Nikola Jokic is currently the best basketball player in the world. There really is no refuting this, as the Denver Nuggets big man followed up his back-to-back MVP seasons in 2021 and 2022 with a Finals MVP trophy this past June. Obviously, Jokic continues to dominate the NBA MVP rankings each and every week. However, movement in the MVP race continues with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's emergence from rising star to MVP hopeful.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the epitome of what every team looks for in a modern-day guard. The 25-year-old is an elite-level scorer, he is extremely unselfish as a playmaker, his game extends from the paint to the perimeter, and SGA has developed into a terrific two-way player who can guard numerous positions due to his length. The best part about Gilgeous-Alexander is the fact that he is not a complete product yet and is still tapping into his full potential.
“I really like my teammates, like genuinely… It’s a special group of guys. I enjoy being around them… I prioritize winning & you can’t win alone,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated last week after the Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers by 23 points. “I need every one of those guys to get done what I want to get done”
As much as he is unselfish on the court, Gilgeous-Alexander is completely unselfish and humble off the court as well pertaining to his team as a whole. The Thunder star has not let the spotlight get to his head and his ultimate goal is to still win at the highest level possible not just as an individual, but as a team.
Past the quarter mark in the 2023-24 NBA season, this race for MVP is a lot closer than many would imagine. Jokic continues to put up video game-like and there is no denying his impact to the Nuggets, as they would probably be a near .500 team or worse without him. Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is also in the mix for this award, but the Thunder are winning games and this is directly linked to Gilgeous-Alexander's success as a leader on the court. This matter when discussing the MVP award, which is why we should keep a close eye on the Thunder and their superstar for the rest of the year.
Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
Previous Rankings: #1
2023-24 season stats: 20 games, 29.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 56.8 FG%, 30.1 3P%
Nikola Jokic played in three of the Denver Nuggets' four games this past week and recorded two 30-point triple-doubles. The superstar big man is now up to a league-leading eight triple-doubles in 20 total games, and he also leads the league with 19 double-doubles. The only time Jokic has not recorded a double-double is when the referees decided to take the game in their own hands, ejecting the two-time MVP for arguing calls.
At this point, we can slap the “unstoppable” label on Nikola because there is no defense in this league that can contain the Nuggets big man. If you take away his rebounding abilities, which is impossible to begin with, Jokic is able to beat his opponents with his passing abilities. If you take away his passing, Jokic will back down any player and score over them in the paint. We have truly never seen a big man as crafty and smart as Jokic, which is why he is going to be in the running for MVP every single year of his career.
The clear favorite in the NBA MVP rankings right now, Jokic is going to be tough to dethrone as long as he stays healthy. Recently being named the NBA's Western Conference Player of the Month to begin the season also helps his case.
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Previous Rankings: #3
2023-24 season stats: 18 games, 29.9 points, 6.3 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 53.8 FG%, 36.5 3P%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has moved up in the NBA MVP rankings for a few reasons. Not only has he led the Thunder to a 13-6 record, but he he ranks sixth in the league in scoring and fifth in total points scored. Whereas Joel Embiid has missed some games recently due to injury an illness, Gilgeous-Alexander has been available, missing just one game to this point in the season. We also can't fail to mention that SGA is currently tied for first with Luka Doncic at 12 games this season with at least 30 points, a category that Thunder guard led all players in a season ago.
Aside from his playmaking and scoring abilities, Shai has turned himself into a very valuable player because of what he has done for the Thunder's defense. Gilgeous-Alexander currently leads the league in steals per game (2.4) and barely trails Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs for the best defensive rating out of all guards in the league. When encompassing all players in the league, Gilgeous-Alexander ranks eighth in defensive rating. Making an impact on both offense and defense has separated SGA from the likes of Jokic and Embiid in the race for MVP.
Should the Thunder continue to sit at the top of the Western Conference standings, Gilgeous-Alexander will only continue gaining attention in the NBA MVP race from the actual voters.
