers across the board. He has averaged at least 5 rebounds in 7 straight seasons, which is very solid for a guard, and has also averaged at least 7 assists in each of those seasons, including the one where he led the league. He also led the league in total steals in 2020, and in scoring and 3-pointers made in each of his last 3 seasons in Houston. He is still only 32 years old and not far removed from his best seasons, so there is a good chance he will eventually win a championship, and he should also continue to climb this list of the best players of all time.

NBA MVP Rankings - 17 Apr

With this week's serious injury to Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic will have to take on even more of the load on a team that was already heavily dependent on him. If he is able to keep the Nuggets in the top 4 in the West, I don't see a way that he doesn't win the MVP, because right now the race for best player isn't even close, so if he is able to translate that into enough wins, it would be wrong to give the award to anyone else. Here are my current MVP rankings, with previous ranking in parentheses:

1 (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

26.1 Pts (#10), 11.0 Reb (#8), 8.8 Ast (#4), 1.5 Stl (#15), 0.6 Blk

.567 FG% (#13), .422 3P% (#19), .855 FT%

2 (2) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

28.5 Pts (#4), 11.2 Reb (#7), 6.1 Ast (#20), 1.2 Stl, 1.3 Blk (#11)

.565 FG% (#15), .304 3P%, .684 FT%

3 (3) Joel Embiid - C - PHI*

30.0 Pts, 11.1 Reb, 3.0 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 1.4 Blk

.516 FG%, .379 3P%, .855 FT%

*Not qualified for leaderboards due to too many missed games currently

4 (6) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

28.4 Pts (#5), 7.9 Reb, 8.8 Ast (#5), 1.0 Stl, 0.6 Blk

.485 FG%, .361 3P%, .733 FT%

5 (4) James Harden - PG - BKN

25.2 Pts (#15), 8.0 Reb, 10.9 Ast (#1), 1.2 Stl, 0.7 Blk

.463 FG%, .358 3P%, .870 FT%

6 (7) Stephen Curry - PG - GSW

30.7 Pts (#2), 5.5 Reb, 5.9 Ast, 1.3 Stl, 0.1 Blk

.489 FG%, .422 3P% (#20), .927 FT% (#5)

7 (9) Nikola Vucevic - C - CHI

24.1 Pts, 11.4 Reb (#6), 3.7 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.7 Blk

.484 FG%, .415 3P%, .833 FT%

8 (8) Damian Lillard - PG - POR

28.7 Pts (#3), 4.2 Reb, 7.7 Ast (#9), 0.9 Stl, 0.3 Blk

.440 FG%, .379 3P%, .925 FT% (#6)

9 (10) Kawhi Leonard - SF - LAC

26.0 Pts (#11), 6.6 Reb, 5.0 Ast, 1.7 Stl (#4), 0.4 Blk

.515 FG%, .395 3P%, .878 FT% (#19)

10 (5) LeBron James - PG - LAL

25.4 Pts (#14), 7.9 Reb, 7.9 Ast (#8), 1.0 Stl, 0.6 Blk

.513 FG%, .368 3P%, .703 FT%

Honorable Mention

Trae Young - PG - ATL

Rudy Gobert - C - UTA

Donovan Mitchell - PG - UTA

Kyrie Irving - PG - BKN

Russell Westbrook - PG - WAS

Zion Williamson - PF - NOP

NBA MVP Rankings - 7 Mar

The NBA season is half over, and nearly every team is still in the playoff hunt, which makes a clear MVP ranking hard, but there is one player who has quietly outplayed every other in the league for the first half of the season, so he is still my pick for the #1 spot at this point. Here are my full MVP rankings, along with my picks for Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man:

MVP

1. (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

27.1 PTS (#8), 11.0 REB (#11), 8.6 AST (#7), 1.6 STL (#6), 0.6 BLK

.567 FG% (#12), .418 3P%, .881 FT%

2. (4) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

29.0 PTS (#5), 11.7 REB (#4), 5.9 AST, 1.3 STL, 1.4 BLK (#12)

.557 FG% (#15), .285 3P%, .661 FT%

3. (5) Joel Embiid - C - PHI

30.2 PTS (#2), 11.6 REB (#5), 3.3 AST, 1.2 STL, 1.4 BLK (#13)

.521 FG%, .416 3P%, .856 FT%

4. (NR) James Harden - PG - BKN

25.3 PTS (#13), 7.8 REB, 11.1 AST (#1), 1.2 STL, 0.7 BLK

.484 FG%, .401 3P%, .859 FT%

5. (2) LeBron James - PG - LAL

25.8 PTS (#11), 8.0 REB, 7.8 AST (#9), 1.1 STL, 0.6 BLK

.509 FG%, .358 3P%, .692 FT%

6. (9) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

28.6 PTS (#7), 8.4 REB (#17), 9.0 AST (#4), 1.0 STL, 0.7 BLK

.478 FG%, .357 3P%, .757 FT%

7. (NR) Stephen Curry - PG - GSW

29.7 PTS (#4), 5.5 REB, 6.3 AST (#18), 1.3 STL, 0.1 BLK

.478 FG%, .411 3P%, .934 FT% (#6)

