NBA MVP Rankings: 2-time winner Giannis enters the fray

Two months into the 2024-25 campaign, here's a look at 10 candidates who have made the strongest cases for the NBA's most prestigious individual regular-season accolade.

Previous: 9

When Edwards isn't challenging his Minnesota Timberwolves teammates off the court, he's doing everything he can on it to keep his team competitive. The 23-year-old has twice called out the roster over the last month to mixed results. The first time, following a loss Nov. 27, produced four straight wins and six in seven games. The second was less effective, with Thursday's 26-point defeat followed up by a 10-point loss Saturday.

Still, it's hard to fault Edwards for Minnesota's topsy-turvy campaign. The high-flyer continues to carry most of the team's offensive load (he's failed to crack 20 points in just four games), and he's maintained his hot 3-point shooting through the first third of the season.

Previous: Not Ranked

Wagner is having a breakout season and would probably be slightly higher on this list had he not been sidelined with an oblique injury at the beginning of December. The youngest Wagner has stepped into the spotlight after Paolo Banchero, the Orlando Magic's All-Star and offensive engine, went down five games into the campaign.

The German is posting career bests in practically every counting statistic, but it's his advanced numbers that paint a picture of a No. 1 option. Wagner has a career-high usage rate of 31% and an assist percentage of 31.9%, meaning he's responsible for nearly a third of all assists created when on the floor. This is similar output to guys like Jalen Brunson (33.9%), Damian Lillard (32.7%), and Darius Garland (30.9%).

Previous: 2

Davis continues to thrive under the second-highest usage rate of his career at 30.3%. He's cooled off since that electric seven-game start to the season but is posting 23.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.4 dimes, and 3.6 stocks (blocks and steals combined) across nine December contests to help keep the Los Angeles Lakers in the thick of the West playoff race.

There's an intriguing trend regarding the variance in Davis' offense, though. In 18 games through the end of November, 59.5% of all of Davis' points came from inside the paint, but that's down to 53% in December. Instead, he's relying much more on his mid-range, with 17.7% of his December points coming from that distance - nearly three times higher than the 6.7% he had previously.

Previous: Not Ranked

Towns hasn't had much trouble in adjusting to his new squad. The New York Knicks center leads the Association in rebounds and is shooting a career best from downtown. His 46% clip on non-corner threes ranks in the 92nd percentile among big men, per Cleaning the Glass. The Knicks' offense reaches another level when Towns is on the floor, tallying 3.6 more points per 100 possessions.

He's been dependable late in games, ranking 16th in the NBA in fourth-quarter points (142). Towns had a historic showing in his return to Minnesota last week, becoming the first player in NBA history to register at least 30 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, and five threes.

Previous: 5

Mitchell's complete buy-in of Kenny Atkinson's dynamic offense continues to bear fruit for the Cleveland Cavaliers as a whole and for Mitchell on an individual level. Cleveland tops the NBA with 25.2 points per game on plays stemming from their pick-and-roll ball-handlers; 9.2 of those points come from Mitchell, the seventh-best mark among all players.

As a side effect of their more free-flowing offense, Mitchell's ordinary counting stats are lower across the board than in his debut 2023-24 season in Cleveland (save for his improved efficiency from deep at a career-high 40.5%), but his overall impact and direct contributions to winning may never have been higher. Perhaps nothing illustrates that better than the team's defensive rating taking its biggest hit (a drastic minus-12.8 swing) during Mitchell's off-court minutes.

Previous: 4

Tatum had been steadily humming along lately until erupting with a 43-point triple-double Saturday. He went 9-of-15 from beyond the arc, not only setting a new season high for threes but hitting half as many treys as he'd totaled in his other six December contests, during which he was a combined 18-of-62 (29.5%).

He's also back to setting up teammates with ease. After showing marked improvement as a facilitator in November, Tatum appeared to regress to his career norms in December (a nine-assist loss Dec. 7 aside). But he tied a career best Saturday with his third game of 10 or more assists, giving him 54 more contests to break his personal record.

Previous: 7

Doncic has been on a tear since returning from a wrist injury, averaging 30.8 points, 10.7 boards, 9.3 assists, and 3.3 steals over his last six appearances. The Dallas Mavericks star recently posted a 45-point triple-double, becoming one of eight players in NBA history to accomplish the feat on multiple occasions.

It was also his 80th career triple-double overall, clear of James Harden and Wilt Chamberlain for seventh all time. Doncic's value to Dallas' fifth-ranked offense can't be understated, as the club scores 9.2 more points per 100 possessions with the five-time All-Star on the floor.

Previous: 3

Gilgeous-Alexander continues to dominate the league by using his herky-jerky style to wriggle his way to the rim where he can either score or draw a foul. The Canadian guard is again living at the free-throw line, trailing only Giannis Antetokounmpo and Davis with 7.9 attempts from the charity stripe per game. SGA has also mastered the art of the pull-up jumper - only Doncic (12.3) averages more points on shots off the dribble than Gilgeous-Alexander (12.1).

While SGA's offensive stats are impressive, his defensive numbers have been off the charts. The 6-foot-6 guard operates as a free safety in Oklahoma's historic defense: he's averaging 3.5 deflections and is seventh in stocks with 2.93 per contest.

Previous: 8

Antetokounmpo's dominant play has put the Milwaukee Bucks back in the hunt after a slow start. The Bucks are 11-3 over their last 14 games, with the Greek Freak averaging 33.1 points, 10.8 boards, 5.9 assists, and 1.6 blocks during that span. Antetokounmpo leads all players in scoring and has posted at least 20 points in every game this season.

He's been particularly dominant in the paint, tallying an NBA-best 21.4 points per contest. Antetokounmpo's interior dominance pressures opponents into packing the lane, allowing him to drive-and-kick to open shooters on the perimeter. The two-time MVP has been equally effective on the defensive end, providing a strong rim-protecting presence and contesting shots on the perimeter with his length.

Previous: 1

Jokic has dragged his Denver Nuggets to a 15-11 record. The three-time MVP leads the Association in plus-minus per 100 possessions with a minimum of 200 minutes played (plus-27.3) - only three other players have an on-off rating above 20, one of which is Jokic's teammate Christian Braun (plus-21.9).

Everything revolves around the 7-footer: Jokic is second in the league in scoring, second in assists, and third in rebounds. Jokic has scored 30 or more points in 11 of his 23 contests and recently dropped 104 points in a two-game span. If his counting stats weren't enough, his insane efficiency seals his No. 1 spot. The Serbian is shooting a league-best 50.5% from three on a career-high 4.4 attempts per game.