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 - 7 Mar

The top 4 contenders in the MVP rankings remained in the same spots since my last update in January, but the healthy return of Victor Wembanyama caused him to surge from outside the top 10 into the top 5, as the big man has the Spurs just 2.5 games behind Oklahoma City for the league's best record with just over a month to go in the regular season. Here are my full current MVP rankings:

Most Valuable Player

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

31.7 Pts (#2), 4.4 Reb, 6.5 Ast (#15), 1.4 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .551 FG% (#15), .384 3P%, .893 FT% (#10)

2 (2) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

28.8 Pts (#5), 12.5 Reb (#1), 10.3 Ast (#1), 1.4 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .574 FG% (#11), .391 3P%, .832 FT%

3 (3) Cade Cunningham - PG - DET

25.2 Pts (#12), 5.8 Reb, 9.8 Ast (#2), 1.5 Stl (#14), 0.9 Blk, .455 FG%, .334 3P%, .812 FT%

4 (4) Luka Doncic - PG - LAL

32.5 Pts (#1), 7.8 Reb, 8.5 Ast (#3), 1.5 Stl (#15), 0.5 Blk, .475 FG%, .362 3P%, .773 FT%

5 (NR) Victor Wembanyama - C - SAS

23.8 Pts (#19), 11.2 Reb (#5), 2.9 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 3.0 Blk (#1), .502 FG%, .349 3P%, .815 FT%

6 (7) Donovan Mitchell - SG - CLE

28.5 Pts (#7), 4.5 Reb, 5.8 Ast, 1.6 Stl (#7), 0.3 Blk, .483 FG%, .369 3P%, .852 FT%

7 (10) Jaylen Brown - SF - BOS

28.8 Pts (#6), 7.2 Reb, 5.1 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .481 FG%, .348 3P%, .777 FT%

8 (6) Tyrese Maxey - PG - PHI

28.9 Pts (#4), 4.2 Reb, 6.7 Ast (#12), 2.0 Stl (#2), 0.8 Blk, .460 FG%, .372 3P%, .892 FT% (#11)

9 (5) Jamal Murray - PG - DEN

25.5 Pts (#11), 4.3 Reb, 7.2 Ast (#9), 0.9 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .484 FG%, .431 3P% (#10), .876 FT% (#19)

10 (9) Jalen Brunson - PG - NYK

26.2 Pts (#9), 3.4 Reb, 6.5 Ast (#14), 0.7 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .464 FG%, .378 3P%, .842 FT%

Honorable Mention: James Harden - PG - CLE; Jalen Johnson - SF - ATL; Jalen Duren - C - DET; Anthony Edwards - SG - MIN; Chet Holmgren - PF - OKC; Alperen Sengun - C - HOU; Karl-Anthony Towns - C - NYK; Kevin Durant - SF - HOU

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Nikola Jokic has passed Larry Bird to move up to #21

Luka Doncic has passed George Gervin to move up to #58

Jrue Holiday has passed Rod Strickland, Cliff Hagan, Walt Frazier, and Ray Allen to move up to #87

DeMar DeRozan has passed Amare Stoudemire to move up to #99

NBA MVP Rankings - 22 Nov

The top 4 in the first MVP rankings of the season are familiar faces, but a new younger wave has started to emerge, filling in the rest of the top 10. The same two players are at the top as in the past 2 seasons, but it's a long season, and anything can happen with any of these players, but Jokic leading the league in rebounds and assists so far gives him a slight edge over the reigning MVP. Here are my current top 10 MVP candidates, with career-highs in bold:

Most Valuable Player

1. Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

29.5 Pts (#7), 13.0 Reb (#1), 11.0 Ast (#1), 1.7 Stl (#18), 0.8 Blk, .634 FG% (#7), .411 3P%, .851 FT%

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG - OKC

31.9 Pts (#3), 4.9 Reb, 6.6 Ast (#16), 1.5 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .534 FG%, .404 3P%, .892 FT%

