Not long ago, the NBA officially released the rankings of the latest mvp list. With the recent outstanding performance of leading the Clippers to the first record in the league during the same period, they averaged 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game this season. Kawhi Leonard, who has 1.7 steals, is also on the list for the first time this season. In addition, familiar faces from the previous issue, including Jayson Tatum, Sabonis Jr., and Taylor Haliburton, are still firmly at the top. ten. Of course, our focus is still on the top five stars. Let's take a look at who they are and how they have performed so far this season!
Fifth place: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Data for this season: 31.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks
In order to win the championship again this season, the Bucks will not hesitate. Using important players from last season such as Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen as trading chips, Damian Lillard was obtained from the Trail Blazers, although Lillard's integration with the team still needs to be further improved. , but his arrival will undoubtedly greatly relieve Antetokounmpo's offensive pressure. So far this season, the 29-year-old Greek monster has performed extremely terrifyingly. After entering the New Year, Antetokounmpo has also scored 44 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists and 48 points, 17 assists in 2 consecutive games. Super performance in rebounding. Moreover, his points, assists and field goal percentage are all career highs. This two-time MVP winner has undoubtedly reached the peak period of his career. However, the Bucks' record this season has been ups and downs, and Antetokounmpo's shooting still has flaws. If the team's record does not improve significantly later in the season, it may be difficult for Antetokounmpo to find enough advantages in the competition for MVP.
Fourth place: Luka Doncic
This season’s data: 33.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.4 steals
Compared with the previous mvp list, Doncic also improved one place, For the 24-year-old Slovenian, he can handle most regular season games easily. Even if the team has faced the unfavorable situation of Irving's absence for a long time in the past, Doncic has always played well every night. He had to encounter double-teams from his opponents, but he was still able to perform at a phenomenal level. So far this season, Doncic has played in a total of 34 games. He has scored 30+ in 26 games, including 40+ in 7 games. Moreover, in addition to scoring, he also has to take care of the team's organizational responsibilities. There is no doubt that Doncic is now the most versatile player in the entire NBA. In addition, it should be noted that Doncic's points, assists and three-point shooting percentage this season are all career highs, and it must be emphasized again that he is only 24 years old and he still has room to continue to grow. This is the most amazing point. The Mavericks team built around Doncic finally got on the right track after Irving returned. Once the Mavericks can top the Western Conference this season or in a future season, Doncic will be the MVP. top candidate, instead of "just" fourth place now.
Third place: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Statistics for this season: 31.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.3 steals
"On the night when I sent Russell away, I still couldn't sleep, but When I walked into the arena early in the morning and saw this young man still wearing the Clippers training uniform, but still insisting on practicing, I knew the team would come back." In an interview this season, the Thunder's general manager Presti said these words to the media, and this young man was Alexander. Alexander continues to grow with this rebuilt Thunder team every year. Last season, he was also selected to the All-NBA First Team. This is the best compliment for his hard work over the years. This season, Alexander's statistics have reached 31.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.3 steals. This 25-year-old guy uses the rare mid-range in this era to attack opponents time and time again on the offensive end while defending at the same time. Duan is also able to go all out and use all his strength to restrict opposing players.Under his leadership, the Thunder also ranked second in the Western Conference. Especially in the game against the Trail Blazers, he scored 31 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in just 21 minutes, leading the team to 62 points. They defeated their opponents wildly, but just over 2 years ago, they lost to the Grizzlies by 73 points. Such a stunning and inspiring counterattack destined Alexander to become a superstar.
Second place: Nikola Jokic
Data for this season: 25.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.2 steals
After helping the Nuggets win the championship last season, Jokic’s personal abilities are also It has been further sublimated. This "white fat man" who seems to have no athletic ability at all, uses his delicate touch, superb footsteps, superb football intelligence and incomparable passing to make all fans witness history. This season, Jokic also scored 25.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. If it weren't for the fact that in most games when the team has basically won, Jokic directly chooses to clock out, then He has every chance to become the third triple-double player in NBA history after Robertson and Westbrook. Of course, Jokic is not able to maintain such a fiery state in every game, but it does not hurt to perform occasionally. If he can help the Nuggets successfully defend their title this season, Jokic has a chance to hit the top ten players in history, and He is only 28 years old, and there is still a lot of time in the future to continue to improve his historical status. After all, he is already a superstar with 2 regular season MVPs.
No. 1: Joel Embiid
Statistics for this season: 34.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.1 steals and 2 blocks
Ranking first is the star of the 76ers. Embiid was also the MVP winner last season. However, his ranking first this time has caused a lot of controversy. Although Embiid is still at the top of the league's scoring list, he has a good chance of retaining this throne for the third consecutive year. But his performance on the court was not convincing enough as the data showed. It is undeniable that Embiid performed phenomenally in the December game, especially in the victory over the Western Conference's No. 1 Timberwolves. He scored 51 points and 12 rebounds, completely dominating the inside. But the problem is that he His attendance rate is not high. In the recent 8 games, he has missed 6 games, and the total number of appearances so far this season is only 27 times. In addition, his performance in the playoffs has been criticized. So far in his career, he has failed to lead the 76ers to the Eastern Conference finals. If Embiid still cannot maintain sufficient attendance in the second half of the game, If the rate is high, and he cannot stand out in the strong dialogue, then there is a high probability that he will miss the defending mvp.
Sixth to tenth place: Jayson Tatum, Domantas Sabonis, Anthony Davis, Taylor Haliburton, Kawhi Leonard
Nominated players: Germany Vin Booker, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Kyrie Irving
