NBA MVP Rankings - 16 Dec

Three weeks ago I posted my initial award rankings for the NBA season, based on how well each player has performed statistically compared to the expectation for their position, with an adjustment for how it impacts team performance for the MVP candidates. The overall leader for each award has not changed, but there is movement within the top 3 for each award. Here are my current rankings, with previous rank in parentheses:

Most Valuable Player

1 (1) James Harden - HOU - 31.5 P, 5.1 R, 9.3 A, 1.9 S, .455 FG, .394 3P, .865 FT

His rebounds and assists have dipped a little this year, but his scoring has increased again, currently #1 in the league, and the Rockets have a 12-game winning streak and the league's best record.

2 (4) Kevin Durant - GSW - 26.1 P, 7.0 R, 5.3 A, 2.1 B, .526 FG, .407 3P, .877 FT

Durant has stepped up in Curry's absence, extending the Warriors win streak to 8 by reaching 35 points in 3 of the last 4 games, and he is also averaging a career high in blocks.

3 (2) LeBron James - CLE - 28.1 P, 8.3 R, 9.1 A, 1.4 S, 1.1 B, .578 FG, .411 3P, .757 FT

He still seems to be getting better in his 15th season, with a career high in FG%, highest scoring average in 8 years, and could be 4th player ever to average 28-8-9 for a season, joining Robertson, Westbrook, and Harden.

4 (3) Stephen Curry - GSW - 26.3 P, 5.1 R, 6.6 A, 1.7 S, .473 FG, .381 3P, .933 FT

Missed the last few games with an ankle injury, but had 28 points and 8 assists per game in the four games before he went down, and he's shooting a near career-high from the line.

5 (6) Giannis Antetokounmpo - MIL - 29.9 P, 10.5 R, 4.5 A, 1.8 S, 1.6 B, .548 FG, .765 FT

Milwaukee is still right on the edge in the playoff hunt, but we all know why they'll make it if they do. Last year's Most Improved Player is still improving at an incredible rate.

6 (8) DeMar DeRozan - TOR - 24.0 P, 4.6 R, 5.0 A, 1.3 S, .488 FG, .807 FT

Toronto is #2 in the East, and a big part of that is DeRozan becoming more efficient, shooting his best percentage in 8 years and averaging a career high in assists rather than just scoring.

7 (NR) Victor Oladipo - IND - 24.4 P, 5.4 R, 4.1 A, 1.8 S, 1.0 B, .473 FG, .425 3P, .781 FT

Oladipo is on fire lately, with 5 games over 25 points this month, 3 above 30, and a 47-point explosion against the Nuggets last Sunday. This trade worked out great for him.

8 (9) Kyrie Irving - BOS - 24.3 P, 3.0 R, 4.9 A, 1.3 S, .494 FG, .393 3P, .884 FT

He is actually down slightly statistically from last season, but he is now the best player on his team, and that team is in first place in the East.

9 (10) Russell Westbrook - OKC - 22.7 P, 9.7 R, 10.0 A, 2.0 S, .384 FG, .314 3P, .700 FT

His shooting and scoring are down from his historic MVP season, but he could still average a triple double, and he is leading the league in assists thanks to his new teammates.

10 (5) Anthony Davis - NOP - 25.2 P, 10.6 R, 2.6 A, 1.1 S, 2.0 B, .569 FG, .797 FT

Davis has missed 4 games already this month, and the Pelicans haven't won 2 in a row since Thanksgiving, but he is still really good when he's on the court.

Honorable Mention: DeMarcus Cousins - NOP, Klay Thompson - GSW - Damian Lillard - POR

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Ben Simmons - PHI - 17.3 P, 8.9 R, 7.8 A, 2.1 S, .506 FG, .559 FT

It's been a rough month for Simmons and the 76ers, with the team's only 2 wins coming when Simmons scores less than 10 points, but he has such a lead in the ROY race so far that he's still not in danger.

2 (2) Jayson Tatum - BOS - 13.6 P, 5.6 R, 1.3 A, .500 FG, .500 3P, .828 FT

The rookie may not be a huge scorer, but he is leading the league in 3-point percentage, hitting exactly half of his shots this season, both from inside and behind the line.

3 (NR) Donovan Mitchell - UTA - 17.8 P, 3.1 R, 3.5 A, 1.4 S, .417 FG, .366 3P, .850 FT

Mitchell is making a push to get in the ROY talk, with a 41-point game against New Orleans and a couple more 30-point games since, and he has taken the rookie scoring lead from Simmons in the process.