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

31.2 Pts (#4), 10.8 Reb (#6), 6.8 Ast (#15), 0.9 Blk, 1.2 Blk, .629 FG% (#9), .500 3P%, .636 FT%

4. Luka Doncic - PG - LAL

34.6 Pts (#1), 8.5 Reb, 9.0 Ast (#4), 1.9 Stl (#7), 0.5 Blk, .472 FG%, .317 3P%, .790 FT%

5. Tyrese Maxey - PG - PHI

33.4 Pts (#2), 4.7 Reb, 7.9 Ast (#7), 1.6 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .473 FG%, .421 3P%, .878 FT%

6. Cade Cunningham - PG - DET

27.3 Pts (#12), 5.4 Reb, 9.9 Ast (#2), 1.4 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .436 FG%, .275 3P%, .811 FT%

7. Victor Wembanyama - C - SAS

26.2 Pts (#16), 12.9 Reb (#2), 4.0 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 3.6 Blk (#1), .502 FG%, .345 3P%, .857 FT%

8. Donovan Mitchell - SG - CLE

30.3 Pts (#5), 4.8 Reb, 5.3 Ast, 1.5 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .507 FG%, .383 3P%, .822 FT%

9. Jalen Duren - C - DET

20.6 Pts, 11.9 Reb (#4), 1.8 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.1 Blk, .674 FG% (#5), .779 FT%

10. Devin Booker - SG - PHX

27.1 Pts (#13), 4.1 Reb, 7.1 Ast (#14), 0.9 Stl, 0.3 Blk, .477 FG%, .333 3P%, .893 FT% (#20)

Honorable Mention: James Harden - PG - LAC; Jalen Johnson - SF - ATL; Austin Reaves - SG - LAL; Julius Randle - PF - MIN; Stephen Curry - PG - GSW; Josh Giddey - PG - CHI; Jalen Brunson - PG - NYK

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Stephen Curry has passed John Stockton to move up to #13

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed Dirk Nowitzki to move up to #28

Anthony Davis has passed Elvin Hayes to move up to #48

Luka Doncic has passed Draymond Green and Chauncey Billups to move up to #60

Jimmy Butler has passed Jayson Tatum to move up to #75

Mike Conley has passed Gus Williams, Dennis Rodman, and Tom Heinsohn to move up to #93

Trae Young has passed Gus Williams to move up to #96

NBA MVP Rankings - 30 Mar

Entering the final couple of weeks of the regular season, the MVP race is down to 4 players, and it is the tightest race I have seen in a decade. 3 of the contenders have their teams among the top 3 in their conference, and the other has pulled his team out of the play-in and into the playoffs. Here are my current rankings for MVP and ROY, along with some updates to the all-time player rankings, including a new player joining the all-time top 100:

Most Valuable Player

1 (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

26.1 Pts (#11), 12.2 Reb (#4), 8.9 Ast (#3), 1.3 Stl (#12), 0.9 Blk, .579 FG% (#12), .345 3P%, .826 FT%

2 (3) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

30.7 Pts (#2), 11.5 Reb (#6), 6.4 Ast (#14), 1.2 Stl (#20), 1.0 Blk, .616 FG% (#7), .288 3P%, .657 FT%

3 (4) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

33.8 Pts (#1), 9.1 Reb (#16), 9.8 Ast (#2), 1.5 Stl (#7), 0.5 Blk, .487 FG%, .376 3P%, .785 FT%

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

30.4 Pts (#3), 5.6 Reb, 6.3 Ast (#16), 2.1 Stl (#1), 0.9 Blk, .540 FG% (#19), .367 3P%, .871 FT% (#17)

5 (5) Domantas Sabonis - C - SAC

19.6 Pts, 13.6 Reb (#1), 8.3 Ast (#5), 0.9 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .603 FG% (#8), .403 3P%, .706 FT%

6 (6) Jayson Tatum - PF - BOS

27.3 Pts (#6), 8.2 Reb, 4.9 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .472 FG%, .378 3P%, .832 FT%

7 (NR) Jalen Brunson - PG - NYK

27.9 Pts (#4), 3.6 Reb, 6.5 Ast (#13), 0.9 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .479 FG%, .401 3P%, .847 FT%

