Joel Embiid is no longer in consideration for the NBA MVP award due to his recent meniscus injury that has left him sidelined indefinitely. With the Philadelphia 76ers reigning league MVP out of the running, all eyes have turned towards two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and rising superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, this is still a wide-open MVP race, one that Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis continues to quietly build a strong resume in.
The Kings are currently 30-22 after falling by 14 points on the road to Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder on Super Bowl Sunday. Right ahead of the All-Star break, Sacramento continues to be a very tough team to figure out because of all the inconsistencies they have dealt with. For Sabonis, he has been one of their only sources of continued productivity, as he now leads the league with 17 triple-doubles in 52 total games.
Much like how the Denver Nuggets utilize Jokic at the center position, Sabonis takes on many different hats for the Kings. From passing to rebounding to even making an impact on defense at times in the low-post, Sabonis has been the best player in Sacramento this season.
“What he does on a nightly basis, not many people can do in the league right now,” Kings star guard De'Aaron Fox recently said of his big man. “Not many people have done that in the history of the game. Just his preparation and his skill set, how physical he is, there’s not many people who are put together that way. He does so much for us on the floor whether it’s getting rebounds, going vertical at the rim, if he has to score, getting people open shots. He does a lot for us, not only on offense but defensively as well.”
Whether or not Sabonis can truly contend for the MVP award down the stretch run of the season depends on where the Kings finish in the Western Conference. With Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander leading their teams to two of the best records in the league at the top of the conference, Sabonis may wind up having a hard time putting together a better argument than these two. Then again, the MVP award is not a team award. At this point, he has certainly turned some heads in this race, especially with the MVP rankings being wide-open after Embiid's injury.
With the NBA All-Star break approaching this week, Sabonis finds himself moving into the top five of the NBA MVP rankings, while Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander remain at the top.
Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
Previous Rankings: #1
2023-24 season stats: 51 games, 26.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 58.3 FG%, 36.5 3P%
Once again, Jokic continues to dominate for the Nuggets. Although he may not lead in the major statistical categories we all tend to look at such as points, assists, and rebounds, Jokic leads everyone, except Embiid, in Player Efficiency Rating this season. The main reason why this is significant is because whoever ranks first in this metric at the conclusion of the season almost always goes on to win the MVP award. Last season was the first time since the 2014-15 season that the league leader in PER did not win the league MVP, as Jokic finished with a rating of 31.5 compared to Embiid at 31.4 over the course of the 2022-23 season.
Just this past week, Jokic led the Nuggets to a 2-1 record with a dominating win over the Los Angeles Lakers on national television, a win that reminded everyone that this team is still the defending champions.
The two-time MVP and reigning Finals MVP have now scored at least 20 points in 14 straight games, and he has also recorded 12 double-doubles during this span. When it comes to efficiency and impact on the court, nobody is better than Jokic right now.
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Previous Rankings: #2
2023-24 season stats: 52 games, 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 54.8 FG%, 36.8 3P%
While Jokic is ranked No. 1 right now in the NBA MVP rankings, there is not that wide of a gap between him and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Every game that Shai plays, he continues to impress with the way he leads this young Thunder team. Oklahoma City is currently 36-17 on the season, the same record as Jokic's Nuggets. The only difference with the Thunder is that they have defeated the Nuggets in three of their four regular-season meetings. Ultimately, this could be the ultimate tiebreaker, not just in the Western Conference standings, but in the MVP race as well.
Should Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder claim the best record in the West during the regular season, there is no way he won't win the MVP award. Currently second in the league in scoring and first in total points scored, SGA continues to grow into an unstoppable offensive force. Shai recently recorded 38 points against the Kings on Sunday, which was his league-leading 38th 30-point game of the season. The 25-year-old guard has dropped 30 or more points in roughly 73 percent of his games this season.
On pace to be named to the All-NBA First Team at the end of the season, Gilgeous-Alexander finds himself heading into the All-Star break as a true favorite to jump ahead of Jokic in the MVP race.
3. Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks
Previous Rankings: #4
2023-24 season stats: 45 games, 34.5 points, 9.4 assists, 8.8 rebounds, 49.1 FG%, 38.0 3P%
At the NBA trade deadline, the Dallas Mavericks ended up being busy, a decision that has positively impacted Luka Doncic's run for the MVP award. The additions of Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington give the Mavs some much-needed depth around their superstar, and Dallas looked pretty good in their first game with their new additions. The Mavericks dismantled Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder 146-111 this past Saturday in a game in which Doncic recorded 32 points, nine assists, and eight boards in 31 total minutes.
If this game proved anything, it is that Luka is very much alive regarding this season's MVP award, especially when he leaves his mark on a game against another MVP candidate like Gilgeous-Alexander.
Doncic has scored at least 30 points in 12 of his last 14 games, and the superstar has three straight games with at least 30 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. If the Mavs can go on a run late in the year and Luka can stay healthy, he may just find himself receiving more recognition than the likes of Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
Previous Rankings: #3
2023-24 season stats: 51 games, 30.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.4 steals, 60.9 FG%, 25.0 3P%
If anyone needs a win against one of the better teams in the league, it is Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Luckily for them, Milwaukee is set to host Jokic and the Nuggets on Monday night, a game that could kick the Bucks in the right direction.
The Bucks as a whole have been very underwhelming this season. With Doc Rivers at the helm, this team has lost five of their last seven games. Antetokounmpo's overall production has dropped as a result, as the two-time MVP has failed to exceed 20 points in back-to-back games for the first time all season. The main reason for this is due to the Bucks getting blown out by the Minnesota Timberwolves and then defeating the Charlotte Hornets by nearly 40 points.
Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are 34-19 on the season, still well ahead of other teams when it comes to their overall record. For Giannis, he needs to have a big showing against Jokic to strengthen his MVP case. The Bucks' lackluster season as a whole has resulted in Antetokounmpo falling to No. 4 in the MVP rankings. More losses will result in him falling out of the race completely.
5. Domantas Sabonis – Sacramento Kings
Previous Rankings: #8
2023-24 season stats: 52 games, 19.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 62.3 FG%, 44.1 3P%
The Kings currently find themselves in the play-in region of the Western Conference standings. This season's MVP is not going to come from a team fighting for their playoff lives, which is why Sabonis and the Kings will need to turn things around quickly if he is to actually be in the conversation versus the likes of those ranked ahead of him.
From a statistical standpoint, Sabonis checks off all the boxes for being in the running for the MVP award. To this point in the season, the All-Star snub ranks first in rebounding, first in triple-doubles, sixth in assists, and fourth in offensive win shares. This would mark the second straight season that Sabonis has led the league in rebounding.
It was quite shocking to see the Kings big man left off the All-Star list this season, especially since he is having a better year than he did a season ago when he was an All-Star. Nonetheless, Sabonis is still having a career year as a facilitator and playmaker. At 27 years old and just starting his new contract with Sacramento, Sabonis is going to be in the MVP conversation for many years to come.
Just missing the cut
6. Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics (Ranked No. 5 last week)
7. Kevin Durant – Phoenix Suns (Ranked No. 6 last week)
8. Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers (Ranked No. 7 last week)
9. Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves (Ranked No. 9 last week)
10. Tyrese Haliburton – Indiana Pacers (Ranked No. 10 last week)
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