4 (3) John Collins - ATL - 11.3 P, 7.1 R, 1.0 A, 1.0 B, .597 FG, .740 FT

He's only played in 3 games since my last post, including yesterday's 2 points in 23 minutes, but he's hit 14 of 19 shots in those games.

5 (5) Kyle Kuzma - LAL - 16.3 P, 6.7 R, 1.5 A, .491 FG, .365 3P, .773 FT

Still the best rookie in LA this year, he has been very solid and steady, other than a stinker he put up at Philly.

Honorable Mention: Mike James - PHX, Lauri Markkanen - CHI

Sixth Man of the Year

1 (1) Tyreke Evans - MEM - 18.3 P, 4.9 R, 4.0 A, .479 FG, 418 3P, .777 FT

Evans has been starting for the past couple weeks, so he probably won't be on this list by next time, but he is still the best player in the league who has come off the bench in most of his games.

2 (3) Lou Williams - LAC - 20.1 P, 2.8 R, 4.8 A, .449 FG, .399 3P, .895 FT

The career bench player who won the award 3 years ago is averaging a career high in points, including 42 in a game he started against the Lakers a few weeks ago.

3 (5) Rudy Gay - SAS - 12.6 P, 5.7 R, 1.7 A, .490 FG, .790 FT

The Spurs won 4 in a row with Gay starting earlier this month, then lost the last 2 when he returned to the bench.

4 (2) Jordan Clarkson - LAL - 14.9 P, 2.9 R, 3.0 A, .480 FG, .357 3P, .779 FT

The best player who hasn't started a game this year, he has reached double digits in scoring in 10 of his past 11 games.

5 (4) Will Barton - DEN - 15.8 P, 5.3 R, 3.6 A, 1.2 S, .472 FG, .411 3P, .704 FT

He is having his best season as a pro, and scored 37 against Chicago a couple weeks ago.

Honorable Mention: Bobby Portis - CHI, JJ Barea - DAL, David West - GSW

NBA MVP Rankings - 25 Nov

The season is nearly a quarter of the way done, so I have crunched the numbers for every player in the league in order to rank the top candidates for MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Sixth Man of the Year based on their statistical performance as compared to other players at their position. In the MVP rankings, I also take into account how the players' performance affects their teams' performance. Here are my current ranking for each award:

Most Valuable Player

1. James Harden - HOU - 31.1 P, 4.9 R, 9.8 A, 1.6 S, .447 FG, .395 3P, .865 FT

Harden is currently leading the league in both scoring and assists, a feat that has been accomplished only once in history, and he also has the Rockets sitting in first place in the West so far. There really is no question that he is the first quarter MVP.

2. LeBron James - CLE - 28.5 P, 7.8 R, 8.6 A, 1.2 S, 1.2 B, .580 FG, .422 3P, .769 FT

James is averaging a career high in field goal and three point percentage and has his highest scoring average in 8 years, and has dragged the Cavaliers, who are far inferior to their teams of recent years, back into the playoff picture.

3. Stephen Curry - GSW - 25.9 P, 5.3 R, 6.3 A, 1.8 S, .474 FG, .381 3P, .942 FT

One of the best free throw shooters in history is having his best season ever from the line so far, plus he is still scoring as much as last year while the Warriors are near the top of the standings again.

4. Kevin Durant - GSW - 24.7 P, 6.8 R, 4.7 A, 2.1 B, .529 FG, .432 3P, .868 FT

Durant was one of the MVP leaders last year before an injury caused him to miss 20 games. He is slightly down this year, which is why he is behind his teammate, but he is still a huge part of Golden State's success.

5. Anthony Davis - NOP - 25.8 P, 11.1 R, 2.9 A, 1.3 S, 1.8 B, .573 FG, .378 3P, .795 FT

The Pelicans could actually make the playoffs this year, and Davis is the biggest reason. He's been playing at this level for 4 years, and he's been on the borderline of my rankings for all of that time, but getting his team to the playoffs would move him up a level.

6. Giannis Antetokounmpo - MIL - 29.7 P, 10.3 R, 4.4 A, 1.6 S, 1.9 B, .552 FG, .763 FT

Last season's Most Improved Player is still improving, scoring nearly 7 points per game more than last season, good for #2 in the league so far, and Milwaukee is in the playoff hunt with a winning record.

7. DeMarcus Cousins - NOP - 26.1 P, 12.9 R, 5.4 A, 1.7 S, 1.4 B, .462 FG, .323 3P, .772 FT

Cousins looks statistically a little better than his teammate Davis, but his low shooting percentage for a center puts him a couple of spots behind, though his impact on the Pelicans cannot be denied.

