NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Power Rankings featuring Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and more | January 11th, 2022
The 2022 NBA MVP race is not as tight as it once was. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry were atop the ladder for the better part of the season, but several other players have now made a mark in the conversation.
DeMar DeRozan is making a splash in the Windy City while Joel Embiid is carrying the Philadelphia 76ers without his All-Star point guard Ben Simmons. Nikola Jokic is still dominating the headlines with his spectacular individual performances. The reigning MVP is in consideration to win the award despite having a subpar team record.
Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to dominate the East and is still putting up numbers similar to his MVP seasons. Chris Paul has led the Phoenix Suns to the best record in the NBA and is now in the discussion for his first-ever Maurice Podoloff trophy.
Players like Jimmy Butler and Paul George have fallen behind in the race after missing several games and their teams haven't been able to rack up wins.
So without further ado, let's take a look at the top 5 NBA MVP power rankings from Sportskeeda.
#5 Nikola Jokic
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 4th (↓1).
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 2; Games lost - 2.
Overall: Games played - 38; Games won - 20; Games lost - 18.
Last Week: PPG - 27.0, APG - 6.8, RPG - 16.3
Overall: PPG - 25.8, APG - 7.0, RPG - 14.2
Last Week: FG% - 55.3%, SPG - 1.3, 3P% - 37.5%
Overall: FG% - 56.1%, SPG - 1.4, 3P% - 35.5%
Nikola Jokic has been so dominant this season that his individual performances are enough to put him in the NBA MVP discussion again. He is in the same situation as the Warriors' Stephen Curry was last season.
Jokic is having a record-breaking season personally but the lack of talent on the team has meant he hasn't won enough games. The Denver Nuggets are without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. but still hold an above .500 record and that is all because of The Joker.
22 PTS | 18 REB | 6 AST
Retweet this if you enjoy watching #NikolaJokic play basketball 🌟
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Additionally, he is leading in most advanced statistics in the NBA this season, including a record-shattering PER of 32.4. Jokic is second in the league in rebounding with 14.2 boards a night, trailing only Rudy Gobert (15.1).
Impressively, he has registered 18+ boards in five of their last eight games while dishing out seven dimes a game as well.
#4 DeMar DeRozan
Previous week's NBA MVP Power Ranking - 5th (↑1).
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 2; Games lost - 1.
Overall: Games played - 37; Games won - 26; Games lost - 11.
Last Week: PPG - 21.3, APG - 6.0, RPG - 4.0
Overall: PPG - 26.4, APG - 4.7, RPG - 5.0
Last Week: FG% - 44.6%, BPG - 0.7
Overall: FG% - 49.1%, BPG - 0.4.
DeMar DeRozan hasn't played his best in the last three games this week. He shot 44% from the field instead of his usual 50%+ and missed every three-pointer he attempted, despite shooting a career-high 35.2% from downtown. DeRozan's average fell from 27 points per game to 21.3 last week and he didn't rebound or assist the ball at his usual clip as well.
However, one cannot deny that the Chicago Bulls are dominating the league because of DeRozan. He has arguably been the most clutch player this season and is leading the league in fourth-quarter scoring while shooting 56/100/96 in clutch situations.
DeMar DeRozan in the 4Q this season:
178 PTS (1st in NBA)
7.7 PPG (1st)
53/46/90%
63 FGM (1st)
119 FGA (1st)
5-11 3P
52 FTA (3rd)
The Bulls are +69 with DeRozan in 4Qs, the highest +/- by any player with 200+ minutes. https://t.co/wXHAtsIMwv