The Latest NBA MVP Race Standings Offer Some Surprises

The NBA MVP award is arguably the most important achievement a player can receive. Every player strives to become a champion, but being selected as the most valuable player of the year is equally prestigious. Unlike the championship, only one player can receive the MVP award. Basketball media, players, staff, and fans usually all get pretty vocal about the topic every year. Throughout the season, official NBA MVP race standings are released, usually for the top ten candidates. This is followed by a massive online argument every single time. In this article, we’ll look at the most recent standings and discuss a few possibilities along the way as well. You will see the latest rankings of the top 10 candidates for the NBA MVP award.

To avoid any confusion, there is also an NBA Finals MVP Award, which is handed out after the Finals have concluded. It’s awarded to the best performing player during the maximum 7-game series. The Kia NBA Most Valuable Player award is awarded for the best regular-season performance. It has been an official ceremony since the 1955-1956 NBA season. The most recent recipient of the award is Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets who won by a mile last year, receiving 91 of the 101 first-place ballots. Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the record for the most MVP awards, having won it six times during his career. LeBron James has won it four times, making him the most decorated active player in this regard. Let’s discuss the current standings, who’s in the top part of the list, and why.

Giannis and Durant are Battling It Out For Number 1

Seeing these two names in the NBA MVP race is never a surprise to anyone. Both athletes have won the award previously and they’re on the top of the list once again. The Greek Freak has been the favorite since December 31st when he overtook Stephen Curry in that week’s rankings. He’s missed 9 games so far this season but his impact is always felt on the court. Currently, Giannis is averaging 28.5 PPG, 11.5 RPG, and 6.1 APG on a 54-28-70 shooting. Milwaukee is constantly in the top 4 in the East as the Bulls, Heat, Nets, and Bucks are all changing seeds with every single game recently. On January 8, Giannis and co. reminded the Nets that the path to the Finals won’t be so easy as they cooked them 121-109. Antetokounmpo is also second in the All-Star voting this season, only behind Kevin Durant.

Number 2 in the latest NBA MVP race standings is Kevin Durant who also has the chance to be this season’s scoring champion. 20Bet Sportsbook currently favors KD to win the MVP with 2.94 (34%) odds. Even though Durant has been amazing, head coach Steve Nash is trying to reduce his minutes to save him a bit for the playoffs. The return of Kyrie Irving to the Nets lineup could play a part in this as they wouldn’t need KD on the court at all times. The Brooklyn forward is averaging 29.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 5.9 APG on 52-37-89 shooting so far this season. He’s arguably one of the greatest players of all time and it’s always fun to watch him play. KD is first in the All-Star voting in the East with over 4 million votes in the latest reports.

The Return Of The Big Men

Reigning MVP Nikola Jokić was ranked third in the latest NBA MVP race standings. Jokić entered the top 3 as he overtook Curry. He’s arguably the best center in the league and currently the only thing holding together the injury-riddled Nuggets. The Joker is averaging 25.5 PPG, 14.0 RPG, and 7.0 APG on 56-35-77 shooting. He’s an extremely versatile player and his impact on the Nuggets is even bigger this season. The Western Conference is separated into the top 4 four teams and everyone else. Denver is in the latter, unfortunately. Jamal Murray suffered a torn ACL over 9 months ago and there’s still no date for his return. In the meantime, others will need to step up and help Jokić along the way as he continues to put up MVP numbers.

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Joel Embiid makes a surprise entrance to the MVP race top 5 as he jumped up from number 9 to 4 in the latest standings. His recent performances earned him the Player of the Month award and the third spot in the Eastern frontcourt All-Star voting. The 76ers are 8-2 in their last 10 games and continue to climb the standings. Embiid averaging 27.1 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 4.3 APG on a 48-38-81 shooting. Online sportsbooks in the Philippines have him winning the MVP at 43.98 (2.3%) odds which some might consider downright atrocious. The Philadelphia big man continues to be the main focus of the team as the franchise is trying to get the most value out of a Ben Simmons trade. One thing is certain, don’t count out Joel Embiid and the 76ers just yet as they will surely make things interesting for us.

Where Do Players On the Two Best Teams Rank In The NBA MVP Race Standings?