8 (7) Tyrese Haliburton - PG - IND

20.3 Pts, 4.0 Reb, 11.0 Ast (#1), 1.2 Stl (#18), 0.7 Blk, .476 FG%, .365 3P%, .857 FT%

9 (NR) Damian Lillard - PG - MIL

24.4 Pts (#15), 4.4 Reb, 7.1 Ast (#10), 1.0 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .426 FG%, .358 3P%, .923 FT% (#2)

10 (10) Anthony Davis - C - LAL

24.7 Pts (#14), 12.7 Reb (#3), 3.6 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 2.4 Blk (#2), .553 FG% (#16), .286 3P%, .816 FT%

Honorable Mention: Anthony Edwards - SG - MIN, LeBron James - PF - LAL, Victor Wembanyama - C - SAS, Joel Embiid - C - PHI, Trae Young - PG - ATL, Kevin Durant - PF - PHX

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Victor Wembanyama - C - SAS

21.0 Pts, 10.5 Reb (#12), 3.6 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 3.4 Blk (#1), .468 FG%, .324 3P%, .796 FT%

2 (2) Chet Holmgren - C - OKC

16.8 Pts, 7.9 Reb, 2.6 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 2.4 Blk (#3), .536 FG%, .377 3P%, .803 FT%

3 (3) Dereck Lively II - C - DAL

8.9 Pts, 7.0 Reb, 1.1 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 1.4 Blk (#13), .746 FG%, .506 FT%

4 (4) Keyonte George - PG - UTA

12.7 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 4.6 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .391 FG%, .335 3P%, .842 FT%

5 (NR) Amen Thompson - SF - HOU

9.2 Pts, 6.3 Reb, 2.4 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .530 FG%, .145 3P%, .674 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Kevin Durant has passed Julius Erving to move up to #14

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed Elgin Baylor and David Robinson to move up to #31

Damian Lillard has passed George Gervin to move up to #56

Kawhi Leonard has passed Paul Pierce to move up to #59

Jimmy Butler has passed Ray Allen to move up to #83

Luka Doncic has moved into the top 100 at #99, passing LaMarcus Aldridge and knocking out Andre Miller.

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 All-Star Teams - 2024

 

The full NBA All-Star teams have been announced, including injury replacements, and overall the players picked were largely deserving. I've analyzed every player's performance so far this season to determine which players should have been All-Star starters and reserves, along with which players were snubbed, and which players should have been left off to make room for them. Actual starters are in bold, reserves are underlined, and injury replacements are in italics, with an asterisk next to players who will miss the game due to injury. There are also a few updates to the all-time player rankings at the bottom:

Eastern Conference

Starters

PF - Giannis Antetokounmpo - MIL

PG - Trae Young - ATL

C - Joel Embiid - PHI*

PG - Tyrese Haliburton - IND

PF - Jayson Tatum - BOS

Reserves

PG - Jalen Brunson - NYK

PG - Damian Lillard - MIL

SG - Donovan Mitchell - CLE

PG - Tyrese Maxey - PHI

PF - Julius Randle - NYK*

PF - Paolo Banchero - ORL

PF - Pascal Siakim - NYK

Injury Replacements

SG - Scottie Barnes - TOR

PG - Cade Cunningham - DET

The East team is pretty much correct. Trae Young was by far the biggest snub originally, as he should have been starting over Lillard, but he was added as an injury replacement, so at least he made the team. Siakim would have been my choice for the final spot over Jaylen Brown, and I would have added Cunningham as an injury replacement while leaving Bam Adebayo off the team.

Western Conference

Starters

C - Nikola Jokic - DEN

PG - Luka Doncic - DAL

PG - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - OKC

C - Domantas Sabonis - SAC

C - Anthony Davis - LAL

Reserves

PF - LeBron James - LAL

PF - Kevin Durant - PHX

C - Victor Wembanyama - SAS

PG - Stephen Curry - GSW

PG - Devin Booker - PHX

C - Alperen Sengun - HOU

SG - Anthony Edwards - MIN

Injury Replacements

PG - De'Aaron Fox - SAC

PF - Lauri Markkanen - UTA

The West team has a few more issues, including 3 big men who were snubbed, most notably Domantas Sabonis, the second-best center in the West, who should have been starting, but didn't even make the team. Wembanyama was likely left off due to being a rookie on a bad team, but he is very deserving of a spot, and Sengun is being overlooked by everyone playing for a mediocre Houston team. I would have left Kawhi Leonard, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Paul George off the team, especially George, who isn't close to being an All-Star this year.

