2022-23 NBA MVP Race: Jayson Tatum Takes The First Place, Anthony Davis Is Finally In The Top 5
The 2022-23 NBA MVP race is getting hotter every week. Jayson Tatum now leads the ranking while Anthony Davis is in the top 5.
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The MVP Award is a player's greatest award over a regular-season campaign. Even more so than any other top award, the MVP of a season signifies the single most impactful player in the world over an 82-game season. Obviously, the way to win the MVP award is to generate the most amount of first-place votes among voters. Last year, we crowned Nikola Jokic as the league’s MVP of the world, and that gave him his second-straight honor.
It is very unlikely that Nikola Jokic wins his third straight MVP award, as he will join Larry Bird as the only one to ever achieve that. But there is stiff competition around the league right now among the league’s top players and this year’s race might be the tightest one to date. It will be very interesting to see which players manage to earn the most consideration from voters over this season and who will ultimately lift the trophy at the end of the year. Here is the current 2022-23 MVP Race that will boil down to the league’s top performers.
10. Ja Morant
Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Statistics: 28.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 7.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Ja Morant is leading the Memphis Grizzlies in yet another exciting season for him. Despite being extremely athletic and quick, Morant does not rush into plays and is very controlled with his movements. Similar to a young Allen Iverson, Morant knows he can take control of a game when he has the ball and methodically picks apart the opponent.
Memphis has one of the best point guards in the NBA on their hands, which is why they hold a top-3 record in the West yet again. Morant is still struggling to keep fully healthy, as he is dealing with a minor ankle injury, but hopefully, he can keep available for his side into the playoffs. Many believed the Grizzlies would have beaten Golden State last year in the playoffs had the point guard been healthy.
9. Donovan Mitchell
Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Statistics: 28.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Donovan Mitchell has helped elevate the Cleveland Cavaliers in status thanks to one of the shrewdest moves in recent memory. The Cavaliers have a host of talented young players in, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, but bringing in Mitchell is exactly what they needed. So far, Mitchell has been Cleveland’s best player and looks primed for another All-Star appearance.
Mitchel is posting 28.4 PPG and 4.9 APG this season on 48.8% shooting, All-Star numbers that are indicative of the best player on the team. The backcourt of Garland and Mitchell looks solid and they have the pieces to make a push in the playoffs. At only 26 years old, Donovan is playing extremely well and seems to be getting better. He has to be among the top-ten candidates for the MVP race.
8. Kevin Durant
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Player Statistics: 29.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 5.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.8 BPG
Kevin Durant is still the best scorer in the NBA, make no mistake about that. The superstar forward is dropping nearly 30 PPG yet again and doing it at alarming efficiency from the field (55.3% FG). His three-point shooting is down, 33.9%, but that has not affected how easily KD can score from mid-range and at the rim. Despite Brooklyn’s inconsistent play, Durant has been spectacular.
It is only natural that one of the top-five players in the world is in the MVP race. He has been dealing with the Kyrie Irving drama all year long and Ben Simmons has not exactly helped either. Durant has had to carry a heavy burden which is why the Nets somehow have a 13-12 record when Irving has been in and out of the lineup. If the Nets start stringing wins together and capture a top-3 seed, Durant has a legitimate shot for the MVP award at the end of the year.
7. Devin Booker
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Player Statistics: 28.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Devin Booker does not seem to get enough credit for whatever reason. It might be due to the fact that he looks so nonchalant on the court or possibly his off-court relationship with a high-profile celebrity brings negativity. But the shooting guard is one of the best players in the world, and his offense has been the catalyst for the 16-8 Phoenix Suns. Without Booker, the Suns do not compete.
Booker is dropping 28.4 PPG and 5.9 APG on 48.8% shooting from the field and 39.0% from three. At 26 years old, the shooting guard is becoming more comfortable as a budding superstar and has the Suns primed for another deep playoff run. Chris Paul has looked older at times and Deandre Ayton might not be too happy with the franchise’s management, but Booker has kept the team together with his spectacular play.
6. Stephen Curry
Credit: Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Player Statistics: 30.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 7.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Stephen Curry is balling out of his mind right now, and he has done everything in his power to keep the Golden State Warriors going with a 13-12 record. Draymond Green has dealt with a ton of controversy all year, Klay Thompson has been inconsistent since returning from two major injuries, and Jordan Poole has been forcing the issue all year. Despite all this, Curry has led the charge for the reigning NBA champions.