8. DeMar DeRozan - TOR - 24.1 P, 4.4 R, 4.4 A, 1.3 S, .477 FG, .302 3P, .812 FT

His numbers have slipped a little since last year, but Toronto is still one of the top teams in the East, and he is easily their best player.

9. Kyrie Irving - BOS - 22.9 P, 3.2 R, 5.1 A, 1.7 S, .476 FG, .369 3P, .876 FT

Irving doesn't score as much as the other contenders on this list, and he doesn't get many assists for a point guard, but his Celtics have the best record in the league without Gordon Hayward, their big free agent signing.

10. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 21.2 P, 8.9 R, 9.7 A, 2.1 S, .397 FG, .730 FT

Last season's MVP is still filling up the stat sheet, but his scoring has dipped by 10 points, and the Thunder are struggling in close games. He could still make a run at a repeat award, but not the way things are going right now.

Honorable Mention - Damian Lillard - POR, Kristaps Porzingis - NYK - Victor Oladipo - IND, Bradley Beal - WAS

Rookie of the Year

1. Ben Simmons - PHI - 18.5 P, 9.1 R, 7.7 A, 2.1 S, .513 FG, .566 FT

Last season's #1 pick is finally playing, and he was worth the wait. He needs to improve his free throw shooting, but his presence has completely changed the 76ers. If he keeps it up and the Sixers keep winning, he could find himself in the MVP discussion before the season ends.

2. Jayson Tatum - BOS - 14.0 P, 5.7 R, 1.4 A, 1.0 S, .497 FG, .500 3P, .848 FT

Tatum is an important part of the team with the league's best record, but he is not going to win this award unless Simmons gets hurt.

3. John Collins - ATL - 11.8 P, 7.4 R, 0.9 A, .583 FG, .761 FT

Collins is not a big name, but he has provided good minutes off the bench for Atlanta, and is #8 in the league in shooting percentage, but he needs to get his fouls under control, as he is leading the entire league in that category.

4. Lauri Markkanen - CHI - 14.6 P, 8.2 R, 1.4 A, .401 FG, .345 3P, .804 FT

The #7 pick has been as good as advertised so far, scoring and rebounding at a good rate while shooting the ball well from the outside, but his overall shooting percentage is not great for a 7-footer.

5. Kyle Kuzma - LAL - 16.8 P, 6.3 R, 1.5 A, .498 FG, .366 3P, .759 FT

He is obviously not the most famous rookie on the Lakers, but he is definitely the best, averaging almost twice as many points while shooting more than 18% better than Ball.

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Tyreke Evans - MEM - 17.7 P, 5.1 R, 3.4 A, 1.1 S, .500 FG, .413 3P, .762 FT

The former Rookie of the Year is having his best season since he was a rookie, and he has been Memphis' best player despite coming off the bench, and his presence could get the Grizzlies back into the playoffs.

2. Jordan Clarkson - LAL - 15.1 P, 2.5 R, 2.6 A, .487 FG, .355 3P, .750 FT

Clarkson is a little behind Evans in every category, but he seems to play better coming off the bench for the Lakers than he did when he started for them a couple years ago.

3. Lou Williams - LAC - 17.3 P, 2.6 R, 3.8 A, .447 FG, .365 3P, .877 FT

My pick for last season's 6th man has not slowed down despite playing for his 5th team in 5 seasons, and his shooting and scoring will keep him in the running for this award as long as he is not starting.

4. Will Barton - DEN - 14.6 P, 5.2 R, 3.0 A, 1.0 S, .464 FG, .407 3P, .661 FT

He is struggling from the line, 11% below his career average, but he is having a career year otherwise, and Denver is actually looking pretty good.

5. Rudy Gay - SAS - 11.8 P, 4.9 R, 1.6 A, .465 FG, .378 3P, .826 FT

Gay is coming off the bench for the first time in his career, so even though his numbers are his lowest since he was a rookie, he's doing it in 13 fewer minutes than he is used to, and he is making solid contributions.

NBA MVP Rankings - 7 Jan

The Miami Heat have won 19 of their past 20 games, have only lost to Dallas since Thanksgiving, and have the two best players in the NBA right now. Those two players have won my player of the day award (which is based on the same formula as my MVP rankings) 6 times in their past 7 games, which is an incredible run. It should come as no surprise to see the two of them atop the MVP rankings again, even if they believe that neither of them will win the award.

Most Valuable Player

1. LeBron James - MIA - 24.8 pts, 6.8 reb, 7.3 ast (1)

What did LeBron do this week? Just average 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists as the scorching Miami Heat stretched their latest winning streak to 7 games. If it were possible to just forget his stats from the past two years and look at his numbers and his team's record this year, he would be a shoo-in for MVP.

