When you bring up Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid in the same sentence, you are probably talking about the NBA MVP race. Whether or not you are talking about this season or a previous one is a whole separate discussion because these two have consistently been No. 1 and No. 2 in the NBA MVP rankings each of the last few seasons.
Embiid is the reigning NBA MVP, yet Jokic won the award in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022. These two are going to be forever connected, and they are the two best centers in the NBA right now. Quite honestly, it's not hard to say that they are the two best players in the league so far this season.
Whereas Embiid is leading the league in scoring for the third consecutive season, a feat no center has achieved since the great Wilt Chamberlain in the 1960s, Jokic is nearly averaging a triple-double. The Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets both reside near the top of the NBA Power Rankings, so how can one possibly decide between the two MVP candidates?
At this point, just over a month into the 2023-24 season, this debate is simply a matter of opinion. There is a lot of basketball yet to be played and who knows, perhaps a different player surpasses Embiid and Jokic for the top spot in the NBA MVP rankings.
It is worth mentioning Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic, De'Aaron Fox, and Kevin Durant as players not currently listed in the top five of the MVP ladder, yet they are still very much in consideration for the award. Edwards and Fox are both the focal points for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings, respectively, as we all know what Tatum, Doncic, and Durant are capable of doing.
This week, two familiar names find themselves behind the Jokic vs. Embiid battle, while a new player who is looking to take his team back to the playoffs for the first time in a handful of seasons joins the race for the NBA MVP award.
Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
Previous Rankings: #2
2023-24 season stats: 17 games, 28.8 points, 13.4 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 56.8 FG%, 31.1 3P%
Jamal Murray has not played for the Denver Nuggets since November 4 due to a hamstring injury. Over the span of Denver's last ten games, Nikola Jokic has been virtually unstoppable, averaging 29.8 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 9.6 assists per game. It's worth mentioning that he recorded four triple-doubles in this span, as well as nine double-doubles. The only reason Jokic did not record a double-double in every game is because he was ejected after playing 15 minutes against the Detroit Pistons last Monday.
No matter who is and who isn't playing alongside him, Jokic always puts his team in a position to win games. The two-time MVP is averaging a career-high in scoring, and he leads the league in both rebounding and player efficiency rating. Every year, PER is usually synonymous with who ultimately wins the MVP award in the NBA, so Jokic leading the league in this category right now should tell us everything we need to know about his position in the MVP ladder.
There is no player in the league that has been able to contain Jokic through the years. Recently, he passed LeBron James for fourth on the NBA's all-time triple-doubles list. Given the fact that Jokic is scoring at a very high rate while also maintaining his triple-double-like average, it's hard to say the Nuggets star doesn't have the upper hand on Joel Embiid right now.
2. Joel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers
Previous Rankings: #1
2023-24 season stats: 15 games, 32.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 49.4 FG%, 29.4 3P%
As previously mentioned, Joel Embiid currently leads the league in scoring yet again. While this is definitely impressive to think about, perhaps the most eye-popping numbers from Embiid this season regard his 6.3 assists per game average. Embiid, who has never really been viewed as a facilitating and passing big man, has completely revamped his game under head coach Nick Nurse.
The reigning league MVP looks comfortable, he looks confident, and most importantly, he is getting his teammates involved on the offensive side of the ball. Last season, the Philadelphia 76ers struggled to find production at times outside of Embiid because they weren't able to get their secondary scorers involved. Now, alongside Tyrese Maxey, Embiid has opened up the floor tremendously. This has also created more advantageous matchups for him to exploit.
Even though Embiid fell from the top spot in the NBA MVP rankings to No. 2 behind Jokic, this race is still his to lose. The Sixers are one of the best teams in the entire league and Embiid has continued to elevate his game to new heights. As long as these two things remain, it will be hard to dethrone Philadelphia's big man from the MVP pedestal.
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Previous Rankings: #3
2023-24 season stats: 15 games, 30.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.3 steals, 53.4 FG%, 36.4 3P%
There are a handful of players that you could make an argument for regarding the MVP race right behind Embiid and Jokic. Right now, this No. 3 spot has to go to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander due to the position he has single-handedly put the Oklahoma City Thunder in. Sure, Chet Holmgren, Josh Giddey, and others have helped this young Thunder team mature at a rapid pace. However, Gilgeous-Alexander is the reason why they are near the top of the Western Conference standings.
Shai is the same scoring guard and playmaker at the point guard position as he was last season. While he may not be the triple-double-like threat Jokic is with the ball in his hands, Gilgeous-Alexander can easily go for 30-plus points, five-plus rebounds, and five-plus assists in a game. What separates the Thunder guard from the two big men ranked ahead of him is the fact that Gilgeous-Alexander is suddenly turning into one of the best two-way guards in the NBA.
SGA leads the league in steals per game at 2.3 steals this season and his length is really becoming a problem for rival teams. The Thunder rank seventh in defensive rating right now and they have been able to capitalize in transition because of Gilgeous-Alexander's impact defensively. Keep an eye on Oklahoma City as the year progresses, as their status at the top of the standings impacts SGA's chances of swaying MVP voters late in the year.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
Previous Rankings: Not Ranked
2023-24 season stats: 16 games, 29.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.2 blocks, 59.4 FG%, 22.6 3P%
The Milwaukee Bucks began the 2023-24 season with a 5-4 record and everyone was acting like they were no longer championship contenders. Well, Giannis Antetokounmpo seemed to hear the noise, as he has been a huge part of the Bucks winning seven of their last eight games in order to improve their record to 12-5 on the year. Now, Milwaukee resides just one game back of the Boston Celtics for the top spot in the league.
As good as Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez have played recently, Giannis is the driving force of the Bucks. Antetokounmpo is the sole reason why the Bucks are championship contenders and he's been able to accomplish things no other player has through the early portion of the season.
Giannis currently holds the season-high scoring mark of 54 points earlier this month against the Indiana Pacers and he has also recorded at least 40 points in three different games this season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the only other player with three such scoring games. The Bucks star also recently surpassed the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most 30-10-5 games in franchise history, recording at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in 107 career games.
5. Tyrese Haliburton – Indiana Pacers
Previous Rankings: Not Ranked
2023-24 season stats: 14 games, 25.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 12.1 assists, 50.8 FG%, 45.4 3P%
Tyrese Haliburton is the best playmaking guard in the NBA right now in terms of his assist numbers. The Indiana Pacers are 9-6 overall and have clinched their group in the NBA In-Season Tournament because of the way Haliburton has helped head coach Rick Carlisle reinvent the team's offensive approach. Haliburton is averaging a career-high and league-leading 12.1 assists per game this season and he has only turned the ball over 35 total times through 14 games. That's an extremely impressive 4.9 assist-to-turnover ratio for a star player who sees upwards of 33 minutes per game for those wondering.
Aside from his passing abilities, Haliburton has also taken a tremendous leap forward as a primary scoring option for the Pacers. Last season, Haliburton was an All-Star and began looking more comfortable as a primary scorer, but he has taken that to a whole new level this season by averaging a career-high 25.4 points per game and shooting 45.4 percent from deep. For a player who had a lot of question marks surrounding his shooting abilities coming out of the draft, Haliburton ranks 15th in the league in three-point shooting percentage and fifth in made triples.
It's possible the Pacers guard gets overshadowed in the Eastern Conference by the likes of Embiid, Antetokounmpo, and Tatum, but Haliburton deserves his flowers. Not only should he be an All-Star again this season, but it would not be shocking to see him receive MVP and All-NBA consideration.
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