All-Time Player Rank changes

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

Kawhi Leonard has passed Kevin McHale and George McGinnis to move up to #60

Joel Embiid has passed Wes Unseld to move up to #92

NBA MVP Rankings - 20 Jan

Nikola Jokic is the best basketball player in the NBA, and has been for the past few years, and as long as he is able to keep the Nuggets near the top of the standings, he will probably stay at the top of my MVP rankings, where he sits again this week. LeBron and Lillard dropped from the top 10 this week, letting a couple of younger stars jump in, while another rising star made a move up to #3 this week, passing the defending MVP and sitting right behind two former 2-time MVPs. Here are my current MVP and Rookie of the Year rankings, along with a few changes in the All-Time Player rankings:

Most Valuable Player

1 (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

25.7 Pts (#15), 11.9 Reb (#4), 9.1 Ast (#4), 1.1 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .583 FG% (#14), .350 3P%, .821 FT%

2 (2) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

31.2 Pts (#3), 11.4 Reb (#6), 5.9 Ast, 1.3 Stl (#15), 1.1 Blk, .608 FG% (#9), .235 3P%, .677 FT%

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

31.0 Pts (#4), 5.7 Reb, 6.3 Ast (#18), 2.2 Stl (#1), 0.8 Blk, .552 FG% (#19), .324 3P%, .891 FT% (#15)

4 (3) Joel Embiid - C - PHI

35.1 Pts (#1), 11.4 Reb (#5), 5.9 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 1.9 Blk (#10), .538 FG%, .364 3P%, .885 FT% (#17)

5 (4) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

33.6 Pts (#2), 8.3 Reb, 9.2 Ast (#3), 1.4 Stl (#9), 0.6 Blk, .485 FG%, .376 3P%, .778 FT%

6 (6) Tyrese Haliburton - PG - IND

23.6 Pts, 4.1 Reb, 12.6 Ast (#1), 1.1 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .496 FG%, .400 3P%, .862 FT%

7 (7) Trae Young - PG - ATL

27.2 Pts (#8), 3.1 Reb, 10.9 Ast (#2), 1.4 Stl (#8), 0.2 Blk, .421 FG%, .359 3P%, .858 FT%

8 (NR) Domantas Sabonis - C - SAC

20.1 Pts, 12.6 Reb (#1), 8.0 Ast (#7), 0.8 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .614 FG% (#8), .413 3P%, .668 FT%

9 (NR) Jayson Tatum - PF - BOS

26.9 Pts (#10), 8.4 Reb, 4.4 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .472 FG%, .367 3P%, .812 FT%

10 (10) Anthony Davis - C - LAL

25.2 Pts (#16), 12.1 Reb (#3), 3.8 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 2.5 Blk (#4), .557 FG% (#17), .318 3P%, .810 FT%

Honorable Mention: Damian Lillard - PG - MIL, LeBron James - PF - LAL, Anthony Edwards - SG - MIN, Tyrese Maxey - PG - PHI, Kevin Durant - PF - PHX, Jalen Brunson - PG - NYK

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Victor Wembanyama - C - SAS

19.8 Pts, 10.1 Reb (#13), 2.9 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 3.1 Blk (#1), .461 FG%, .293 3P%, .806 FT%

2 (2) Chet Holmgren - C - OKC

17.4 Pts, 7.2 Reb, 2.8 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 2.5 Blk (#5), .542 FG%, .385 3P%, .787 FT%

3 (3) Dereck Lively II - C - DAL

8.9 Pts, 7.8 Reb, 1.3 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 1.4 Blk (#17), .735 FG%, .000 3P%, .568 FT%

4 (5) Ausar Thompson - SF - DET

8.2 Pts, 6.8 Reb, 2.0 Ast, 0.9 Stl, 1.0 Blk, .455 FG%, .130 3P%, .654 FT%

5 (4) Keyonte George - PG - UTA

11.1 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 4.4 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .373 FG%, .328 3P%, .806 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Nikola Jokic has passed Isiah Thomas to move up to #36

