NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Power Rankings featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and more | April 4th, 2022
We are in the final week of the 2021-22 NBA regular season and the NBA MVP race is still wide open. The award is up for grabs even with just a handful of games left, as several players make incredibly compelling cases. Joel Embiid believes he deserves the award over the other candidates. Meanwhile, former MVPs like Giannis Antetokounmpo and jokic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Nikola Jokic couldn't care less about lifting the trophy.
This was supposed to be an MVP chat with the two-time MVP, but Giannis wasn't having it.
Q: "Are you focused on MVP at all?"
A: "Oh, hell no. I've done it. ...Who's in the race?"
Yes, he was being serious. More here, at @TheAthletic
theathletic.com/3198930/2022/0…
Players like Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Ja Morant and Devin Booker, although in the race, are perennial candidates for the award. Their chances of getting the majority of the votes over players like Antetokounmpo, Jokic and Embiid are highly unlikely. Doncic and Tatum have made a strong splash in the conversation, while Morant is more likely to lift the Most Improved Player award.
Stars like LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are out of the race either because of injuries or poor team records.
So without further ado, let's look at the top 5 of NBA MVP Power Rankings by Sportskeeda.
#5 Jayson Tatum
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 5th (-)
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 2; Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 74; Games won - 47; Games lost - 27
Last Week: PPG - 25.3, APG - 6.3, RPG - 5.7
Overall: PPG - 27.0, APG - 4.4, RPG - 8.0
Last Week: FG% - 48.3%, 3P% - 21.1%, SPG - 1.7
Overall: FG% - 45.2%, 3P% - 35.1%, SPG - 1.0
Jayson Tatum is certainly deserving of the MVP award, but consistency is not on his side. He wasn't performing lights out all season long, and the Boston Celtics, although second in the East right now, were 18-21 at one point. Moreover, the exceptional performances of Jaylen Brown also hurt his candidacy. Many analysts believe the Celtics are succeeding because of the Jays duo and not just Tatum.
He is aware that he might not win the award this year but has declared that he will lift the trophy next season.
🗣️ Jayson Tatum has a message for leading MVP candidate Joel Embiid that he's coming for the MVP award next year! 💪
#jaysontatum #joelembiid #bostonceltics #76ers #mvp https://t.co/2t9cozuJVm
#4 Luka Doncic
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 4th (-)
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 3; Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 62; Games won - 41; Games lost - 21
Last Week: PPG - 34.3, APG - 11.5, RPG - 9.0
Overall: PPG - 27.9, APG - 8.5, RPG - 9.1
Last Week: FG% - 49.5%, 3P% - 38.9%, SPG - 1.3
Overall: FG% - 45.6%, 3P% - 35.3%, SPG - 1.2.
Luka Doncic is in a similar situation to Jayson Tatum, wherein a late-season push has propelled him into the MVP conversation. The Dallas Mavericks (49-30) are fourth in the West and are on pace to win 50-plus games. Doncic dropped nearly 35 points per game last week while averaging 11.5 assists and nine rebounds a game while shooting 39% from downtown.
LeBron, Steph, KD and now Giannis: In overlooked MVP push, Luka Doncic keeps outplaying NBA’s best | @CallieCaplan buff.ly/36V9HfI
He has consistently outperformed the NBA's superstars in the second half of the season. The Mavericks will take on easier opponents in their final slate of games. If he manages to propel his team to the third seed, his chances of getting votes will improve.
#3 Joel Embiid
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 2nd (↓1)
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 2; Games lost - 2
Overall: Games played - 65; Games won - 43; Games lost - 22
Last Week: PPG - 34.8, APG - 4.8, RPG - 15.0
Overall: PPG - 30.2, APG - 4.2, RPG - 11.6
Last Week: FG% - 56.1%, BPG - 1.8, 3P% - 50%
Overall: FG% - 49.3%, BPG - 1.5, 3P% - 36.8%
Joel Embiid put on another show last week, averaging nearly 35 points per game on 56%, including 50% from beyond the arc. He is coming off a dominant 44-point performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers, proclaiming that he is the deserving winner of the award afterward.
Embiid said he has done everything he can to win the MVP award. Further, he said if he doesn't win, then he will believe either the media hates him or the standard is set differently for Sixers stars.
Joel Embiid says he doesn't know what more he can do to prove he's the MVP. 🤷♂️ thesco.re/3LGwASG https://t.co/7G7ZV1md1t
He has to outperform the rest of the candidates in the final few games as the world is nitpicking every detail to decide a worthy winner. Embiid has also lost three of the last four games and was outplayed in several key possessions down the stretch.
#2 Nikola Jokic
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 3rd (↑1)
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 2; Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 69; Games won - 43; Games lost - 26
Last Week: PPG - 37.7, APG - 7.7, RPG - 16.7
Overall: PPG - 26.3, APG - 7.9, RPG - 13.5
Last Week: FG% - 71.0%, SPG - 2.0, BPG - 1.0
Overall: FG% - 57.7%, SPG - 1.4, BPG - 0.9.
As absurd as it sounds, Nikola Jokic averaged nearly 38 points per game while grabbing 16.7 boards a night. Plus, he did so on an incredible 71% shooting. He is dominating every game he plays, and the Denver Nuggets are just one game behind Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks and Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers.
The biggest gun in his arsenal is the fact that he is dominating and winning games with his two best players, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., missing. He was named Western Conference Player of the Week last week.
Nikola Jokic has been terrific over his last 5 games! 🔥
The reigning MVP is making a statement with every passing game! Will he repeat at the MVP title this season?
#nikolajokic #denvernuggets #mvp https://t.co/9R6fynJxUP
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 1st (-)
Last Week: Games played - 2; Games won - 1; Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 61; Games won - 40; Games lost - 21
Last Week: PPG - 37.3, APG - 4.7, RPG - 12.7
Overall: PPG - 30.1, APG - 5.8, RPG - 11.6
Last Week: FG% - 62.7%, SPG - 1.3, BPG - 1.0
Overall: FG% - 55.4%, SPG - 1.1, BPG - 1.4.
It will be a shame if Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn't win the MVP award because of voter fatigue, because he clearly deserves it. He has outperformed most of his competition and has made game-winning plays on both ends. The Milwaukee Bucks are third in the East and have a chance to grab the top seed.
Antetokounmpo averaged nearly 38 points per game on 63% shooting last week while grabbing 12.7 boards and 1.3 steals a night.
🗣️ Kendrick Perkins believes Giannis will be named alongside the greats like MJ, Magic, Kareem and LeBron.
Giannis recently passed Kareem to become Bucks' franchise scoring leader and is a leading candidate for league MVP and DPOY. https://t.co/hLhQMMEroR