Believe it or not, we’ve already completed the first quarter of the 2022-23 NBA season. This means that we have officially passed the annual “small sample size” phase of the year, where trends and results start to take shape and give us an idea of how things could evolve for the rest of the season.
While things could certainly still change in the remaining three quarters, now seems like the perfect time to take stock of this year’s MVP race. We’ve seen just enough to properly rank players based on their individual and team performance, but it’s still early enough that a bad week could drastically change the order.
Players like Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo have led their teams to the NBA’s top two records, respectively, while others like Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic have put up insane numbers to keep their teams alive in the hunt for playoffs from the start. Stars like Ja Morant, Nikola Jokic and Devin Booker have done enough to be considered MVPs, but how do they compare to the aforementioned four favorites?
The Jugo Mobile chose to have seven members of its NBA Global team rank their top five MVP candidates, using a point system to produce the results. Players received five points for a first place vote, four points for a second place vote, three points for a third place vote, and so on.
Below, you can find the results of our NBA MVP rankings through the first 20 games of the season.
NBA MVP Ranking
1. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Votes (first place): 27 (3)
Averages: 30.5 PTS, 7.9 REB, 4.6 AST, 1.2 BLK, 0.8 STL, 47.7% FG
Team records: 16-4, 1st in Eastern Conference
Tatum and Antetokounmpo are tied with 27 votes each, but Tatum’s three first-place votes gave him the edge over Antetokounmpo’s. Both playing at MVP level, that seems like the right result considering Tatum’s Celtics are just ahead of Antetokounmpo’s Bucks for the NBA’s best record.
After picking up two wins short of an NBA championship last season, Tatum used those shortcomings — and a tough outing in the NBA Finals — as motivation to elevate his game this season.
Tatum has taken a big step forward as a scorer, which I detailed in an article last week about how his MVP emergence is just in time for Boston’s championship aspirations. The 24-year-old completed his offseason challenge to get to the rim and free-throw line more frequently, scoring with career-best efficiency in the restricted area and in the paint while attempting a career-high 8.8 free throws per game. .
Those adjustments allowed Tatum to reach a career-high 30.5 points and 4.6 assists per game, leading a Celtics team that has highest offensive rating in NBA history in the first 20 games of the season.
When you include the progress he’s made as a versatile defender, providing timely defensive saves on multiple occasions already this year, Tatum has been the type of dominant two-way player you’re looking for in a league MVP.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Votes (first place): 27 (1)
Averages: 30.9 PTS, 11.4 REB, 5.4 AST, 1.0 BLK, 0.9 STL, 53.4% FG
Team records: 14-5, 2nd in Eastern Conference
As mentioned above, Antetokounmpo lost the top spot due to the first place vote tiebreaker. That doesn’t take away from the season he’s had so far, as the Greek Freak is well positioned to win his third career MVP trophy.
It feels like we’re starting to take Antetokounmpo for granted due to his consistency over the past five seasons. The 27-year-old is apparently sleepwalking 30 points and 10 rebounds a night, averaging 30.9 career points, with 11.4 rebounds per game. He is an unstoppable force at both ends of the floor, also anchoring the best defense in the league as the lead contender for Defensive Player of the Year.
Antetokounmpo has been completely mad to keep the Bucks in second place in the East despite All-Star forward Khris Middleton yet to make his 2022-23 debut – a situation that works in his favor for the MVP story so far.
Just because he’s won the award twice before doesn’t mean Antetokounmpo’s continued success should be ignored for this year’s MVP race.
3. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Votes (first place): 24 (3)
Averages: 31.4 PTS, 7.1 AST, 6.8 REB, 1.2 STL, 5.2 3PM, 52.2% FG, 44.1% 3FG
Team records: 11-10, 9th in the Western Conference
If not for the Warriors’ 11-10 record — and a voter leaving Curry off their ballot entirely for that reason — Curry likely would have finished No. 1 on that MVP ladder. The reigning Finals MVP continues to defy expectations, playing some of the best basketball of his career at age 34.