2. Dwyane Wade - MIA - 25.0 pts, 6.5 reb, 4.2 ast (2)

As impressive as LeBron has been in recent weeks, Wade has been equally brilliant, if that seems possible. This week he averaged 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists as one half of the most potent duo this league has seen since Baylor and West played for the Lakers decades ago.

3. Derrick Rose - CHI - 23.8 pts, 4.5 reb, 8.3 ast (6)

In Chicago's 3 wins this week, Rose averaged nearly 9 assists per game. In their loss to New Jersey last night, he had only one. There was no difference in his scoring or the number of shots he took, so it seems that when Rose is distributing the ball to the right people, the Bulls win. Before that loss, they had won 14 of their past 17, and Rose is the reason.

4. Dirk Nowitzki - DAL - 24.1 pts, 7.4 reb, 2.4 ast (3)

While watching the Mavericks struggle without him on the court would seem to prove how valuable Nowitzki is to his team, I still believe that no matter how valuable you are, you can't help your team when you're not on the floor. When he returns, look for him to regain his footing in the standings as well.

5. Pau Gasol - LAL - 18.4 pts, 10.7 reb, 4.0 ast (5)

Gasol showed signs of his old self in a win over Detroit where he ended up with 21 points and 7 rebounds, but he followed that solid game up with a 6-point dud against the Phoenix Suns last night. Early in the year, he was my obvious choice for MVP, but he wasn't able to maintain that pace for even half a season.

6. Kevin Durant - OKC - 27.9 pts, 6.2 reb, 3.0 ast (4)

Durant averaged over 30 points in the Thunder's two wins this week, but only 22 points in losses to the Grizzlies and Spurs. The Thunder needs to win more consistently for Durant to be a serious MVP contender again this year.

7. Kobe Bryant - LAL - 25.1 pts, 5.0 reb, 4.5 ast (7)

Kobe and Pau need to take a page from Miami's playbook, where both star players can be successful on the same night, which leads to more wins. In Pau's best game of the week against Detroit, Kobe had his worst, scoring a measly 17 points in the win.

8. Amare Stoudemire - NYK - 26.4 pts, 9.0 reb, 2.3 blk (9)

Most people have noticed that Amare is #2 in the NBA in scoring currently, but how many people have noticed that Stoudemire, who has never been known for his defense, is also sitting at #5 in blocks per game so far this season? Also impressive: New York's 128-115 win over the first-place San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.

9. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 21.9 pts, 4.9 reb, 7.9 ast (8)

Westbrook won the Player of the Day award with his third career triple-double on last Friday, then followed it up with 8 points against the Spurs the next night. One amazing performance does not make up for a week with two losses and two poor performances.

10. Dwight Howard - ORL - 21.4 pts, 13.2 reb, 2.4 blk (NR)

Howard came crashing into the top 10 this week after averaging 25 points and 15 rebounds for the week and adding to the Magic's season-long 7-game winning streak, which came after a rough stretch of 8 losses in 9 games. It looks like Superman is finally meshing with his new teammates, and Orlando may be able to challenge the Heat for the Eastern Conference title.

Dropping out: Deron Williams (10)

Getting warm: Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony, Al Horford, Carlos Boozer, Chris Paul, Raymond Felton

Rookie of the Year

1. Blake Griffin - LAC - 21.7 pts, 12.7 reb, 3.3 ast (1)

Don't look now, but here come the Clippers. Griffin and his mates have won 6 of their past nine games, including wins over Phoenix, Chicago, and Denver, all playoff teams from a year ago. The double-double streak now stands at 22, and Griffin's case for making the All-Star team is getting stronger with every game.

2. John Wall - WAS - 15.9 pts, 3.7 reb, 8.7 ast (3)

Wall averaged 18 points and 9 assists this week and finally started looking like a Rookie of the Year candidate, although he won't win the award. He did improve his shooting percentage this week, which was my problem with him last week, from 29% up to 51%.

3. Landry Fields - NYK - 10.1 pts, 7.4 reb, 1.9 ast (2)

Fields scored 10 points in only 13 minutes against the Pacers this week, and it seems to have helped him earn more playing time. He played 40 minutes in the win over San Antonio, scoring 13 points in the upset.

4. DeMarcus Cousins - SAC - 12.8 pts, 7.7 reb, 1.6 ast (4)

It looks like Cousins' stint on the bench made him grow up a little bit, and he's looked every bit like a man this week, putting up 22 points and 7 rebounds per game, all while helping the last-place Kings win twice in the same week for the first time since week 1.

