NBA Most Valuable Player Watch – Jan. 18

About a month into the 2020-21 NBA season, fans are really starting to see which players have separated themselves from the pack in the race toward the Most Valuable Player award. It’s still anyone’s game — we’re just a fraction of the way through the season — but there have certainly been some that have impressed significantly more than other’s through their team’s first 10 or so games. Let’s take a look.

1. LeBron James (Previous: 6)

James’ MVP campaign has been quiet but extremely effective through the first month of the season, leaving the Los Angeles Lakers firmly in front of the Western Conference with an 11-3 record.

With fellow MVP candidate Anthony Davis, James and the Lakers have continued to prove themselves the best in the West; they’ve won five straight, including a back-to-back against the Houston Rockets. And, with games against the bottom of the Eastern Conference on the horizon, their lead in the West — and James’ lead in the race —  should only grow.

James himself is in the midst of another strong year. He’s averaged 24.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists through Los Angeles’ first 14 games and has put on one of the best shooting performances of his career. Never characterized as an elite shooter, James’ 38.2 percent on what would be a career-high 6.4 threes per game are among the best in the league. He’s extended his range significantly and has gotten out in front of any other potential weaknesses to his game to dismantle them.

James has continued to age like a fine wine and, with the Lakers dominating the competition once again, expect him to stay on top of this list, or at least close to it, for the foreseeable future.

2. Nikola Jokic (Previous: Not Ranked)

Jokic wasn’t on the ladder in our previous listing but he is having an outstanding season thus far, averaging a triple-double on the year. Through 13 games, he’s managed 25 points, 11.4 rebounds, 10.3 assists and 1.9 steals per contest.

“The Joker” has always been an excellent passer but one facet to his game that has stood out the most in recent games is how he’s improved as an on ball defender that can make some fantastic passing game reads on both defense and offense; his 1.9 steals and 10.3 assists per game would be career highs by far for the Denver Nuggets star. But not only is Jokic leading the league in assists, but he’s put himself in elite company, having joined Oscar Robertson as one of two players to average 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds through a team’s first 10 games. He’s also doing that while shooting 57.3 percent from the floor.

In fact, the only thing seemingly holding Jokic back in these rankings is the performance of the Nuggets. Denver is currently 6-7, 11th in the Western Conference. They’ve faced a tough slate to start the season, but two early losses to the Sacramento Kings and other, close losses to the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns just can’t happen if they expect to reach the top of the conference.

If the Nuggets turn it around, however, look for Jokic to grab the top spot.

3. Kevin Durant (Previous: NR)

Like Jokic, Durant also missed out on our initial ranking. That said, he’s played his way into the race and with some ridiculous boxscores in recent days. The simple fact that Durant has maintained a certain level of consistency from pre- to post-Achillies injury might boost his place on this list even further as we continue through the season.

For one, Durant’s shooting has been off the charts: 54.8 percent from the floor, 48.3 percent from deep (on six attempts per game) and 86.7 percent from the charity stripe. But none of that can even touch the fact that he’s second in the NBA in scoring per game at 30.7 points per contest, while he’s also posted 6.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1 block per game.

It’s clear Durant is healthy enough to compete for the award. But, the fact that he’ll now be sharing the ball with two of the best scorers in the NBA, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, may keep him from ever reaching the top spot this season. That said, Durant seemed to have little issue scoring 42 points in his first outing with Harden, who also put up a 30-point triple-double — we’ll just have to wait and see what the three of them look like together.

4. Joel Embiid (Previous: 4)

Embiid is having a fantastic season, posting some of the best per-game numbers of his career on, by far, his most efficient shooting yet. The Philadelphia 76ers are 9-5 and look reminiscent of the contender they were in 2018-19, rather than the disappointment they were a season ago, with Embiid at full strength.

Embiid has averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists on what would be a career-best 53.6 percent clip from the floor and 39.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The 7-foot center recently posted a 45-point, 16-rebound game against the Miami HEAT in a win that also saw him scoop up 5 steals, 4 assists and a block.

Of course, Embiid will only climb this ladder if he can maintain some consistency game-to-game. And he’s hasn’t quite done that yet; he followed up that performance with just nine points on 37.5 percent shooting, albeit in a blowout win against the HEAT.

5. Paul George (Previous: Not Ranked)

George is having a fantastic regular season for the Los Angeles Clippers and is averaging career-best numbers at the age of 30. The Clippers, meanwhile, have the second-best record in the NBA at 10-4 and George has played an integral role in their early-season success.

George has also shot an absurdly high 51 percent on eight attempts per game from downtown. And, while that number is likely to dip with more games, George’s ridiculous efficiency pairs well with averages of 24.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game and places him firmly in the MVP race.

6. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Previous: 1)

Antentokounmpo’s teammates, Khris Middleton in particular, are a huge reason for his success thus far, especially considering Middleton has scored 21.8 points per game on nearly 47 percent shooting from deep.

However, that isn’t to say that he isn’t having a fantastic season himself. Antentokounmpo has pushed the Milwaukee Bucks to the best record in the Eastern Conference at 9-4. And while he’s posted his lowest scoring numbers since the 2016-17 season, the Bucks, with him at the helm, look to be in a groove and, arguably, a bigger threat to push for an NBA Finals appearance than ever before.

If his per-game stats continue to be lower than last season’s, even by a small margin, it’s hard to see Antentokounmpo winning the award for a third-straight year. Voter fatigue is real, as Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell are the only players in NBA history to have won the award in three straight seasons.

At the end of the day, and in light of Harden’s blockbuster trade to the Brooklyn Nets, there’s potential for anyone to crash the MVP race and maybe even come away with the win. S0 stay tuned for our next edition of the MVP ladder!