NBA MVP Ladder

Here are the top five MVP candidates through one week of play:

All stats and results are accurate through games played on Tuesday, October 31st.

5. Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers

Lost amidst the James Harden drama in Philadelphia has been the exceptional start Embiid has had.

The reigning MVP has averaged 31 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

The assists are the most impressive part, as Embiid’s previous career high for assists is just over four per game.

His newfound desire to set up his teammates out of double teams has led to impressive starts for other Sixers, such as Tyrese Maxey, who looks like an early MIP candidate.

Embiid went off for 35 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and six blocks in the team's most recent win over the Trail Blazers.

The past two MVPs have repeated, so it is not out of the question for Embiid to defeat voter fatigue if he continues his torrid start and the Sixers keep pace in the East.

4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, SG/PG, Oklahoma City Thunder

Despite a seven-point clunker where he shot 2/16 from the field in a loss to the Nuggets, SGA has been the driving force in the Thunder’s 3-1 start.

In wins over Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit, he finished with 31, 34 and 32 points.

SGA has evolved from star to superstar to MVP candidate over the Thunder’s rapid rebuild as they look to get back in the playoffs with a young, talented core.

Aside from their 33-point loss to the Nuggets, the Thunder have looked the part of an upstart team looking to crash the Western Conference party, and SGA’s play is going to determine how successful the Thunder are this season, for better or for worse.

3. Stephen Curry, PG/SG, Golden State Warriors

The greatest shooter the game has ever seen has not slowed down at all at age 35.

Curry has averaged 33.5 points a game while shooting 47% from behind the arc on absurd volume. He has made 24 threes in just four games, six ahead of second-place Luka Doncic.

The Warriors are 3-1 to start the season, with a Curry dagger in crunch time helping Golden State defeat Sacramento.

He’s also had arguably the highlight of the season so far after losing Houston Rockets guard Dillon Brooks on a crossover before getting him off his feet with a nasty pump fake.

The two-time MVP and owner of the only unanimous MVP in NBA history is arguably having his best start to a season, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t bring home his third MVP if he keeps this up.

2. Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets

Deemed the best player in the world right now by many, The Joker’s torrid start to the season as well as Denver’s 4-0 start have him right back near the top of MVP contention, where he has lived the last four seasons.

Jokic is averaging 26.5 points, 12 rebounds, and 8.5 assists while shooting a scorching 65% from the field and 43% from beyond the arc. That is offensive efficiency never seen before, and on top of that, Jokic carries primary playmaking duties for one of the best offenses in the league.

One of the most complete offensive players the league has ever seen, Jokic is holding his own on the defensive side as well.

Critiqued for his poor defense in the past, opponents are shooting 50.5% with Jokic as the primary defender. That’s not a percentage that will garner him Defensive Player of the Year consideration but is much improved from past seasons.

Voter fatigue is Jokic’s biggest obstacle, as he’s won two of the past three MVP awards. But if Jokic can continue to be the offensive hub for the best team in the league, he should be the favorite to bring home his third.

1. Luka Doncic, SG/SF, Dallas Mavericks

Ever since Doncic stepped foot on an NBA court, it seemed like a matter of time before he would win multiple MVP awards. Doncic was named First Team All-NBA in just his second season and has proceeded to get first team every year since.

With Kyrie Irving struggling to start the season, the offensive responsibilities have all fallen on Doncic, and he has passed with flying colors.

To open the season, Doncic is averaging a slight 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Much like Jokic, he is the primary scoring and playmaking threat for a currently 3-0 Mavericks squad.

Doncic’s three-point efficiency has been a struggle in the past, but he has shot 49% on high volume the first week of the season. That percentage is likely to drop, but a reliable three-point shot makes Doncic virtually unguardable.

At this point, the best way to defend Luka Magic is to leave one of his teammates wide open while sending a double team, and hope they miss the shot.

Doncic has already had a 49-point performance against the Brooklyn Nets, concluding it with a banked-in, fadeaway, one-handed three-pointer to give Dallas a three-point lead with 26 seconds remaining in the game.

The formula for an MVP is elite statistics, vintage moments, and team success. Doncic and the Mavericks have had all three, which is why he sits atop the MVP ladder a week into the season.

Honorable Mentions

Jayson Tatum, SF, Boston Celtics

Tyrese Maxey, SG, Philadelphia 76ers

De’Aaron Fox, PG, Sacramento Kings

Alex Perez is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email app5877@psu.edu.