Kia NBA MVP Race: Latest Power Rankings - April 12th, 2021
The landscape of the NBA MVP award continues to change and so too our power rankings. Unfortunately for LeBron James and LA Lakers fans alike, it seems less and less likely that the four-time MVP will be able to win his fifth, as he continues to miss games due to a high ankle sprain.
James' injury, however, has opened up the field to other competitors. In this week's edition of our NBA MVP power rankings, we have one new member while our top two will likely take the race down to the wire.
2020-21 NBA MVP - April Power Rankings
LeBron James falls out of our NBA MVP power rankings for the first time this season, with the LA Lakers star not expected to return until the end of the month.
That has paved the way for two of the Eastern Conference's best all-round players to emerge as the third choice for the award while Embiid and Jokic battle it out as favorites.
Let's take a look at who is leading the race for the NBA MVP award.
#5 - Damian Lillard
MP - 35.9, PPG - 28.7, AST - 7.6, RPG - 4.2 FG% - 44.1%.
Previous NBA MVP Power Rankings - N/A
Damian Lillard must ponder what he has to do to be a legitimate choice for the NBA MVP award. The 30-year old continues to put up explosive shooting numbers and has been the main reason why the Portland Trail Blazers have stayed in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Western Conference standings this season.
The Trail Blazers' injury woes have been well-documented. Without CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic this season, Lillard has averaged 31.2 points and 8.5 assists in 24 matches, winning 13.
With both stars now back in the fold, Lillard's offensive responsibilities have been reduced, and therefore may hamper his chances of an NBA MVP award run. However, there would be little argument should he take home the award. The point guard is still an elite scorer, recording five games of 40 or more points this season. He will be the focal point in the Trail Blazers' playoff run.
Few teams will want to come up against Portland in the first round of the postseason, primarily due to Lillard.
#4 James Harden
MP - 37.1, PPG - 25.2, AST - 10.9, RPG - 8.0 FG% - 46.3%.
Previous NBA MVP Power Rankings - 3rd (↓2)
James Harden is another player who could see his NBA MVP hopes shattered due to injury. The Nets point guard drops two spots in our power rankings due to his absence in his team's last five games owing to hamstring tightness.
Before that, 'The Beard' had been relentless and was making a late charge for the NBA MVP award. In March, Harden was averaging agonizingly close to a triple-double with 27.9 points, 11.5 assists and 9.8 rebounds across 12 matches.
Over the past few years, Harden has led all scorers in the league, but he has tweaked his game to fit into the Brooklyn Nets' star-studded billing as not only an elite scorer but their primary creator on offense too.
Harden is averaging his highest assists per game since 2017 and leads the league in minutes, showing how pivotal he has become since his arrival. He is recording a career-best offensive rating of 121 and is averaging two more rebounds per game than he did in his previous three seasons in Houston.