The NBA season is underway with a few marquee matchups on the schedule. In this article, we will detail how each player has fared so far and what to expect from their games going forward.
Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are battling for the top spot on the NBA’s MVP list. Nikola has a lot of potential to be one of the best players in the league, but he is still young. Read more in detail here: nikola jokic age.
Who is the NBA’s best player?
Has Nikola Jokic’s domination for the Denver Nuggets this season earned him the title? Is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who already has two MVPs and a Finals MVP under his belt, the clear favorite? Is Joel Embiid’s scoring-and-defense combination for the Philadelphia 76ers enough to make him a front-runner after Kevin Durant’s endorsement? What about LeBron James, who is currently the league’s second-leading scorer in its storied history?
We’re not interested in addressing that question from a legacy or even a season-long standpoint. Those are discussions for another day, and the latter is equivalent to yet another MVP discussion. Instead, we’re basing our NBA player power rankings entirely on recent results.
We’re moving to rolling player ratings, which employ game score and schedule changes to analyze how each player has done during his previous 10 games, using data supplied by NBA Math. The higher the number, the better the performance, and it’s scaled such that the results are equivalent to the scale used to quantify scoring outputs.
To be considered for our top-25 ranking, players must have played at least once in the previous week.
Zach LaVine (17.84), Miles Bridges (18.32), Jordan Poole (18.5), Khris Middleton (19.15), Tyler Herro (17.84), Miles Bridges (18.32), Jordan Poole (18.5), Khris Middleton (19.15), Tyler Herro (17.84), Miles Bridges (18.32), Jordan Poole (18.5), Jordan Poole (18 (19.28)
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The player power rankings start with a trio of individuals you would not expect to see, if only because they have noteworthy colleagues who have garnered significantly more attention throughout the 2021-22 season.
DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls is on the outside looking in when it comes to the MVP race, but Zach LaVine has been on a tear for the Windy City in recent weeks. Despite a 12-point outing against the Phoenix Suns on Friday, he’s averaging 24.3 points and 5.2 assists in his previous 10 outings. The Bulls’ season may be unraveling, but it’s difficult to place the blame on his high-flying shoulders.
Because of his up-and-coming status and flashiness on the court, LaMelo Ball draws the most attention for the Charlotte Hornets. Miles Bridges, on the other hand, has quietly returned to the level at which he began his Most Improved Player campaign. In his previous ten games, he’s averaging 21.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while shooting 52.1/43.6/86.7 percent from the field.
Then there’s Jordan Poole, who will be given even more responsibility now that Stephen Curry is sidelined indefinitely with a damaged ligament in his left foot. Poole was succeeding for the Dubs even with No. 30 in the lineup, courtesy to his silky pull-up jumper and basket-attacking domination. He’s scored at least 20 points in nine consecutive games, but only five of those have seen him start.
How about Khris Middleton with Tyler Herro for a slick offense? The former has continued to make difficult mid-rangers for the Milwaukee Bucks, thriving even when not in the limelight and trying his best to justify his All-Star selection after the fact. The latter can’t seem to stop scoring contested baskets on the fly, and he seems to be on his way to winning Sixth Man of the Year and a hefty contract extension as soon as he’s eligible.
CJ McCollum (19.83), Darius Garland (20.25), Pascal Siakam (20.28), Dejounte Muray (20.32), James Harden (20.32), CJ McCollum (19.83), Darius Garland (20.25), Pascal Siakam (20.28), Dejounte Muray (20.32), CJ McCollum (19.83), Darius Garland (20.25), Da (21.21)
The CJ McCollum situation with the New Orleans Pelicans seems to be working out. He’s averaging 26.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists since joining the Big Easy on Feb. 10, shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. He’s just becoming more at ease, which bodes well for the Pelicans’ prospects of qualifying for the Western Conference play-in games.
