Jaylen Brown scores 42 points in a win over the New York Knicks.
The drama and suspense surrounding the Kia Race to the MVP is split into halves, much like society: the upper class and the working class.
There’s Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Dončić — the front-runners in a tight race, the heavy favorites so far, the unbreakable trio, the Park Avenue players. Unless there’s an unexpected development between now and April, the Kia MVP will be awarded to one of the three.
Then, the other mystery: who are the players rounding out the top five on the MVP Ladder? It’s an ongoing conversation and has been since the second week of the season. And it’s heightened now because of injuries that are costing a pair of otherwise well-deserving candidates.
What are we to do with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama on this weekly Ladder?
There’s a basketball expression that has become tiresome but true: the best ability is availability. All-World skills and talent are useless on the bench. In that situation, NBA players are the tallest fashion models in the world. But MVP candidates? They’re not sashaying down that runway, not quite. Not until they heal up, suit up and show up.
It’s not personal. It’s the reality in a league where 64 games played in any season now gets you zero major awards.
To be fair, as those players tumble on the Ladder, others who are healthier (and also talented) take advantage of that and snag their spots.
And this week, those players completing the top five are Cade Cunningham and Jaylen Brown, a pair of Eastern Conference stars making a serious move.
It’s a long season still, and in the coming weeks, perhaps someone new will crash the top five. Or maybe Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama will reclaim spots when they’re healed.
That makes for compelling Ladder-watching and creates a second level of suspense. As for the top level? Let’s just say there’s a gap between Nos. 3 and everyone sitting below.
Setting this stage this week: Will the Pistons’ place in the penthouse of the Eastern Conference start to wobble Monday in Boston? The Pistons remain on top at the moment, but the posse is gaining, and one of those teams is the Celtics, one of the hottest in the league. This means Brown and Cunningham will square off in the most meaningful East game, aside from Orlando-New York in the Emirates NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday.
The stat to know: Anthony Edwards (No. 9) is percolating. He has scored at least 30 points in seven of his last 10 games with the Minnesota Timberwolves and has five 40-pointers this season.
What they are saying: “He is not just one of the guys. He is one of the guy.” — LeBron James on the sudden growth of his Lakers’ teammate, Austin Reaves, who is No. 7 on the MVP Ladder.
1. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
Last week’s ranking: No. 1 ↔️
Season stats: 29.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 10.9 assists
His case: He’s top-five in the league in scoring and leading the league in rebounds and assists. He’s averaging a triple-double and doing so on 61.2% shooting. He’s doing all this while the Nuggets are rolling. In a competitive race for the MVP, Jokić is taking a stand and doing so without wobbling.
He’d rather not be in a position to score big, but last Friday against the Hawks, he dropped 40 in a one-point Nuggets win. Jokić again seems capable of doing whatever is necessary for the Nuggets, and he’s doing so at a high level.
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Last week’s ranking: No. 2 ↔️
Season stats: 32.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists
His case: Another week, another breezy effort by OKC’s heartbeat. Gilgeous-Alexander is again making it look easy (much like OKC is searing through the schedule). That combination is proving to be too much so far for the rest of the league.
And now Gilgeous-Alexander, with 28 points in 27 minutes Wednesday against the Suns, has a chance to snatch the only remaining piece of metal that has escaped him — the Emirates NBA Cup championship. Given that he and OKC lost in the 2024-25 title game, the motivation will likely be greater. At this rate, given how he’s dropping points on an efficient and regular basis, it’ll be a surprise if Gilgeous-Alexander is denied.
3. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers
Last week’s ranking: No. 3 ↔️
Season stats: 35 points, 9.2 rebounds, 9.1 assists
His case: The league’s leading scorer is also third in assists and seems incapable of being anything less than impactful on a nightly basis. He has scored 30 or more points in eight straight games, and the Lakers, despite losing in the Emirates NBA Cup quarters, enjoy a high spot in the Western Conference standings.
A nitpick: Dončić is shooting just 33% from deep and tends to be careless with the ball, the latter of which is somewhat expected when you have the ball as much as Dončić and average 37 minutes a night. Otherwise, his season is stellar so far.
4. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Last week’s ranking: No. 4 ↔️
Season stats: 27.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 9.3 assists
His case: Cunningham has been pretty consistently at a high level virtually from opening night, the centerpiece of a Pistons’ team that will likely remain in first place by Christmas. That’s quite the accomplishment for the team and especially the player, who has shown he can elevate those around him (he’s No. 2 in assists per game).
Cunningham is coming off a solid last few games, with 29 points and nine assists against the Trail Blazers, then 23-12 against the Bucks, both wins. As long as he and the Pistons are thriving, it’s hard to justify him slipping significantly, or maybe even slightly, on the Ladder.
5. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Last week’s ranking: No. 10 ⬆️
Season stats: 29.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists
His case: He’s riding a rocket up the Ladder, moving five spots this week, the largest leap of anyone this season. And it’s all because Brown is not only on pace to average a career high in scoring and playing the best stretch of basketball in his career — the 2024 NBA Finals would like a word, though — as he has done the unexpected and is pulling the Celtics up with him.
Which means, he’s doing Jayson Tatum’s job as well as Tatum, at least for the moment. Over the last six games, Brown has looked every bit like a top-tier player, averaging 32 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 6.3 apg. Overall, Boston has won seven of its last nine games.
The next 5:
6. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks ⬆️
7. Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers ⬆️
8. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers ⬇️
9. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves ⬆️
10. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets ⬇️
And five more (listed alphabetically): Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks; Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks; Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets; Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks; Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
