NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) race featuring Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid and more: November 18, 2022 | Latest Power Rankings by Sportskeeda
Philadelphia 76ers superstar big man Joel Embiid has entered the 2022-2023 NBA MVP race following a historic week for the Sixers. Meanwhile, Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum continues to move up the MVP rankings after leading Boston to eight straight wins.
On that note, here’s the latest edition of this season's Most Valuable Player (MVP) Power Rankings by Sportskeeda.
No. 5: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Previous week’s Most Valuable Player Power Ranking: N/A (-)
Last Week: Games played - 2, Games won - 2, Games lost - 0
Overall: Games played - 10, Games won - 5, Games lost - 5
Last Week: PPG – 50.5, RPG – 10.5, APG – 7.0, SPG - 1.5, BPG – 4.5
Overall: PPG – 32.3, RPG – 10.1, APG – 4.1, SPG – 0.6, BPG – 1.8
Last Week: FG% - 62.3%, 3PT% - 18.2%, FT% - 82.5%
Overall: FG% - 53.7%, 3PT% - 23.7%, FT% - 83.1%
Joel Embiid only played in two games last week. But he had about as impressive of a two-game stretch as humanly possible. Embiid tallied 101 points over back-to-back nights. He scored 42 points in a win over the Atlanta Hawks followed by a career-high 59 points in a win over the Utah Jazz.
In the game versus the Jazz, Embiid also tallied 11 rebounds, eight assists and seven blocks in addition to his 59 points. In doing so, he became the first player in NBA history to put up those numbers in a single game.
Following Embiid's impressive two-game week, the Sixers are back at .500 (7-7). Embiid is also up to third in the league in scoring (32.3PPG). If Embiid can keep dominating moving forward, he should be able to firmly enter the MVP discussion as many expected before the season.
No. 4: Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Previous week’s Most Valuable Player Power Ranking: N/A (-)
Last Week: Games played - 2, Games won - 1, Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 13, Games won - 9, Games lost - 4
Last Week: PPG – 32.0, RPG – 9.0, APG - 6.0, SPG – 2.5, BPG – 0.0
Overall: PPG – 29.3, RPG – 6.2, APG – 6.8, SPG – 1.2, BPG - 0.3
Last Week: FG% - 46.2%, 3PT% - 25.0%, FT% - 66.7%
Overall: FG% - 48.0%, 3PT% - 40.3%, FT% - 78.2%
Memphis Grizzlies All-Star point guard Ja Morant also only played in two games last week, but he still made a strong impression. Morant had a 28-point double-double in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves followed by a 36-point performance in a tough loss against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Grizzlies also lost their lone game without Morant against the Washington Wizards to fall to 0-2 on the season without him.
Overall, the Grizzlies are 9-4 in the games that Morant has played in. With Morant having the best statistical season of his career, he is averaging a career-high 29.3 points on a career-best shooting split of 48.0/40.3/78.2.
He will face his toughest test in the MVP race moving forward though, with co-star Desmond Bane set to miss the next couple of weeks with a toe sprain.
No. 3: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Previous week’s Most Valuable Player Power Ranking: 4th (↑1)
Last Week: Games played - 2, Games won - 2, Games lost - 0
Overall: Games played - 13, Games won - 8, Games lost - 5
Last Week: PPG – 38.5, RPG – 12.0, APG – 7.5, SPG – 2.5, BPG – 0.5
Overall: PPG – 34.4, RPG - 8.8, APG - 7.8, SPG - 2.1, BPG - 0.6
Last Week: FG% - 54.5%, 3PT% - 30.0%, FT% - 89.7%
Overall: FG% - 49.7%, 3PT% - 29.1%, FT% - 76.7%
Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic also put up monster numbers in just two games for the Mavs last week. Doncic had a 42-point triple-double in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers followed by a 35-point double-double in a win over the LA Clippers.
Plus, in the game against the Houston Rockets that Doncic rested, the Mavericks lost, which showed their reliance on him offensively.
At 34.4 points per game, Doncic still leads the league in scoring by almost an average of two points. He is also second in steals (2.1SPG) and seventh in assists per game (7.8APG). The Mavericks' middling record of 8-6 continues to be the only thing holding Doncic back from moving up the MVP rankings.
No. 2: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Previous week’s Most Valuable Player Power Ranking: 1st (↓1)
Last Week: Games played - 2, Games won - 1, Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 11, Games won - 9, Games lost - 2
Last Week: PPG – 21.5, RPG – 10.0, APG - 6.0, SPG – 0.5, BPG - 0.0
Overall: PPG – 29.9, RPG – 11.8, APG - 5.5, SPG - 1.0, BPG - 1.2
Last Week: FG% - 35.9%, 3PT% - 0.0%, FT% - 51.7%
Overall: FG% - 51.1%, 3PT% - 22.9%, FT% - 62.1%
Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo had a rough week offensively for the Bucks, shooting under 40.0% from the field in both of his games. The Bucks also went 1-1 in games that Antetokounmpo played in with a loss to the Hawks and a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But overall, Antetokounmpo continues to be a very strong MVP candidate. The Bucks are still 9-2 in games Antetokounmpo has played in and 11-3 overall, the second-best record in the NBA. The Bucks also have the best team defensive rating in the NBA at 104.9, in large part to Antetokounmpo’s presence in the paint. The Bucks' defensive rating improves to 100.4 with Antetokounmpo on the court.
Plus, despite his recent struggles, Antetokounmpo is still eighth in the NBA in scoring (29.9PPG) and second in rebounding (11.8RPG). So Antetokounmpo doesn’t fall too far in this week’s MVP rankings.
No. 1: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Previous week’s Most Valuable Player Power Ranking: 2nd (↑1)
Last Week: Games played - 4, Games won - 4, Games lost - 0
Overall: Games played - 15, Games won - 12, Games lost - 3
Last Week: PPG – 30.8, RPG – 8.8, APG - 4.3, SPG – 1.3, BPG – 1.3
Overall: PPG - 31.1, RPG – 7.4, APG - 4.1, SPG - 0.9, BPG - 1.4
Last Week: FG% - 44.0%, 3PT% - 32.5%, FT% - 85.7%
Overall: FG% - 48.1%, 3PT% - 36.4%, FT% - 87.0%
The Boston Celtics are riding high on an eight-game winning streak. Jayson Tatum has now taken over the title of the best player on the best team. The Celtics sit at 12-3, half a game ahead of the Bucks for the best record in the league.
Tatum is also coming off a week in which he scored 27 or more points in three of four games. He also had two double-doubles, including a 43-point double-double against the Detroit Pistons.
Tatum now ranks fifth in the league in scoring at 31.1 points per game, which still marks his career-high. The Celtics are also first in the league in offensive rating at 119.2. Jayson Tatum takes the top spot in this week’s MVP rankings.
For last week's MVP rankings, click here.
Also read: NBA Rookie of the Year (ROTY) race featuring Jaden Ivey, Bennedict Mathurin and more: November 16, 2022 | Latest Power Rankings by Sportskeeda