8. (NR) Damian Lillard - PG - POR

29.8 PTS (#3), 4.3 REB, 8.0 AST (#8), 1.0 STL, 0.3 BLK

.445 FG%, .384 3P%, .933 FT% (#7)

9. (NR) Nikola Vucevic - C - ORL

24.6 PTS (#18), 11.6 REB (#6), 3.7 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.6 BLK

.483 FG%, .412 3P%, .851 FT%

10. (8) Kawhi Leonard - SF - LAC

26.6 PTS (#9), 6.3 REB, 4.9 AST, 1.5 STL (#9), 0.5 BLK

.511 FG%, .387 3P%, .873 FT%

Honorable Mention: Trae Young - PG - ATL, Bradley Beal - SG - WAS, Kyrie Irving - PG - BKN, Zach LaVine - SG - CHI, Julius Randle - PF - NYK, Ruby Gobert - C - UTA, Zion Williamson - PF - NOP

Rookie of the Year

1. LaMelo Ball - PG - CHA

15.8 PTS, 6.0 REB, 6.3 AST, 1.6 STL, 0.4 BLK

.449 FG%, .378 3P%, .802 FT%

2. Tyrese Haliburton - PG - SAC

13.2 PTS, 3.6 REB, 5.4 AST, 1.4 STL, 0.6 BLK

.494 FG%, .433 3P%, .833 FT%

3. James Wiseman - C - GSW

11.8 PTS, 5.9 REB, 0.7 AST, 0.3 STL, 1.1 BLK

.510 FG%, .370 3P%, .629 FT%

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Chris Boucher - C - TOR

13.6 PTS, 6.5 REB, 1.0 AST, 0.6 STL, 1.9 BLK (#5)

.534 FG% (#20), .445 3P% (#10), .759 FT%

2. Montrezl Harrell - C - LAL

13.8 PTS, 6.4 REB, 1.1 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.7 BLK

.626 FG% (#4), .756 FT%

3. Jordan Clarkson - SG - UTA

17.9 PTS, 4.0 REB, 2.3 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.2 BLK

.447 FG%, .370 3P%, .967 FT% (#1)

4. Thaddeus Young - PF - CHI

12.1 PTS, 5.9 REB, 4.4 AST, 1.4 STL (#14), 0.6 BLK

.609 FG% (#6), .500 FT%

5. Bobby Portis - C - MIL

10.9 PTS, 7.1 REB, 1.0 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.4 BLK

.546 FG% (#16), .500 3P% (#2), .697 FT%

NBA All-Star Picks - 13 Feb

With the NBA All-Star game about a month away, here are my picks for the players who should be picked from each conference based on performance so far, with 5 alternates from each conference who are also currently in the running. Starters according to current voting underlined, reserves italicized:

East

Starters

F - Giannis Antetokounmpo - MIL

F - Kevin Durant - BKN

C - Joel Embiid - PHI

G - James Harden - BKN

G - Zach LaVine - CHI

Reserves

C - Nikola Vucevic - ORL

G - Trae Young - ATL

G - Bradley Beal - WAS

F - Khris Middleton - MIL

F - Domantas Sabonis - IND

F - Julius Randle - NYK

C - Bam Adebayo - MIA

Alternates

G - Kyrie Irving - BKN

G - Jaylen Brown - BOS

F - Jayson Tatum - BOS

C - Andre Drummond - CLE

G - Ben Simmons - PHI

West

Starters

F - LeBron James - LAL

F - Kawhi Leonard - LAC

C - Nikola Jokic - DEN

G - Luka Doncic - DAL

G - Stephen Curry - GSW

Reserves

G - Damian Lillard - POR

F - Paul George - LAC

F - Anthony Davis - LAL

G - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - OKC

C - Rudy Gobert - UTA

F - Zion Williamson - NOP

F - DeMar DeRozan - SAS

Alternates

F - Brandon Ingram - NOP

C - Christian Wood - HOU

G - De'Aaron Fox - SAC

G - Donovan Mitchell - UTA

G - Chris Paul - PHX

NBA MVP Rankings - 23 Nov

Now that the season is a little more than a month old, I figured it was time to take a look at which players have been performing best up to this point, and which ones have been most important to their teams' success. There are 4-5 players who have really stood out at the beginning of the season, and picking the most valuable among them is difficult, but leading the best team in the league is always a big help. Here are my current MVP rankings:

