Doncic, Tatum or Jokic? Looking at five of the contenders for the NBA's MVP award

The Denver centre has won the award on the last two occasions, and is yet again one of the favourites to claim the newly-named ‘Michael Jordan trophy’. He would become just the fourth player in history to win back-to-back-to-back awards, alongside Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird.

The winner of the award is decided by a group of sportswriters and broadcasters from around the US and Canada. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won it the most times (6), while Stephen Curry became the only man in history to win with 100% of the votes.

Let’s take a deeper dive at some of the favourites to claim the award this season.

All stats and figures are true as of January 6th 2023

Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)

Stats: 34 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game, 8.7 assists per game

It’s not an understatement to say that this man is absolutely unplayable right now. The Dallas Mavericks are a one-man offensive team with Luka Doncic (23) doing all the heavy lifting.

He has the most points in the NBA this season (1224), while also averaging the highest points per game (34). In his last seven, he has racked up at least 50 points on three occasions, including his history-making triple-double masterclass: 60-21-10. Additionally, he scored 30+ points in six consecutive games. The game plan for the Mavs is very simple. Get out of Doncic’s way, and let him do the damage.

His numbers undoubtedly suggest that he could be well on his way to clinching the Michael Jordan trophy. The issue is the team he plays for. 

The fact of the matter is, the Mavs aren’t a great team. They are just ‘okay’. They are mostly role players, and their second superstar Christian Wood is yet to really hit his straps.

Dallas have just been on a seven-game winning run which has shot them up into 4th in the Western Conference, but they came crashing down to earth on January 6th with a thumping loss to the high-flying Boston Celtics. Doncic was rested for the entirety of the fourth quarter and looked to be suffering with fatigue or an injury.

The seven-game streak may have been a bit deceptive, with Doncic dragging them through games against slightly weaker opponents. When they face tougher opposition who look to limit Doncic, they will struggle, as they did before December, and as shown against the Celtics. The Mavs have won two and lost seven when Doncic has scored under 30 points.

Missing out on the playoffs will virtually rule Doncic out of the MVP equation. But if he can pull a questionable Dallas Mavericks team through, then he will be hard to ignore.

Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)

Stats: 25.2 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 9.5 APG

Nikola Jokic (27) has won the last two MVP awards, and boy, is he making a case for a three-peat. The Denver Nuggets are sitting nicely in 1st in the Western Conference, and yet again, Jokic is the heartbeat of the side.

‘The Joker’ has the most triple-doubles in the NBA this season (9) and has shot 50% or better from the field in 29 consecutive games.

If he can keep it up, his 9.5 assists per game average would be the best in NBA history by a centre. Currently, the record is held by Wilt Chamberlain (8.6).

Jokic is scoring less points per game than he has in any of his other MVP-winning seasons, but he is creating way more points per game. Consequently, he is more of a threat than he has ever been before, and the Nuggets are looking scary with him on their side.

Back in December, he became the first player in 50 years to post at least 40 points, 25 rebounds and 10 assists, when Denver beat the Charlotte Hornets 119-115. He ended the game 40-27-10.

Jokic is on course for a third MVP award in a row, but one thing that could potentially hold him back is voter fatigue. People out there may be looking for a new winner, and if someone else can stake a strong claim, voters may lean towards them instead of Jokic.

Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)

Stats: 30.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 4.2 APG

With Jayson Tatum (24), it’s simple. He has been the best player for the best team this season. That automatically puts you in a really good position to win the MVP award.

He scored his second career triple-double against the Mavs just a few days ago (29-14-10), coming out on top in the MVP shootout with a depleted Doncic.

He’s not always the loudest player, and won’t stump up the ridiculous numbers of Doncic or Jokic, but his partnership with Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtic's winning formula simply means he will be right in contention. 

He is averaging 30.7 points per game, and if he can maintain a 30+ average all season and help the Celtics to the best record in the NBA, it will be so difficult to look past him.

Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)

Stats: 29.9 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.5 APG

The Brooklyn Nets’ stunning 12-game winning run came to an end against the Chicago Bulls on January 5th, but regardless, they sit on the tail of the Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

There has been controversy off the court surrounding the Nets, including Kevin Durant’s (34) offseason trade request, but that is now a thing of the past. Durant has knuckled down and been an incredibly reliable and high-performing figure during their run.

In Durant’s last 20 games, he has shot 60.1% overall, 39.4% on 3-pointers and 95.5% on free throws. He is the eighth-best in the NBA regarding the number of blocks made.

The Nets possess the NBA’s top clutch net rating (27.4), and Durant has been a key part of that.

If Brooklyn and Durant can stay focused and keep motoring along, he will be right up there at the end of the season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)

Stats: 32.7 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 5.4 APG

Giannis Antetokounmpo (28) became the third man after Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James to win two MVP awards before the age of 26, and in 2021, led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA Championship since 1971.

Albeit against weaker sides, Antetokounmpo has put up stupid numbers over his last three games (43-20-5, 55-10-7, 30-21-10), making him the first man since Abdul-Jabbar in 1972 to hit 200-plus points, 80-plus rebounds and 30-plus assists over a five-game period.

His numbers are, as always, staggering, and he is on course to average 30-plus points, 10-plus rebounds and five-plus assists this season, which would be just the 8th time it has happened in NBA history. He is also shooting at 53.2%, and in eight of those seasons, only three times has a player shot at over 50%.

Again, similarly to Jokic, voters may look to avoid him purely because he has been MVP twice before.