5. Eric Bledsoe - LAC - 7.4 pts, 3.1 reb, 4.2 ast (5)

Bledsoe's playing time didn't increase this week, but his shooting percentage sure did. After shooting 3 for 16 last week, he increased that to 7 of 16 this week. If he keeps it up, he may get to see his playing time return to where it was in November.

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Antawn Jamison - CLE - 16.1 pts, 5.9 reb, 1.4 ast (2)

Now that Jamison has finally reached the top spot in the Sixth Man rankings, he is about to drop off the list just like Wilson Chandler and Nick Young, and for the same reason. His team realized that they needed him to start, and his production has been incredible lately, with back-to-back 30-point games.

2. Jamal Crawford - ATL - 15.8 pts, 1.8 reb, 3.6 ast (NR)

After a very poor December, Crawford shoots right back to the top of the list with an incredible start to the New Year, averaging 27 points per game since the calendar turned over. With Jamison moving on to starterdom, this award may be his to lose again.

3. Jason Terry - DAL - 15.6 pts, 1.8 reb, 4.5 ast (1)

With Dirk Nowitzki out with an injury, this looked like a golden opportunity for Terry to pad his stats and stake his claim for the 6th man award, but he has performed well below his season averages in every category since the big man went down.

4. Daniel Gibson - CLE - 13.7 pts, 3.3 reb, 3.1 ast (4)

After missing two games with the flu, Gibson injured his ankle in his first game back and will miss at least the next five recovering. He will most likely drop off this list for a little while until he is back on the court.

5. Gilbert Arenas - ORL - 15.1 pts, 3.1 reb, 5.2 ast (3)

It appears that Arenas will not be getting the playing time he's used to now that he's in Orlando, where Jameer Nelson is firmly entrenched in the starting point guard spot and coach Stan Van Gundy doesn't like to put two point guards on the floor together.

Most Improved Player

1. Dorell Wright - GSW - 16.1 pts, 6.0 reb, 3.0 ast (1)

Wright had his second 30-point game in as many weeks in the Warriors close loss at Miami, his former team, and I bet that his former teammates can vouch for him deserving to be named the Most Improved Player this season.

2. D.J. Augustin - CHA - 13.7 pts, 3.1 reb, 5.9 ast (2)

Augustin may have cooled off slightly this week, but his averages are still well up since Larry Brown left the bench in Charlotte. He seems to be a little more confident with Coach Silas on the sideline, and it's showing up in his production.

3. Kevin Love - MIN - 21.0 pts, 15.6 reb, 2.4 ast (3)

Love won the Player of the Day award again yesterday after a huge night that ended with 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists and a near-win against the Charlotte Bobcats. The Wolves have also come close to beating Boston and Denver is the past two weeks, and a little more Love could push them over the top.

4. Daniel Gibson - CLE - 13.7 pts, 3.3 reb, 3.1 ast (4)

The knee injury shouldn't hurt Gibson as much in the Most Improved Race as in the 6th man race, since this award is more about overall improvement than being the big man off the bench for your team every night.

5. Jrue Holiday - PHI - 14.6 pts, 3.8 reb, 6.5 ast (NR)

26 points and 9 assists against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday was enough for Jrue to pass Nick Young for the final spot on the Most Improved Watch. He has shown vast improvement over his rookie season, when he only 8 points and fewer than 4 assists per game.

NBA Player of the Day

Tyreke Evans - SAC - 27 pts, 5 reb, 12 ast, 2 stl, 11-18 FG, 5-5 FT

Evans gave a masterful performance last night as the Kings totally demolished the flailing Nuggets, which gave Sacramento their 3rd win in 5 games. This came just one week after he stunned the Grizzlies with a heave from beyond half-court to beat the buzzer and win the game.

Predictions - 7 Jan

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Spurs at Pacers - Spurs by 6

Bulls at 76ers - Bulls by 2

Nets at Wizards - Wizards by 1

Raptors at Celtics - Celtics by 14

Trail Blazers at Timberwolves - Trail Blazers by 4

Rockets at Magic - Magic by 7

Jazz at Grizzlies - Grizzlies by 2

Heat at Bucks - Heat by 7

Cavaliers at Warriors - Warriors by 9

Hornets at Lakers - Lakers by 6

Knicks at Suns - Suns by 1

College Football

(11) LSU vs. (17) Texas A&M - Texas A&M by 4

Prediction Results - 6 Jan

College Football: 1/1 (1.000) 55/82 overall (.671)

NBA: 0/2 (.000) 246/341 overall (.721)

College Basketball: 6/6 (1.000) 220/256 overall (.859)