Now, the Warriors have not looked like title contenders at all, but it is still early and there is plenty of time for them to hit another gear. The point guard deserves a ton of credit for not being complacent and taking the regular season easy, as he is putting up very solid numbers and is the only reason Golden State has a somewhat respectable record. For his efforts and leadership, the 4-time NBA champion deserves MVP consideration for being the best point guard in the NBA.
5. Anthony Davis
Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Player Statistics: 28.6 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 2.4 BPG
Who saw this Anthony Davis rejuvenation coming? The big man is finally playing up to his potential, posting spectacular two-way numbers across the board and dominating like the best big man in the league. There was never a question on the man’s talent, just his motivation and effort. That was proven to be true, because Davis has decided to dominate the inside as much as possible and is putting up MVP numbers.
Davis will claim injuries have held him back, but it is more than that. The big man is playing inspired basketball and the Lakers’ record looks far better right now at 10-13. But the team had a horrific start to the year which is why they are still below .500, and Davis will need to keep playing like an MVP to boost his team’s chances of finishing with a top-4 seed in the West. If the Lakers manage that, Davis could realistically be the MVP of the league.
4. Luka Doncic
Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Player Statistics: 33.4 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 8.5 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG
There is no doubt that Luka Doncic is one of the top-five players in the NBA right now. At only 23 years old, Luka is doing things way ahead of his time and age. Already carrying a franchise on his back as a foreign player, Doncic is doing everything on the floor at an elite level. The Dallas Mavericks have done alright as a team currently, holding a 13-11 record, but they should be in a much better spot considering Luka is playing out of his mind.
The roster is built on decent but unspectacular role players, and Luka does not have the help he needs to actually carry the franchise to an NBA championship. But that does not hurt Luka’s MVP chances because his play has been phenomenal to say the least. Just by looking at his numbers, Doncic deserves the MVP award for his play. But far more goes into that which is why the Mavericks need to start winning more games to give their man a shot at capturing the trophy.
3. Nikola Jokic
Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Player Statistics: 23.2 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 8.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic is balling at a very high level yet again, putting up monster stats as he carries Denver to top-5 playoff seeding. To many fans and pundits following the Nuggets closely, Jokic is always a legitimate candidate for the MVP award night after night. Even if his scoring is down from 27.1 PPG to 23.2 PPG, Nikola continues to be incredibly dominant as a passer and rebounder.
The big man has been missing the help he needs from Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr and he has done his best to keep Denver in contention. The stars are back and ready to help Nikla out, so Denver is a legitimate title contender when everyone gets a feel for each other again. So far, Jokic is easily a top-3 MVP award candidate even if his team record is not particularly impressive.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Credit: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Player Statistics: 31.9 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 5.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.1 BPG
Former two-time MVP and former NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo is having an excellent year for the Bucks, putting up incredible numbers across the board. The Greek Freak impacts the game on every level, and he continues to be an extremely versatile star throughout the season. He is simply unstoppable when he attacks the rim and can defend all five positions on defense. Quite frankly, Giannis is in contention for Defensive Player of the Year as well.
A player of Giannis’ skill set comes along once in a lifetime, which is why the Bucks continue to climb the Eastern Conference standings. With two All-Stars beside him in Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, Giannis has the help he needs to try to repeat for the NBA title again. His dominance on the court means The Greek Freak is the best player in the world right now, but he is not quite the MVP of the season. That honor goes to the man carrying Boston right now.
1. Jayson Tatum
Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Player Statistics: 30.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Jayson Tatum might be due for an MVP Award. He has yet to capture the award because he is still so young and there is an incredible amount of talent around the league. But Tatum is not a youngster anymore, and is the leading candidate for the regular season’s most prestigious award. The superstar forward is putting up monster numbers across the board, posting 30.8 PPG and 8.3 RPG on 48.0% from the field, 36.4% from three, and 86.9% from the free-throw line.
Alongside Jaylen Brown, Tatum has helped the Boston Celtics capture the number one seed in the NBA at 20-5. The team is playing inspired basketball after last year’s disappointing defeat to the Golden State Warriors, and Tatum has made it clear he does not want to face that failure ever again. At 24 years old, Tatum has arrived as a superstar and is the leading candidate for the MVP award as the best player on the best team right now.
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