Kyrie Irving has passed Maurice Cheeks, Deron Williams, and Ben Wallace to move up to #68

Joel Embiid has passed Bob Lanier and Amare Stoudemire to move up to #93

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 MVP Rankings - 9 Dec

In the past few weeks, the MVP race has become a lot closer and a lot more crowded, with Jokic's lead becoming much slimmer after Denver fell from the top seed in the West down to the middle of the playoff pack. These are my current rankings for this season's MVP and Rookie of the Year, along with a few updates in my All-Time player rankings. Previous ranking is in parentheses:

Most Valuable Player

1 (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

28.4 Pts (#8), 13.0 Reb (#1), 9.6 Ast (#3), 1.1 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .535 FG%, .304 3P%, .774 FT%

2 (2) Joel Embiid - C - PHI

33.3 Pts (#1), 11.5 Reb (#5), 6.4 Ast (#16), 1.0 Stl, 1.9 Blk (#8), .510 FG%, .322 3P%, .875 FT%

3 (3) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

31.9 Pts (#2), 8.4 Reb, 8.7 Ast (#4), 1.3 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .488 FG%, .382 3P%, .766 FT%

4 (5) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

30.5 Pts (#4), 10.6 Reb (#7), 5.0 Ast, 1.4 Stl, 1.3 Blk (#19), .614 FG% (#8), .243 3P%, .657 FT%

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

30.5 Pts (#6), 5.6 Reb, 6.2 Ast (#19), 2.8 Stl (#1), 0.9 Blk, .544 FG% (#19), .348 3P%, .914 FT% (#6)

6 (4) Tyrese Haliburton - PG - IND

26.9 Pts (#13), 4.2 Reb, 12.1 Ast (#1), 1.0 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .525 FG%, .441 3P% (#14), .884 FT% (#19)

7 (8) LeBron James - PF - LAL

25.0 Pts (#15), 7.5 Reb, 6.6 Ast (#14), 1.5 Stl (#13), 0.7 Blk, .553 FG% (#17), .407 3P%, .717 FT%

8 (10) Trae Young - PG - ATL

27.2 Pts (#11), 2.8 Reb, 10.6 Ast (#2), 1.5 Stl (#12), 0.1 Blk, .412 FG%, .352 3P%, .868 FT%

9 (NR) Anthony Davis - C - LAL

22.7 Pts, 12.7 Reb (#2), 3.2 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 2.7 Blk (#3), .533 FG%, .231 3P%, .837 FT%

10 (NR) Kevin Durant - PF - PHX

31.0 Pts (#3), 6.5 Reb, 5.7 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 1.2 Blk, .521 FG%, .500 3P% (#3), .892 FT% (#14)

Honorable Mention: Jayson Tatum - PF - BOS, Damian Lillard - PG - MIL, Tyrese Maxey - PG - PHI, Rudy Gobert - C - MIN

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Victor Wembanyama - PF - SAS

19.0 Pts, 10.2 Reb (#12), 2.6 Ast, 1.3 Stl, 2.7 Blk (#2), .430 FG%, .255 3P%, .818 FT%

2 (3) Chet Holmgren - C - OKC

17.1 Pts, 7.8 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 0.9 Stl, 2.4 Blk (#5), .518 FG%, .371 3P%, .878 FT%

3 (5) Dereck Lively II - C - DAL

8.7 Pts, 7.7 Reb, 1.3 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 1.6 Blk (#14), .735 FG%, .000 3P%, .593 FT%

4 (2) Ausar Thompson - SF - DET

10.1 Pts, 8.5 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 1.3 Blk (#20), .441 FG%, .130 3P%, .689 FT%

5 (4) Keyonte George - PG - UTA

10.5 Pts, 3.1 Reb, 5.1 Ast, .0.5 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .344 FG%, .304 3P%, .765 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Updates

Nikola Jokic has passed Artis Gilmore to move up to #38

Kawhi Leonard has passed Manu Ginobili to move up to #63

Draymond Green has passed Sam Jones to move up to #65

Jimmy Butler has passed John Wall to move up to #87

Joel Embiid has entered the top 100 at #98, knocking out Mel Daniels and passing Andre Miller and LaMarcus Aldridge

NBA MVP Rankings - 18 Nov

We are nearly a month into the NBA season, so today I am releasing my initial MVP rankings for the season so far. The top 3 have a little separation over the rest of the field, but there is a lot of basketball left to play, so anyone on this list, and many who aren't, could still make a move on this list, though it would require a huge collapse by Jokic and the Nuggets for him to not deserve the award in my opinion. I've also included my top 5 for Rookie of the Year so far, and 6 changes in the All-Time Top 100 player rankings. Enjoy!

