Jokic and Shai move up, Top 5 shuffles around, Embiid moves to third

The NBA season is heating up, and with it comes a new collective bargaining agreement that requires a player to have played a minimum of 65 games to be eligible for the league’s major awards. Reigning Kia MVP Joel Embiid is currently in a precarious position as he has missed three out of Philadelphia’s last four games with a sore left knee. He then suffered a left lateral meniscus injury in Tuesday’s game against Golden State, which means he is expected to miss his 14th contest on Saturday against Brooklyn. This puts Embiid four games away from disqualification to repeat as MVP, according to the NBA’s new player participation policy.

With Embiid sitting out, Nikola Jokic has taken over the top spot in this week’s Kia MVP Ladder. Jokic has been a steadying force for the Denver Nuggets this season, with impressive stats – 26.3 points per game, 12.1 rebounds per game, and 9.0 assists per game. Jokic’s case for MVP was further strengthened by his league-best 14th triple-double of the season on Monday. However, lower back pain forced the two-time MVP to miss his second game of the season on Wednesday, and his status for Friday’s game against Portland is questionable.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder has also emerged as a strong contender for the award, extending his career-long streak of 30-point games to eight and leading his team to victory against the Nuggets.

The Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum complete the top five contenders for the MVP award, with Antetokounmpo continuing to put up impressive numbers despite the Bucks’ recent struggles, and Tatum leading the Celtics with an average of 26.8 points per game.

The top five are Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jayson Tatum. Gilgeous-Alexander has been on a scoring tear, extending his career-long streak of 30-point games to eight on Wednesday. Embiid’s injury has put his MVP case in jeopardy, while Antetokounmpo continues to produce impressive numbers for the Milwaukee Bucks. Jayson Tatum is also in the mix, producing strong performances for the Boston Celtics.

While Embiid’s injury has affected his MVP chances, several players are also in the same situation due to missed games, such as Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyrese Haliburton. It remains to be seen how the MVP rankings will continue to evolve throughout the season.