Darius Garland didn’t need a change of location to make a name for himself. Despite the fact that the Cleveland Cavaliers are still plagued by significant ailments, he’s back in the lineup and prospering as a scorer and a distributor. This season, he’s made an unlimited amount of easy baskets for Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and the rest of the team.
Meanwhile, Pascal Siakam and Dejounte Murray of the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs, respectively, may be enjoying two of the most underappreciated All-NBA seasons. Both have been fantastic all year and have made absolutely zero steps back in the last several months. Siakam has averaged 26.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in his previous ten games, while Murray has averaged 24.5, 8.0, and 8.6.
During his limited time with the Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden has continued to play second fiddle to Joel Embiid. Even a backup position for the bearded guard entails lots of step-back triples and distribution prowess. The latter is an often-overlooked aspect of his game, so it’s worth noting that despite forming connections with his teammates on the fly, Harden has averaged 10.5 assists in Philly.
Terry Rozier (21.47), Ja Morant (21.66), De’Aaron Fox (22.76), Devin Booker (22.85), and Kevin Durant (22.85) are the Nos. 15-11. (22.86)
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Now we’ve reached the tier with a couple of young guards and an injury-proof basketball superstar.
Terry Rozier is a secondary player for the Charlotte Hornets, coming in after LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges in the pecking order. When his shot is falling, though, his aggressive style of play may pay off handsomely. This has been the case in recent weeks, as he has put up high-scoring performance after high-scoring performance, while not spending much time at the charity stripe.
Ja Morant and De’Aaron Fox play roles that are considerably more visible. His 46- and 52-point outbursts are still contributing towards his score here, as the Memphis Grizzlies guard continues to deliver spectacular moments and keep his team near the top of the Western Conference rankings. As his club puts up an entertaining and unexpectedly competitive product, the Sacramento Kings ball-handler has begun to create amazing chemistry with Domantas Sabonis, who was acquired at the trade deadline.
Since Chris Paul’s thumb injury on Feb. 16, Devin Booker has done all he can to keep the Phoenix Suns out of the race for the Western Conference’s top seed. He’s averaging 28.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.0 assists while turning the ball over only 2.9 times per game and slashing 52.5/41.1/93.0 with a four-game absence built in.
Kevin Durant, on the other hand? So, at this point in his great career, what more can we say about him?
It makes no difference whatever ailment he’s coming back from or who he’ll be joining in the Brooklyn Nets lineup. In any case, he’ll always score above everyone from everywhere. He’s averaging 30.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists in eight outings after a 21-game layoff, while shooting 53.6 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from three-point range, and 92.1 percent from the line.
Trae Young (22.97), Kyrie Irving (23.65), Karl-Anthony Towns (23.82), Luka Doncic (24.11), Jayson Tatum (24.11), Trae Young (22.97), Kyrie Irving (23.65), Karl-Anthony Towns (23.65), Karl-Anthony Towns (23.65), Karl-Anthony Towns (23. (24.22)
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Trae Young may not be a defensive threat, and his Atlanta Hawks have struggled to get going all season — a situation that is unlikely to alter now that John Collins is sidelined indefinitely. But he’s continued to flourish as an attacking force capable of winning any game on his own. When he went for 47 and 46 on the two ends of a mid-March back-to-back, the Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers learned the hard way.
Kyrie Irving can’t win a game on his own because of the ongoing coronavirus vaccination regulations, which limit him to only playing on the road. When he wears a uniform, though, he seems to be one of the best scorers the Association has ever seen. His past ten games, which stretch back to February 2, contain 60-, 50-, and 38-point outbursts due to the unusual conditions.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Luka Doncic, and Jayson Tatum are all flourishing for teams aiming to improve their rankings in their respective conferences.
Towns has the Minnesota Timberwolves ranked sixth in the Western Conference, and he scored 60 points against the San Antonio Spurs on March 14. Doncic has continued to do everything for a Dallas Mavericks team that has climbed to No. 5 in the Western Conference. The Boston Celtics are just edging out the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers for home-court advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, thanks to Tatum’s unstoppable offense and huge contributions to a great defense.
5. Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid (24.6)
Is Joel Embiid going to go through with it? Is he capable of becoming the first center to win the NBA’s single-season scoring title since Shaquille O’Neal?
He’s now in first place (29.8), ahead of LeBron James (29.8) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.8) in a race so tight that an additional significant number is needed to indicate the differences between the top three. In fact, the top three are so close that if Antetokounmpo had made just one more of his 1,118 field-goal attempts, he would have jumped from third to first.
Embiid, on the other hand, isn’t allowing any of the other two pass him easily.
He’s averaging 29.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game over his previous ten games, while failing to equal the genuine heights he achieved back in January and early February.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 24.62
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an excellent illustration of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s stealth-tanking rather than plain tanking strategy. They may have put together a squad that can’t compete with the actual powerhouses in each conference, but they’re still trying their hardest to put up their finest performances on a regular basis.
SGA would have been shut down for the season under the pretense of some chronic injury if that hadn’t been the case — or, at the very least, wouldn’t have been on the floor for so long.
Instead, even with Josh Giddey taking on greater responsibilities beside him, the 23-year-old has continued to improve throughout the season, leaving no question that he’s a focal point for this club. Over his past twelve games, he’s averaging 30.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 7.2 assists, and that includes an eight-point performance in a blowout defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is ranked third with a score of 25.42.
Throughout the 2021-22 season, two things have been consistent for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Their team has struggled in general, hampered by injuries and the ill-fitting garments they’ve requested to wear the Purple and Gold, but LeBron James has continued to put up massive individual numbers, leaving little doubt that Father Time is contractually obligated to keep his performance from being harmed.
James’ stats may have had less of an influence on the winning efforts this year, but he’s still in contention for a scoring championship, has overtaken Karl Malone for second place on the all-time points list, and has continued to generate jaw-dropping box-score figures at the age of 37.
For practically any player in the history of the sport, averaging 33.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while slashing 53.2/38.6/74.6 would be a career highlight. For the ageless King, it’s simply another 10-game stretch.
2. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo: 27.43
Don’t look now, but the Milwaukee Bucks, the NBA’s defending champs, are right back in the hunt for the Eastern Conference’s top spot. They are three games behind the Miami Heat, which may be too much to overcome this early in the 2021-22 season. However, they’ve gone 8-3 since the All-Star break, with one of their defeats coming against the Minnesota Timberwolves as Giannis Antetokounmpo rested his knee.
Brook Lopez’s comeback, Serge Ibaka’s incorporation into the lineup, and Khris Middleton’s return to form have all aided Brewtown’s progress, but the Greek Freak has remained the driving force behind the Bucks’ success.
He’s averaging 33.1 points, 12.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks in his previous 12 outings, and the consistency of his all-around dominance has been astounding. With the exception of a 19-point effort against the Phoenix Suns (in which he still had 13 rebounds and six assists before fouling out), he’s scored at least 26 points in each of his past five games, and has exceeded 30 in eight of them.
The rest of the NBA has no solutions when Antetokounmpo is in destroyer-of-worlds mode.
Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets): 28.5 points
Nikola Jokic has done so much to put the Denver Nuggets atop the Western Conference rankings that the notion of matching him with a healthy Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. may be scary.
The Boston Celtics drew a rare subpar performance out of the Serbian superstar on Sunday, restricting him to 23 points, eight rebounds, and four assists on 8-of-23 shooting. In the great scheme of things, it isn’t a bad performance. However, it is by Jokic’s high standards.
After all, he had been averaging 30.0 points, 13.2 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks during a nine-game period while shooting an incredible 61.9 percent from the field.
Jokic is still competing for the MVP award with Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he’s reclaimed the top place in the player power rankings, which he held for most of the season’s first half.
Unless otherwise stated, all stats are courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA Math and are current as of March 21.
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