Most Valuable Player

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo - MIL - 30.1 P, 14.1 R, 6.6 A, 1.5 S, 1.4 B, .566 FG, .606 FT

The defending MVP always has a tough job trying to repeat as the winner, but the Greek Freak is posting new career highs in points, rebounds, and assists again this year, just as he did last year, and his Bucks have the best record in the East and are currently ranked as the best team in the league by my rankings. At this point he is the MVP, but the competition will be very tough this year.


2. James Harden - HOU - 38.3 P, 5.9 R, 7.8 A, 1.7 S, .434 FG, .352 3P, .866 FT

It has been over 50 years since any player has averaged this many points over a full season, and the only 2 players to top Harden's current average are Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain, who did it 3 times. The Rockets had a bit of a slow start to the season, but they have been on fire lately, and it's hard to imagine him not winning the MVP if he maintains his current scoring pace while keeping Houston near the top of the West.


3. Luka Doncic - DAL - 29.9 P, 10.4 R, 9.7 A, 1.3 S, .493 FG, .346 3P, .821 FT

There is a good chance that this will be the greatest season ever for a player age 20 or younger, and no one this young has ever averaged this many points or assists, and the only youngsters to ever average more rebounds were big men. Dallas has also been hot lately, and if they can maintain it, Doncic should be in the MVP conversation all year, and could be the youngest ever to win the award.


4. LeBron James - LAL - 24.9 P, 7.7 R, 11.3 A, 1.3 S, .486 FG, .346 3P, .708 FT

You can't have an MVP ranking without LeBron, and even though James is averaging fewer points than he has since he was a rookie, that can be explained by his switch to point guard this year, where he is now leading the league in assists for the best team in the West. It will probably be tough for him to win the award with the historic seasons happening ahead of him, but he belongs on this list.


5. Anthony Davis - LAL - 25.8 P, 9.1 R, 3.6 A, 1.4 S, 2.9 B, .481 FG, .341 3P, .881 FT

It isn't his best statistical season, but he is leading the league in blocked shots, and he is the leading scorer for the best team in the West as well. As long as the Lakers stay at the top of the West, he will be in consideration, but having a superstar teammate makes it unlikely that the voters will be able to pick one Laker as more valuable than the other.


6. Bradley Beal - WAS - 30.3 P, 4.7 R, 7.1 A, 1.0 S, .473 FG, .351 3P, .824 FT

The Wizards were bad last year, and not much more was expected of them this year, but at this point they are looking like a potential playoff team, and the biggest reason is Beal, who has taken over as the leader of the team with John Wall out again this year.


7. Kawhi Leonard - LAC - 25.6 P, 8.4 R, 5.5 A, 2.3 S, 1.0 B, .441 FG, .824 FT

Kawhi has already sat out 5 times this season, which makes it more difficult to win the MVP, because you can't help your team when you're not on the court, especially considering their 2-3 record when he is out, but he has been great when he plays, and with Paul George back, the Clippers are likely to keep climbing in the standings, which can only help his MVP chances.


8. Lou Williams - LAC - 22.7 P, 3.6 R, 5.9 A, .429 FG, .355 3P, .870 FT

It's pretty unusual for a Sixth Man to be in contention for MVP, but the 3-time best bench player is having his best season yet, with career highs in scoring, rebounds, and assists, and played a major role in keeping the Clippers afloat while Paul George recovered from his injury.


9. Karl-Anthony Towns - MIN - 26.0 P, 12.1 R, 3.6 A, 1.3 S, 1.5 B, .511 FG, .443 3P, .760 FT

Towns continues to be a superstar playing for a team that always seems to be good enough to make the playoffs but rarely does. Right now they are on the outside looking in, so if he wants a chance to move up in these rankings, he has to get the Wolves into the upper tier of the West.


10. Donovan Mitchell - UTA - 25.2 P, 5.6 R, 3.9 A, 1.3 S, .453 FG, .378 3P, .812 FT

Mitchell continues to improve in his third season in the league, and his Jazz are hovering in the middle of the West playoff race, but he needs to get them closer to the top of the West to get any real consideration, since the all-around stats of those above his are so much better. Still, I believe this is the first time a Jazz player has been on this list since Boozer left town.


Honorable Mention: Pascal Siakim - TOR, Jimmy Butler - MIA, Damian Lillard - POR, DeMar DeRozan - SAS, Devin Booker - PHX