Now that the NBA All-Star Game has come and gone, teams are ramping up for the final two months of the regular season.
That also means the very best players in the league are doing everything they can to get their teams in position to improve their seeding. With that comes individual greatness.
And this season’s battle for the Most Valuable Player may be one of the closest at the top in recent seasons, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets separating themselves from the pack.
Here is the third installment of USA TODAY’s NBA MVP power rankings (stats and team records before Monday’s games):
5. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards
In what has been a frustrating season for the Timberwolves, it sometimes seems as though Edwards is the only thing keeping Minnesota afloat. Edwards is averaging a career-high 27.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, adding 4.5 assists. Minnesota, though, has lost four of its past five games, though Edwards is averaging 35.9 points over his past seven. Edwards, though, would do well to keep a cooler head. He also leads the NBA in technical fouls, 14, which puts him two away from an automatic suspension.
4. Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum
The defending champion Celtics are lurking, getting ready for a deep postseason run and possibly another title, which would make them the NBA’s first repeat champion since Golden State in 2017 and 2018. In fact, no team has reached back-to-back Finals since the Warriors in 2018 and 2019. If the Celtics do it this season, Tatum will be a major reason why. Tatum is a six-time All-Star (almost won All-Star MVP in San Francisco on Feb. 16), and he is headed for his fifth consecutive All-NBA selection. Tatum averages 26.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.1 steals and shoots 45.3% from the field, 35.6% on 3-pointers and 80% on free throws. He is one of two players (minimum 40 games) to average at least 26.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steals this season.
3. Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo
He will certainly have some ground to make up after he missed six games with a left calf strain that also forced him out of the All-Star Game. And, even after Antetokounmpo made his return, the team was cautious; Antetokounmpo played just 21.5 minutes in his first two games back, well below his season average of 34.2. Still, as long as he remains healthy, he should continue to be productive — especially with the Bucks potentially in position to keep climbing in the East. In Milwaukee’s most recent game, a seven-point win against Miami, Antetokounmpo posted 23 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists. Most promising, however, was that he did so in 32 minutes.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
If Jokić is No. 1 on this list, Gilgeous-Alexander is very much a 1a. Gilgeous-Alexander leads the NBA in scoring (32.3 points per game) and continues to be one of the more automatic players in the league. Also helping his cause is that Oklahoma City (46-10) is extending its lead in the Western Conference, going 26-5 over its past 31 games. What makes Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP case so interesting — though perhaps unappealing to some — is that he does it on both ends; he is tied for third in the NBA in steals (1.9) per game and the Thunder’s defensive rating when he’s on the floor is 103.5. Still, the most staggering stat, perhaps of the entire NBA season, is that Gilgeous-Alexander has scored more than a quarter (26.8%) of Oklahoma City’s points this season.
1. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić
As the Nuggets have climbed into a second-place tie in the Western Conference, Jokić continues to show why he is one of the greatest — a top-10 all-time player. He is averaging a triple-double for the season, shooting above 55% from the field, 44% on 3-pointers and 80% on free throws. The Nuggets are 18-6 starting with a victory against San Antonio on Jan. 4. During that stretch — which also coincides with guard Jamal Murray’s return to All-Star caliber play — Jokić has averaged 27.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 11.0 assists and 1.9 steals and shot 61% from the field, 39.8% on 3s and 84.6% on free throws. Jokić has won three of the past four MVPs and is trying to become just the third player (Bill Russell, LeBron James) to win four MVPs in five seasons.