NBA MVP Rankings: Giannis continues to lead the field
The NBA MVP race is beginning to take shape as the 2019-20 campaign nears its halfway point. Five candidates have separated themselves from the field thanks to elite statistics and intangibles that have helped propel their respective teams to new heights.
Here are theScore's top five MVP candidates thus far:
5. Anthony Davis
27.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 2.6 blocks in 35.2 minutes per game
Davis has proven he's more than ready for the bright lights of Los Angeles.
The former Kentucky star has been a force on both ends for the Western Conference-leading Lakers, serving as an imposing interior presence for the league's third-ranked defense (based on defensive rating) and a dynamic offensive weapon who complements LeBron James the way few stars have before. The big man currently ranks second in blocks per game and sixth in scoring.
Davis is averaging the fewest rebounds per contest since his rookie season, partially due to head coach Frank Vogel's preference to play him alongside either JaVale McGee or Dwight Howard. Aside from that rebounding drop-off, the 26-year-old's numbers closely resemble the stats he produced with the Pelicans. That speaks to how well he's jelled next to another high-usage star of James' caliber.
What puts Davis ahead of Denver's Nikola Jokic is the former's rare two-way impact that only one other candidate on this list possesses. He's a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate, too.
4. Luka Doncic
28.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 9 assists, 1.1 steals in 32.8 minutes per game
No one expected this type of progression from Doncic this quickly. Sure, the former Real Madrid star was expected to improve upon his 2018-19 Rookie of the Year campaign, but not in the unprecedented way he has.
He became the second-youngest player to record a 40-point triple-double. If that wasn't enough, how about registering a 30-point triple-double in the fewest minutes since the ABA-NBA merger in the very next game? Capping it all off, the sophomore beat out Michael Jordan for the longest streak of 20-5-5 games since the merger - at 20 years old.
Doncic's herculean efforts have the Mavericks comfortably sitting in a playoff spot out West, and that isn't likely to change anytime soon. While it's unlikely Doncic beats out the names ahead of him for MVP honors, the Slovenian will be in the mix for the foreseeable future.
3. LeBron James
25.4 points, 10.9 assists, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals in 34.9 minutes per game
After a disappointing injury-plagued first season in Los Angeles that saw the Lakers miss the playoffs, LeBron is showing last year was merely an aberration.
Thanks in part to having a fellow All-NBA forward in Davis to wreak havoc with, The King is averaging a career-high 10.9 assists per game, serving as the Purple and Gold's offensive engine.
Los Angeles outscores its opponents by 12.5 points per 100 possessions when James is on the floor, which ranks in the 95th percentile of forwards. Further, while Davis' two-way play rightfully has him in the MVP conversation, the Lakers post an efficiency differential of 9.7 points per 100 possessions with James on the floor and Davis sitting.
The fact both James and Davis feature in the top five speaks to how dominant L.A. has been with its two-star setup running the show.
2. James Harden
37.2 points, 7.5 assists, 6.2 rebounds, 1.7 steals in 37.2 minutes per game
Harden's unfathomable production is the biggest driving force behind the Rockets' brilliant offense in 2019-20; without him, it's hard to imagine Houston putting up a fighter's chance for a top-six seed.
The 30-year-old guard is currently on pace to average more points per game over a full season than anyone other than Wilt Chamberlain in the 1960s. He's also averaging more than twice the number of isolation plays per game than anyone else, while still accumulating 1.15 points per possession off those looks, making him the most prolific isolation scorer the league has to offer.
Harden's captivating scoring prowess has a lot to do with his volume, shooting an unprecedented 13.4 threes per game, which he converts at a 36.5% rate. When you combine that long-range proficiency with Harden's league-leading 12.3 free-throw attempts per game, it becomes clear how he's regularly able to produce the eye-popping statistics he does.
The seven-time All-Star's durability also deserves recognition. Harden's the only player on this list who's missed only one game this season, an impressive feat considering he also averages more minutes than any of the other four candidates.
If not for the presence of a near-supernatural force in Milwaukee, Harden would likely be vying for a third straight MVP award.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
30 points, 12.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.1 blocks in 30.6 minutes per game
Antetokounmpo is unquestionably the best player - and the only bonafide star - on a Bucks team that owns the league's best net rating at plus-12.1 and has a comfortable hold on the Eastern Conference's top seed.
He's a lethal force on the defensive end, too, holding opponents to a 38.3 defensive field-goal percentage, which ranks right behind Davis among full-time starters who contest at least 10 shots per game.
Further, consider Antetokounmpo's 33.5 PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is on pace to be the highest all time in a single season. He's remarkably accomplishing all of this while averaging under 31 minutes per game.
After his most recent display of dominance - a 37-point outing in just 22 minutes of work against the New York Knicks - Antetokounmpo now has seven games this season in which he's scored 30-plus in under 30 minutes. That's tied for the highest single-season total since the NBA-ABA merger, per Stat Muse's Justin Kubatko. The Bucks still have 40 regular-season games remaining.
Barring any sort of prolonged absence, the Greek Freak looks to be well on his way to adding a second consecutive MVP trophy to his collection by season's end. Antetokounmpo could become the sixth back-to-back MVP winner since 2000.
(Statistics courtesy of Cleaning The Glass, Basketball-Reference, NBA.com)