At the number 5 spot, we see a familiar face, Stephen Curry. Curry led the MVP standings for a long time before being overtaken after Christmas. The recent performances of the aforementioned players continued to push him back to the number five spot. The Golden State Warriors have been so-so recently as they only won 5 out of their last 10 games. The Suns occupy the top seed in the West and the inevitable rise of Memphis might push the Warriors down to the third seed. Curry’s current slump doesn’t rule him out for the MVP award, however. Even when he’s playing badly, he’s still better than most of the league. His season averages so far are 26.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 6.1 APG on 42-38-92 shooting. Curry and the Warriors will bring their usual performance so underestimating them would be a grave mistake.

DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine managed to put the Bulls on top of the Eastern Conference this season and they recently went on a 9-game winning streak. Chicago is in a position that fans haven’t seen since the 2011-2012 season. To put things into perspective, the Bulls finished 11th with a 31-41 record last season and they’re number one with 27-12 currently. DeRozan’s odds for NBA MVP keep increasing and 20Bet Sportsbook currently has him at 29.4 (3.4%) odds. The Bulls are winning the majority of their games when he’s the leading scorer. He’s averaging 26.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.7 APG on 49-35-85 shooting. The one-two punch duo of DeRozan and LaVine is arguably the best one this season and the most entertaining to watch. Keep doubting them and you’re gonna learn things the hard way.

Respect the Veterans in the NBA MVP Race Standings

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of them, if not the most dysfunctional teams in the NBA this season. An injured and unconventional roster relies on LeBron James to keep their playoff dreams alive. The 37-year old superstar forward entered the rankings recently as the 7th candidate for the award. But don’t let LeBron’s age fool you. The King continues to perform at such a high level that people are wondering if he’s even human. He’s currently averaging 29.1 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 6.6 APG on 54-36-77 shooting. LeBron’s also on his way to his 18th straight All-Star game and continues to break records this season. He’s always a popular choice for the MVP. Despite his exceptional recent performance, the Lakers can’t seem to win. Take him out from the team and the Lakers would sink to the bottom of the conference.

Chris Paul’s numbers might confuse people why he’s on this list but if you watch him play you’ll understand. Averaging 14.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 10.1 APG on 47-33-83 on shooting it’s clear that he’s not the main scoring option. Paul is considered one of the last great true point guards and also bears the nickname “Point God”. His contribution to the Phoenix Suns put the team first in both the Western Conference and the NBA with a current record of 31-9. He also played in all 40 of those games. Online sportsbook sites in the Philippines might think otherwise but true fans know CP 3’s value. Paul is a necessary veteran on the Suns’ roster that compliments a scorer like Devin Booker perfectly. He’s also looking for his 12th All-Star appearance this season and he might even climb back up in the NBA MVP race standings.

When One Falls, Another Rises

The Utah Jazz is known to be a consistent and great regular-season team. Rudy Gobert fell to the 9th spot from the 5th in the most recent standings. The overall performance of the Jazz has been great this season but they looked a bit rusty recently. They’re still a safe 4th seed in the West. You might be asking yourself, why Gobert and not Mitchell? Because Gobert’s impact on the team is larger, no offense to Mitchell, he’s a great talent. The center is averaging 15.5 PPG, 15.1 RPG, and 1.1 APG on 70-0-68 shooting this season. The Jazz struggled recently as they only won 5 out of their 10 last games but they’ll bounce back like they always do. They have a good roster and the Gobert-Mitchell duo will surely lead the team to the playoffs once again.

The rise of Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies is one of the best things about the 2021-2022 NBA season. Morant and co. are currently on an impressive 11-game winning streak and they recently beat the Warriors, Nets, and Suns to get here. As they continue to steamroll through the league, they’re looking to secure the best record in both the West and the NBA. Morant is only 22-year old but he’s not playing like one. He’s averaging 24.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 6.8 APG on a 48-36-77 shooting. On 20Bet Sportsbook he has a 25.28 (4%) odds to win the MVP but this number is most likely to increase. The Grizzlies barely made the playoffs last year and were eliminated quickly but no one wants to face them this season. Keep an eye out for Ja Morant, he’s truly something special.

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