3. Joel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers
Previous Rankings: #2
2023-24 season stats: 16 games, 32.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 49.8 FG%, 31.5 3P%
Joel Embiid did nothing wrong to fall one spot in the MVP ladder compared to last week's rankings. In fact, we should probably label him and Gilgeous-Alexander as “2A” and “2B” at this point because they each exhibit strengths in this race. Embiid leads the league in scoring, a feat he has achieved each of the last two seasons. Aside from being a great scorer and leading the Philadelphia 76ers offense, Embiid has reinvented his game this season with James Harden being traded earlier in the year.
Never really known to be a passing big man, Embiid is now becoming more of a facilitator and is learning that he does not always need to be the one with the ball in his hands for the Sixers to find success on offense. Currently averaging a career-high 6.6 assists per game, Embiid recorded his first triple-double of the season in his most recent game against the Lakers, a game the Sixers won by 44 points.
In order to surpass SGA and Jokic in the MVP rankings, Embiid will need to do two things. Not only is he going to need to continue his recent scoring trend and remain at the top of the league in this category, but he is going to have the truly impact winning. The 76ers are currently 12-7 and have struggled in recent games. Winning the Eastern Conference would mean a lot and the Sixers are capable of achieving this. If Embiid leads them to the No. 1 seed in the conference, there is no denying that he would be named the league's back-to-back MVP.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
Previous Rankings: #4
2023-24 season stats: 19 games, 29.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 blocks, 60.7 FG%, 22.9 3P%
Giannis Antetokounmpo currently has the Milwaukee Bucks in the quarterfinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament and he has really started to pick up his play. Following back-to-back 40-point performances two weeks ago, Giannis has recorded a double-double in five of his last six games, as well as logging four 30-point games. He's getting to the basket, he's distributing the basketball, and we are beginning to see smarter decisions coming from Antetokounmpo as one of the lead ball-handlers for the Bucks.
After beginning the year 5-4 and Antetokounmpo being questioned, the Bucks have rattled off nine victories in their last 11 games. Antetokounmpo has been the leading rebounder in nine games, the leading scorer in seven games, and the leading assist-man in four games during this span. Most recently, Giannis and Damian Lillard became the first pair of teammates to each record 30-plus points in three straight games since Jerry West and Elgin Baylor did so in 1963.
Giannis is a two-time MVP for a reason and it is pretty clear why his name is always associated with the MVP award. Maybe he does not consistently put up the scoring numbers that SGA and Embiid do, nor have the triple-double-like season that Jokic always has, but Antetokounmpo is the reason why the Bucks are a force in the Eastern Conference. He led them to a championship in 2021, and with Lillard by his side, Giannis can once again led the Bucks to the NBA Finals as the No. 1 overall team entering the playoffs.
5. Devin Booker – Phoenix Suns
Previous Rankings: Not Ranked
2023-24 season stats: 11 games, 27.9 points, 8.4 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 47.2 FG%, 39.7 3P%
Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Anthony Davis, and Kevin Durant are all viable options to pick for the No. 5 spot in the NBA MVP rankings right now, as all five stars are having sensational seasons. However, Devin Booker finds himself on this list for the first time all season because of his worth to the Phoenix Suns.
When we talk about the MVP award, we sometimes forget that it is called the most valuable player award. Value doesn't necessarily mean leading the league's statical categories and it doesn't necessarily encompass overall team success. In Booker's case, he is very much in the running for this award, despite missing a chunk of time due to injuries, because of his value to Phoenix. The Suns star guard has played in only 11 games. Compared to other guys on this list, some have played close to double the amount of games Booker has. In those 11 games that Booker has played, he has eclipsed the 30-point mark five different times, including a 40-point performance recently against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Suns have gone 9-2 with Booker on the court and this is not a coincidence. Playing alongside Durant, Booker has reinvented his game to a point where he can still be the Suns' top scoring option, but he can also facilitate and lead the offense in different ways. Currently averaging a career-high 8.4 assists per game, the Suns star would be tied with Luka Doncic for fifth in the league if he had played in more games. While it is unlikely that he will clear those ranked above him on this list, Booker has proven to be the Suns' most valuable player to this point.
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