Kia NBA MVP Race: Latest MVP ladder and power rankings feat. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and more | Jan. 6, 2022-23 NBA Season
The 2022-2023 NBA MVP race is as close as ever with very little separating the top five. This means that every game counts with respect to each player’s weekly rankings.
On that note, here’s this week's MVP ladder.
#5 Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics
Previous week’s MVP ranking: 2nd (↓3)
Last Week: Games played - 3, Games won - 1, Games lost - 2
Overall: Games played - 37, Games won - 26, Games lost - 11
Last Week: PPG - 27.0, RPG - 9.0, APG - 6.0, SPG - 1.0, BPG - 0.7
Overall: PPG - 30.7, RPG - 8.2, APG - 4.2, SPG - 1.1, BPG - 0.9
Last Week: FG% - 43.6%, 3PT% - 21.1%, FT% - 87.9%
Overall: FG% - 47.1%, 3PT% - 34.6%, FT% - 86.0%.
The Boston Celtics had a disappointing 1-2 week that included a double-digit loss to the Denver Nuggets, followed by a 33-point blowout loss to the OKC Thunder. However, Celtics superstar forward Jayson Tatum still scored 25 or more points in all three games.
His week was highlighted by his 29-point triple-double in the Celtics' lone win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.
Overall, Boston remains the No. 1 team in the NBA record-wise at 27-12, but their lead over the rest of the field is shrinking. Meanwhile, Tatum hasn’t performed as well as many of his top peers and has slipped a few spots in this week’s MVP rankings.
#4 Kevin Durant | Brooklyn Nets
Previous week’s MVP ranking: 3rd (↓1)
Last Week: Games played - 3, Games won - 2, Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 37, Games won - 24, Games lost - 13
Last Week: PPG - 30.7, RPG - 4.0, APG - 6.7, SPG - 1.3, BPG - 1.0
Overall: PPG - 29.9, RPG - 6.7, APG - 5.5, SPG - 0.8, BPG - 1.5
Last Week: FG% - 66.7%, 3PT% - 35.3%, FT% - 100.0%
Overall: FG% - 56.8%, 3PT% - 36.9%, FT% - 93.3%.
The Brooklyn Nets’ 12-game winning streak came to a halt this past week at the hands of the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. However, Nets superstar forward Kevin Durant still finished with 44 points in the 121-112 loss. Durant also scored 23 or more points in Brooklyn’s two wins last week.
Overall, KD shot a blistering 66.7% through three games to increase his career-best FG% to 56.8% for the season.
Following their 2-1 week, the Nets have fallen to third in the Eastern Conference at 25-13. However, Durant remains one of the top contenders to win MVP.
#3 Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks
Previous week’s MVP ranking: 5th (↑2)
Last Week: Games played - 3, Games won - 3, Games lost - 0
Overall: Games played - 32, Games won - 21, Games lost - 11
Last Week: PPG - 42.7, RPG - 17.0, APG - 7.3, SPG - 1.0, BPG - 1.0
Overall: PPG - 32.7, RPG - 12.1, APG - 5.4, SPG - 0.9, BPG - 0.9
Last Week: FG% - 55.4%, 3PT% - 28.6%, FT% - 75.9%
Overall: FG% - 53.2%, 3PT% - 24.7%, FT% - 66.0%.
The Milwaukee Bucks got back on track last week, going 3-1 to move back into second place in the Eastern Conference with a 25-13 slate. They did so largely thanks to superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had a monster three-game week for Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo’s week included a 43-point, 20-rebound double-double versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. He followed that up with a career-high 55-point double-double against the Washington Wizards. The "Greek Freak" then finished off his week with a 30-point, 21-rebound triple-double versus the Toronto Raptors.
Overall, Antetokounmpo was the definition of an MVP last week and pushed himself right back into the thick of the MVP race.
#2 Luka Doncic | Dallas Mavericks
Previous week’s MVP ranking: 4th (↑2)
Last Week: Games played - 3, Games won - 2, Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 36, Games won - 22, Games lost - 14
Last Week: PPG - 37.7, RPG - 9.0, APG - 6.7, SPG - 1.7, BPG - 0.3
Overall: PPG - 34.0, RPG - 8.8, APG - 8.7, SPG - 1.7, BPG - 0.6
Last Week: FG% - 44.9%, 3PT% - 28.0%, FT% - 75.0%
Overall: FG% - 50.1%, 3PT% - 35.2%, FT% - 74.2%.
The Dallas Mavericks got blown out by 29 points in their last game against the Boston Celtics on Thursday. However, they are still trending up after finishing 2-1 last week to improve to 22-17 and fourth in the Western Conference. This includes a 22-14 record when superstar guard Luka Doncic plays this season.
Doncic continued to elevate his game as he recorded another 50-point performance last week in a 126-125 win over the San Antonio Spurs. He also added a 39-point, 12-rebound, eight-assist performance in a 111-106 victory over the Houston Rockets.
Overall, Doncic is now averaging a league-best 34.0 points per game as he continues to carry a mediocre Mavs roster to wins.
#1 Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets
Previous week’s MVP ranking: 1st (-)
Last Week: Games played - 4, Games won - 3, Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 35, Games won - 24, Games lost - 11
Last Week: PPG - 21.3, RPG - 9.3, APG - 10.5, SPG - 1.3, BPG - 0.3
Overall: PPG - 25.2, RPG - 10.7, APG - 9.5, SPG - 1.4, BPG - 0.6
Last Week: FG% - 57.1%, 3PT% - 55.6%, FT% - 88.9%
Overall: FG% - 61.4%, 3PT% - 34.9%, FT% - 81.2%.
Reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic continues to be the NBA’s most consistent all-around star week after week.
Jokic finished with two triple-doubles last week, including a 30-point triple-double in a 123-111 win over the Boston Celtics. He also shot 50.0% or better in all four games last week as he led the Denver Nuggets to a 3-1 record.
Following another strong week, Denver remains first in the Western Conference at 25-13. As a result, Jokic remains the MVP favorite.
For last week's MVP ladder, click here.