Victor Wembanyama puts up 34 points against the Timberwolves.
The calendar shifts, and so does the Kia Race to the MVP.
The most vivid rise on the Kia MVP Ladder is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the unquestioned leader of the surging Oklahoma City Thunder. Both the player and team enter 2025 boosted by a December that saw them go 12-1 (the Emirates NBA Cup Championship loss doesn’t count in the standings).
Gilgeous-Alexander has been brilliant all season and had three 40-point games over the last 10 days. That level of consistency must be saluted along with the success of the Thunder, who remain in the West penthouse. Therefore, he moves up a step and is tapping Nikola Jokić on the shoulder.
Also, Victor Wembanyama moves into the top five helped by an impressive December (and Christmas Day game in New York) as well, on both ends of the floor. He’s No. 7 in scoring and is more efficient than a year ago. He’s also averaging more blocks than the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat.
Meanwhile: “The Joker” ranks top-three in the NBA in scoring, rebounds and assists and therefore keeps space between him and the field on the ladder. This also helps is case: Denver is up to No. 4 in the Western Conference.
Setting the stage this week: Established multiple MVP winner meets a potential multiple winner in the future when Jokić plays Wembanyama on Friday in Denver (9 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass) and Saturday (8 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass) in San Antonio. This big-man showdown is a must-watch if only because both are playing the best ball of their careers — which is saying plenty about Jokić and explains Wembanyama’s steep potential.
The stat to know: Gilgeous-Alexander closed out 2024 strong with a hot December: 33.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game. For all of 2024 (January through December), he led all players in scoring.
What they are saying: “He’s looking like the MVP, man. He’s consistent every night. His team gonna give him the ball and just let him rock out every night … I love watching that. It’s incredible, man. If he (keeps doing) that, I hope they give (the MVP) to him this year for sure … he’s playing out his mind right now.” — Wolves guard Anthony Edwards, on Gilgeous-Alexander.
Last week’s ranking: No. 1
Season stats: 30.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, 9.7 assists
His case: Jokić remains the standard of excellence in the league thus far. His recent game against the Hawks threw another log on his raging case: The first 20-plus, 15-plus, 15-plus triple double in under 30 minutes in NBA history. And that followed 30 points, 22 rebounds, 11 assists and four steals against Utah.
At almost 31 points per game, Jokić is scoring roughly 10 points over his career average. How many MVP candidates or MVP winners ever managed to do that?
Last week’s ranking: No. 3
Season stats: 31.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 6.1 apg
His case: He seems incapable so far of going through even a mini-slump. Even after the Emirates NBA Cup title game when he was shot an uncharacteristic 8-for-24, Gilgeous-Alexander returned with 35 or more points in five of the next seven games.
His defense, much like OKC’s, has leveled up as well. Gilgeous-Alexander ranks No. 3 in the NBA in steals per game (2 spg), has a pair of four-steal games and one with five steals. He’s also No. 2 among guards in total blocks, too.
Last week’s ranking: No. 2
Season stats: 32.4 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 6 apg
His case: Antetokounmpo remains a two-way force, although injuries (back spasms, illness, nothing major) caused him to miss a few games since winning the Emirates NBA Cup. But he returned to an MVP level since rejoining the lineup and leads the league in scoring.
Antetokounmpo is has a key clash with Wembanyama next Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), their first meeting of the season. It’ll be an interesting MVP checkpoint for him and the Spurs’ young center who, like Giannis, provides impact at both ends.
Last week’s ranking: No. 5
Season stats: 28.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 5.6 apg
His case: Another stretch of steadiness by Tatum, who has 20 or more points in eight straight games and shooting over 50% during that time. He dropped 33 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and three steals on Thursday against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves.
Tatum recently remarked that other MVP candidates must do more to help their teams, while in his case, the defending champs are loaded and therefore the demands on him aren’t as great.
Last week’s ranking: No. 6
Season stats: 25.6 ppg, 10 rpg, 3.9 bpg
His case: Massive leap by the second-year center over the last few weeks, punctuated by his tremendous Christmas game in New York. In December he became the first player in NBA history to compile 300 points, 100 rebounds, 50 blocks, 50 assists and 40 three-pointers in a calendar month.
Wemby is also a strong candidate for Kia Defensive Player of the Year. He’s leading the league in blocks, more than a full block over Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler.
6. Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks.
7. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks.
8. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers.
9. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers.
10. Alperen Şengün, Houston Rockets.
And five more (listed alphabetically): Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks; Tyler Herro, Miami Heat; LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers; Norman Powell, LA Clippers; Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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