Welcome to BetFTW’s NBA MVP ladder for the 2023-2024 season. Down the stretch, we’ll track where the wind is blowing for the biggest individual regular-season award in the league every week. Without further ado, here’s our latest tracker update.
There are just about five weeks left in the 2023-2024 NBA regular season, but the MVP race is far from over. With a playoff and seeding push well underway, we are seeing a lot of high-caliber basketball from some of the biggest stars in the league. Nikola Jokic continues to do his thing in Denver. The same can be said for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City and Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.
One person that is probably fading is the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum.
This is by no means meant as a harsh criticism of the Celtics’ star, but Tatum’s most recent week probably cemented him out of any chance at the MVP. As a No. 1 NBA alpha, you cannot let your team be outscored by Dean Wade by himself in a crushing loss in Cleveland. And when the Nuggets ratchet up the intensity for a playoff-caliber game in Denver, you can’t score just 15 points, even missing what could’ve been a game-winning shot in the final minute. Everyone else showed up for a potential Finals preview. Tatum didn’t.
There’s something to be said about how Tatum has helped the Celtics pace ahead of the rest of the league all year. But even beyond the advanced stats that favor his more valuable peers, beating heavyweights when your team needs you to perform matters in order to capture the MVP. Tatum just doesn’t have that on his resume.
Let’s take a look at the latest MVP ladder while we charge headfirst into mid-March.
All odds courtesy of DraftKings.
10
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves (+20000)
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Last week: 10
Edwards is being asked to do an impossible task: Keep the Timberwolves afloat without their second-best offensive player, Karl-Anthony Towns. Edwards is an incredible young player, but he can only do so much when he tries to do absolutely everything. However, if Edwards can keep Minnesota from completely collapsing while Towns recovers, then his MVP case will undoubtedly grow.
9
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers (+20000)
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Last week: 8
Leonard has shot rather poorly of late, as he’s scored at least 20 points just once in his last three games. He’s still the Clippers’ primary talisman, though, and is the player who can keep them buoyed in the top four of the Western Conference standings.
8
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers (Off The Board)
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Last week: 9
James is averaging 26 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds over his last three games. Los Angeles is 3-1 in that same time frame as it tries to solidify itself with a playoff spot. Coincidence? I think not.
7
Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings (Off The Board)
Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Last week: 7
Of late, Sabonis has been doing what he usually does: Dropping near triple-doubles every night. He deserves particular credit for helping the Kings pull out big wins against the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. For the Western Conference’s current No. 7 seed, every Sabonis performance like this is critical.
6
Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns (Off The Board)
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Last week: N/A
To say Durant has been white-hot lately would be an understatement. The arguable greatest scorer of all time hasn’t scored less than 35 points since March 3. The Suns are 3-1 in that time frame and are in striking distance of the Western Conference’s No. 5 seed. Durant’s success is obviously everything to them.
5
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics (+3000)
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
I understand the inclination to reward the best player on the best regular-season team. I do. But you can’t call Tatum this year’s MVP and then watch him be completely invisible in two consecutive crunch-time road losses in Cleveland and Denver. That is not how a true No. 1, MVP-caliber player shows up for his team. Tatum is still great. He’s phenomenal, even. It’s OK that he has a mostly nonexistent MVP case this season.
4
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks (+750)
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Last week: 5
Make that seven consecutive triple-doubles for Doncic, who has led the Mavericks to three consecutive wins, keeping them in the West playoff picture. We would be talking about this incredible Doncic campaign a lot more if Dallas was enjoying more team success.
3
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (+2000)
AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
Last week: 3
With the Bucks entrenching themselves as the East’s No. 2 seed, Antetokounmpo has turned on his playoff jets. The big man is stuffing the stat sheet, giving Milwaukee 30-point double-doubles in his last two games while also showing more of his underrated chops as a playmaker. It is this version of Antetokounmpo that makes the Bucks a real championship threat.
2
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (+280)
Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Last week: 2
The West’s current No. 1 seed continues to be paced well by the bright Gilgeous-Alexander. After a dispiriting loss to the Lakers on a back-to-back, Oklahoma City won three consecutive games rather convincingly, thanks to the usual 30-plus-point efforts from their franchise player. He is Mr. Consistency indeed.
1
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets (-220)
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Last week: 1
The reigning NBA Finals MVP has not slowed down as his Nuggets have heated up in their title defense after the All-Star break. Last week against the league-leading Celtics might have been his best performance of the season, and that’s saying something. Imagine dropping a 30-point triple-double without a turnover in a well-controlled national television win over a team you might play in the Finals this June. That’s what Jokic did to a juggernaut like Boston, and it felt so routine.