Curry’s 31.4 points per game ranks second in the league behind Doncic, but he does it with “all-time leading shooter” level efficiency. Curry is shooting a career-high 52.2 percent from the field, 44.1 percent on 3 and 91.1 percent from the free throw line, on his sophomore 50-40-90 pace.
He’s averaging a career-high in rebounds (6.8) and his 7.1 assists per game are his highest since 2014-15 — his first MVP season. We’ve already seen Curry go for 50 points once and 40 points twice. He also had a game-high 15 assists, which was the most he had recorded in a game since his unanimous MVP season in 2015-16.
Curry is doing everything to meet the needs of a struggling Warriors team and there’s certainly room to prove he was the the most precious to his team.
Currently listed at +1000 to earn MVP (the fourth-highest odds in the league), Curry could be a smart bet going forward if you believe Golden State will eventually turn things around and move back towards the top of the Western Conference standings by the end of the season. .
4. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Votes (first place): 14 (0)
Averages: 33.1 PTS, 8.7 REB, 8.4 AST, 1.7 STL, 50.4% FG
Team records: 9-10, 11th in the Western Conference
Doncic entered this season as the favorite to win MVP and he certainly lived up to his end of the bargain. The 23-year-old leads the league with 33.1 points per game and his 8.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists are tied with his career averages. His four triple-doubles also lead the NBA, doing everything for a Mavericks team that was disappointed from the start.
While you could argue that Dallas’ lack of success could limit his chances of winning the award, Doncic’s path to MVP could be similar to Nikola Jokic’s last year.
The Nuggets finished only sixth in the Western Conference last year, but Jokic’s ridiculous numbers made it worth the fact that Denver missed out on its next two best players, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., due to an injury paved the way for Jokic to win his second consecutive MVP trophy. .
The Mavericks aren’t missing out on their next two best players like the Nuggets, but losing Jalen Brunson in free agency has proven to be a bigger void than expected and the current roster around Doncic has been a disappointment throughout the first quarter of the season. season.
If Doncic can lead the league in scoring while posting a near-triple-double every night and keep a weak Dallas team in the West’s top six to secure a playoff spot, it would be impossible to win. ignore as MVP. finalist.
5. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Votes (first place): 4 (0)
Averages: 28.5 PTS, 7.6 AST, 6.4 REB, 1.1 STL, 47.2% FG
Team records: 12-8, 3rd in Western Conference
Morant edged out Devin Booker and Nikola Jokic by one vote for fifth and final spot on our MVP rankings.
Fresh off his first-ever All-Star appearance last season, Morant made another MVP-caliber leap this season to elevate the Grizzlies to one of the best records in the Western Conference yet again. The 23-year-old continues to improve, hitting career highs with 28.5 points, 7.6 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game.
It’s going to be tough for Morant to top the “shock factor” of his electrifying emergence last season, but as long as his individual performance correlates with Memphis’ success and the Grizzlies can stay near the top of the West, the superstar guard will continue to hear his name in the MVP discussion.
Also receive votes
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (3 votes): The back-to-back MVP narrowly missed the top five in our rankings. His averages have slipped since his last two seasons, but the Nuggets still have one of the best records in the NBA. If Denver can stay near the top of the Western Conference standings, Jokic will have a shot at earning his third straight MVP.
Devin Booker, Suns (3 votes): Booker also narrowly missed the top five in our rankings, tying Jokic with three votes. Booker is posting a career-high 27.1 points per game for a Suns team that currently holds first place in the Western Conference. With Cam Johnson (knee) and Jae Crowder (team/staff) and Chris Paul averaging a career-low 9.5 points per game, Booker has kept this team afloat.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (1 vote): If not for the Thunder’s 8-12 record, Gilgeous-Alexander would surely have received more love in this poll. The 24-year-old made a jump to All-Stardom earlier this year, hitting career highs with 31.1 points, 6.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.
