Tyrese Haliburton was named an All-Star for the very first time in his career last season. At 23 years old, Haliburton is the face of the Indiana Pacers. LeBron James is a 19-time All-Star and is in the midst of his 21st NBA season, yet he is the face of the Los Angeles Lakers. These two stars met one another in the championship game of the very first NBA In-Season Tournament, proving their worth in the latest NBA MVP rankings.
James and the Lakers came away with the victory over the Pacers on Saturday night, resulting in LeBron claiming the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament MVP award. Haliburton may not have been named MVP of the tournament, but he has suddenly put the Pacers back on the map with his All-Tournament Team selection.
“I think that he's shown me love constantly since I've came in the NBA, and obviously I have him for the majority of my life,” Haliburton said of LeBron after the Lakers' victory. “It was great to compete against him and that team, and they're a good team and earned that win.”
The respect Haliburton and James share with one another is quite remarkable given that the legend entered the league when the Pacers star was just three years old. Haliburton has rapidly become a household name around the league and has put the Pacers in a position where they can suddenly make noise in the Eastern Conference.
For James, his teams always appear to be on contention. Winning the in-season tournament and the MVP award that came with it is further proof that he still has what it takes to be better than anyone else in the league at 38 years old.
The NBA MVP rankings have seen a shakeup once again with LeBron and Haliburton joining the race for an award that has been dominated by two big men in recent years. In fact, these two centers find themselves at the top of the MVP ladder, which should come as a surprise to no one.
Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
Previous Rankings: #1
2023-24 season stats: 22 games, 28.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, 9.6 assists, 53.5 FG%, 30.4 3P%
Nikola Jokic has struggled in his recent games. The Denver Nuggets find themselves on a three-game losing streak and in this span, Jokic is averaging 27.0 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game. Yes, you read this right, Jokic is struggling while nearly averaging a triple-double.
It's quite crazy to look at what Jokic is doing on the court and say he is not playing well, especially when his numbers would make any other player in the league an All-Star and All-NBA performer. From his standards, the Nuggets star is not playing aggressive enough and his shots just aren't falling, as he has shot 38.3 percent from the floor over his last three games.
Nonetheless, Jokic still leads the league in rebounding, he has recorded 10 triple-doubles in 22 games, and the only game in which he failed to score at least 22 points was a game in which the referees told him to hit the showers early. Arguments can be made for others right now, but Jokic is clearly the front-runner for the MVP award. As long as he remains healthy and on the court for the Nuggets, Jokic will be tough to dethrone from this top spot in the NBA MVP rankings.
2. Joel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers
Previous Rankings: #3
2023-24 season stats: 18 games, 33.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 51.0 FG%, 32.2 3P%
Once again, Jokic and Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid are linked to one another with very little separation based on how they impact winning for their team. Whereas Jokic thrives as a facilitator and playmaker, Embiid is a better overall scorer and defensive big man. This is the main reason why there truly is no gap between these two.
Embiid has been leading the Sixers to wins all season long. Just this past week, he recorded 88 total points and 27 total rebounds in a two-game span against the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks. What's even more impressive is that he returned from an illness and dropped 50 points on the road against the Wizards. Embiid has now scored at least 30 points in seven straight contests, as well as in 11 of his last 12 games.
What could ultimately determine the MVP race between Jokic and Embiid is where each player leads their team in the standings. At this point in the season, the Nuggets are 14-9 and the Sixers are 14-7. Both teams reside in the No. 4 spot in their respective conferences, providing us with no clarity or tiebreaker between Jokic and Embiid. Should the reigning MVP lead the league in scoring for the third straight season and end up leading Philadelphia to the top overall seed entering the playoffs, it will be hard to deny him his second consecutive MVP award.
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Previous Rankings: #2
2023-24 season stats: 20 games, 30.5 points, 6.2 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals, 54.4 FG%, 34.8 3P%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is just as deserving of being in the NBA MVP conversation as Jokic and Embiid right now. Perhaps he does not lead the league in scoring like Embiid, nor put up triple-double-like numbers compared to Jokic, but Gilgeous-Alexander is the definition of his team's most valuable player. Without SGA, the Oklahoma City Thunder would not be where they are, nor would the other youthful talents around Shai be able to define their roles for this team as early as they have.
Step 1 on the MVP checklist is team success. The Thunder are currently 14-7 on the season, just three games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for the top spot in the Western Conference standings. Mark that off as a green check for Gilgeous-Alexander.
In a total of 20 games, Gilgeous-Alexander is one of six players averaging more than 30 points per game and is getting after it defensively as well. The Thunder guard is averaging 2.75 steals per game, which is the highest mark this league has seen since Chris Paul managed to average 2.77 steals per game during the 2008-09 season. Mark this off with a green check for the statical test and on-court impact for Gilgeous-Alexander.
Perhaps SGA's greatest attribute is that he is always flying under the radar, a position he does not seem to mind. The spotlight is always on other stars in this league, yet Gilgeous-Alexander is consistently dropping 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists per night while leading the Thunder to wins. If this keeps up and Oklahoma City claims one of the top two spots in the Western Conference standings, Shai may just push Jokic and Embiid out of the way.
4. Tyrese Haliburton – Indiana Pacers
Previous Rankings: Not ranked
2023-24 season stats: 18 games, 26.9 points, 12.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 52.5 FG%, 44.1 3P%
Everyone loves to watch Stephen Curry play because of the mesmerizing shots he makes. Tyrese Haliburton has this same kind of effect with his game. This is not only because of his improved three-point shooting, but because of how he makes everyone around him better. Currently leading the league in assists per game at 12.1 assists, Haliburton has a new title: The best playmaker in the NBA.
His teammates and coaching staff trust him with any play on the court, plus Haliburton just plays with this level of swag that makes everyone around him confident. This is rare to find in any point guards nowadays, especially ones that are as young as the Pacers star.
“Trust your eyes, trust what's in front of you. I think people see how we play and how fun it looks,” Haliburton said after the Pacers' in-season tournament defeat. “I think I am a player that people want to play with At the end of the day, I can help and talk to guys, and everyone talks about Team USA and the constant recruiting, but my job is just to play basketball. If guys want to come play with Indy, I'm going to be here.”
Haliburton loves the attention he and the Pacers are receiving, but at the end of the day, everything is about basketball for him. The face of the Pacers at 23 years old, the sky's the limit for what Haliburton can achieve in this league.
5. LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers
Previous Rankings: Not ranked
2023-24 season stats: 22 games, 25.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 55.3 FG%, 40.7 3P%
LeBron James is not the same athlete, nor the same player he was with the Miami Heat or Cleveland Cavaliers earlier in his career. However the one constant that has remained with LeBron for 21 years is his will to win games by any means necessary. In big moments, James makes big plays.
Recently, James and the Lakers claimed the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament championship, adding on to his historic legacy. All the talk right now is surrounding the Lakers and their chances of expanding off this in-season tournament success as it relates to the 2024 NBA Finals.
What about LeBron and the season he is having though?
In 22 games, James is averaging over 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists with 55/40/71 shooting splits. We have truly never seen this from a player as old as LeBron, which is why this needs to be taken into consideration when discussing this season's MVP award.
James continues to redefine longevity in professional sports and he was the main reason why Los Angeles went on to win the in-season tournament. Even though the NBA MVP award basically reflects statistics and the regular season, James' accomplishments of putting the Lakers in a championship position need to be addressed.
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