There are only five weeks left for players around the NBA to make their case for this season's MVP award. With limited games remaining, everyone continues to chase Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic, who appears to be on a collision course with his third MVP award as long as he remains healthy. However, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has certainly raised a lot of eyebrows with his performances since the All-Star break, throwing another wrench in the race for the NBA MVP award.
Doncic and the Mavs are currently 36-28 on the season, which puts them in the play-in region of the Western Conference standings because of how stacked the West is. Dallas has dropped a handful of games they should've won in the last few weeks, which has directly hurt Doncic's MVP campaign. If the Mavs had a slightly better record, the gap between Doncic, Jokic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be a lot slimmer, especially because of the video game-like numbers Doncic has been putting up.
In nine games since the All-Star break, Doncic has been unstoppable. He has averaged 37.4 points, 11.1 assists, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 52.2 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent from three-point range in this span. Luka has also recorded eight double-doubles in these nine games, including six straight triple-doubles. This recent stretch of pure dominance has drawn the attention of many, including Mavs head coach Jason Kidd.
“Luka's triple-doubles. I've always said this: We can’t take this young man for granted,” Kidd said of Doncic recently. “You're seeing something as rare as Picasso when he comes every night he does something.”
As far as the gap in the NBA MVP race goes, Doncic still finds himself behind both Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander. The main reason for this is that their team's respective records will certainly play a factor this season. The Oklahoma City Thunder currently reside at the top of the standings, with the Nuggets just one game back. The Mavs currently reside eight games behind the Nuggets and nine games behind the Thunder in the standings.
The final 18 games on Dallas' schedule are not only important to the team and their chances of making a deep postseason run, but to Doncic and his MVP campaign this NBA season as well. If the Mavs can go on a run and Luka remains on the floor, he could just pull even with Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander at the end of the year. Better yet, Doncic and the Mavs will have two golden chances for victories this week when they play both the Nuggets and Thunder.
This is where Doncic can really bolster his MVP resume.
Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 19 | Week 18 | Week 17 | Week 16 | 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: 62 games, 26.0 points, 12.2 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 58.3 FG%, 35.0 3P%
This season has been yet another impressive showing from Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. Although his scoring production has declined compared to his previous two MVP seasons, the reigning NBA Finals MVP has increased his production as a rebounder, facilitator, and defender as well. The triple-double-like numbers are what stick out, but Jokic has really come into his own as an off-ball defender, aiding the Nuggets by constantly deflecting passes.
Just this past week, Jokic took on Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics in a game that Denver won 115-109. Jokic finished the game with 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, en route to his 20th triple-double of the season. He also recorded 25 points in each of the three games he played this past week.
Jokic continues to redefine the center position, and many other teams have utilized their big men in a similar style as him. Domantas Sabonis, Alperen Sengun, and Jusuf Nurkic are three great examples of how different teams around the league have tried to copy Jokic's production at the center position. However, no player is as good as Jokic, especially when it comes to his instincts to make the right play.
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Previous Rankings: #2
2023-24 season stats: 63 games, 31.1 points, 6.4 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 steals, 54.6 FG%, 38.5 3P%
There are many around the league who feel Gilgeous-Alexander has a leg up on Jokic in the MVP race right now due to the Thunder owning a better record and being 3-1 against Denver this season. Quite honestly, that is a very valid argument to be had, and you really can't go wrong with either Jokic or SGA right now in the NBA MVP race.
Gilgeous-Alexander is also the better scorer out of the two, which is why he is receiving a lot of MVP attention right now. The Thunder star ranks first in total points (1,960) and second in scoring (31.1 points per game). Not to mention, Gilgeous-Alexander has also recorded at least 30 points in 47 of the 63 total games he has played. Just this past week, SGA added even more 30-point games to his resume with back-to-back 37-point performances.
A matchup against Doncic and the Mavs on Thursday will only strengthen Gilgeous-Alexander's case for the NBA's MVP award this season. At the same time, a win against Dallas means just as much as any other win for Oklahoma City and their star. If the Thunder can win at least 15 of their last 18 games and get to 60 wins on the season, it will be hard to overlook Shai as this season's MVP.
3. Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks
Previous Rankings: #4
2023-24 season stats: 56 games, 34.7 points, 9.8 assists, 9.0 rebounds, 49.7 FG%, 38.0 3P%
The stats are what stand out about Luka in this year's race for the MVP award. What happens during the first few months of the season matters, but this award and the voters who select the MVP every year are always clouded by recency bias. This is truly a popularity contest, and right now, Doncic is certainly making a name for himself over the final few weeks of the regular season.
He currently has a six-game triple-double streak, and Doncic leads the league in scoring. Joel Embiid led the league in scoring last season and ended up winning the MVP award over Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, despite the Philadelphia 76ers finishing third in the Eastern Conference with 54 wins.
It is certainly a possibility that Doncic can find himself in a similar boat as Embiid last season if the Mavs can string together a few winning streaks at the end of the season. As of right now, a 36-28 team record is not good enough for Luka to win the award over the likes of others. In regards to other accolades and honors for Doncic, he was recently named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the third time this season and the second time in the last three weeks.
Luka is getting hot at the right time in regards to the NBA MVP award race.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
Previous Rankings: #5
2023-24 season stats: 62 games, 30.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 61.5 FG%, 29.7 3P%
It is definitely too early to count Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the NBA MVP race. The Milwaukee Bucks are currently the 2-seed in the Eastern Conference and could still finish with 58 wins, which is how many they won a season ago when they claimed the 1-seed in the East.
This season, Giannis is averaging over 30 points per game for the second straight year, and he is currently averaging a career-high 6.5 assists per game. Not to mention, Antetokounmpo is shooting 61.5 percent from the floor. Should this shooting percentage hold up, the Bucks' superstar will become the first player in NBA history to average at least 30 points while shooting 60 percent or better.
Antetokounmpo is still an elite two-way presence and is the reason why the Bucks have a shot to still win it all come playoff time. Compared to his two MVP seasons a few years ago, Giannis has definitely elevated his play.
5. Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics
Previous Rankings: #3
2023-24 season stats: 60 games, 26.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 47.3 FG%, 37.6 3P%
Jayson Tatum made a rise in the NBA MVP rankings last week. Although he deserves recognition given that he is the best player on the best team in the league, he has disappeared in some big games this year.
The Boston Celtics star had just 15 points against the Nuggets last week, and he only had 23 points on 8-of-21 shooting against the Los Angeles Lakers at the start of February. In practically every game that the Celtics have lost this season, Tatum has failed to live up to expectations.
“I’m not trying to make it about myself,” Tatum said after his recent loss to Jokic in Denver. “We talk about respecting each other’s space and understanding the flow of the game. It’s not upon me to hijack the game and make it about me and it’s a national TV game. Other guys had it going. So if I have to be in the corner, if I have to be a facilitator at times, so be it.”
This can't happen come playoff time if the Celtics are to be a true championship contender. The target is on their back at this point in the season, which is why Tatum must live up to his MVP potential.
Just missing the cut
6. Domantas Sabonis – Sacramento Kings (Ranked No. 5 last week)
7. Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves (Ranked No. 8 last week)
8. Kawhi Leonard – Los Angeles Clippers (Ranked No. 9 last week)
9. Kevin Durant – Phoenix Suns (Ranked No. 10 last week)
10. Jalen Brunson – New York Knicks (Unranked last week)
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