Most Valuable Player

1. Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

29.7 Pts (#5), 14.1 Reb (#1), 9.2 Ast (#3), 1.0 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .573 FG% (#12), .300 3P%, .816 FT%

2. Joel Embiid - C - PHI

31.9 Pts (#1), 11.1 Reb (#7), 6.0 Ast (#15), 1.0 Stl, 1.6 Blk (#13), .506 FG%, .310 3P%, .884 FT% (#19)

3. Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

30.7 Pts (#4), 7.8 Reb, 8.1 Ast (#5), 1.1 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .502 FG%, .420 3P%, .761 FT%

4. Tyrese Haliburton - PG - IND

24.7 Pts (#14), 4.2 Reb, 12.5 Ast (#1), 1.1 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .528 FG%, .436 3P%, .932 FT% (#7)

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

28.3 Pts (#8), 9.5 Reb (#15), 4.1 Ast, 0.9 Stl, 1.2 Blk, .583 FG% (#10), .250 3P%, .635 FT%

6. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG - OKC

28.8 Pts (#7), 6.5 Reb, 6.0 Ast (#16), 2.6 Stl (#1), 0.7 Blk, .511 FG%, .326 3P%, .919 FT% (#10)

7. Tyrese Maxey - PG - PHI

26.9 Pts (#10), 5.0 Reb, 6.8 Ast (#11), 0.9 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .481 FG%, .433 3P%, .951 FT% (#2)

8. LeBron James - PF - LAL

25.5 Pts (#13), 8.3 Reb, 6.3 Ast (#14), 1.6 Stl (#12), 0.8 Blk, .572 FG% (#14), .397 3P%, .681 FT%

9. Jayson Tatum - PF - BOS

27.5 Pts (#9), 8.7 Reb (#20), 3.9 Ast, 1.3 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .502 FG%, .367 3P%, .794 FT%

10. Trae Young - PG - ATL

23.4 Pts, 2.6 Reb, 11.1 Ast (#2), 1.5 Stl (#15), 0.0 Blk, .356 FG%, .282 3P%, .898 FT% (#15)

Honorable Mention: Kevin Durant - PF - PHX, Domantas Sabonis - C - SAC, Stephen Curry - PG - GSW, Anthony Davis - C - LAL

Rookie of the Year

1. Victor Wembanyama - PF - SAS

19.3 Pts, 9.3 Reb (#17), 2.3 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 2.2 Blk (#4), .436 FG%, .279 3P%, .771 FT%

2. Ausar Thompson - SF - DET

11.8 Pts, 10.3 Reb (#10), 3.5 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 1.8 Blk (#7), .436 FG%, .143 3P%, .692 FT%

3. Chet Holmgren - C - OKC

15.5 Pts, 7.8 Reb, 2.6 Ast, 0.9 Stl, 2.2 Blk (#5), .529 FG%, .442 3P%, .911 FT% (#13)

4. Keyonte George - PG - UTA

8.6 Pts, 2.5 Reb, 4.9 Ast, 0.4 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .393 FG%, .327 3P%, .800 FT%

5. Dereck Lively II - C - DAL

9.1 Pts, 7.1 Reb, 1.2 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 1.1 Blk, .729 FG%, .000 3P%, .636 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Kevin Durant has passed Bob Cousy to move up to #15

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed Isiah Thomas to move up to #35

Nikola Jokic has passed Dwight Howard, John Havlicek, Bob Pettit, and Allen Iverson to move up to #39

Anthony Davis has passed Damian Lillard to move up to #56

Kyrie Irving has passed Alex English to move up to #71

Jimmy Butler has passed Gus Williams, Dennis Rodman, and Tom Heinsohn to move up to #88