The Association crew debates if Nikola Joki\u0107 is currently the best player in the league.<\/p>\n
So let\u2019s discuss the elephant in the MVP room \u2014 the 65-game minimum<\/a> for eligibility \u2014 because much like the large beast, it\u2019s hard to ignore right now, given the latest development.<\/p>\n This minimum was implemented by the league for a reason. To qualify for any regular-season award (All-NBA, etc.), a player must reach the threshold. This is incentive-based (you must play) and also sensible, because how can someone stake a claim to be the best or among the best and they\u2019re MIA for a significant chunk of that season?<\/p>\n Keep in mind that only Bill Walton (1977-78<\/a>) won MVP while playing fewer than 65 games in an 82-game season. Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019-20<\/a>), Karl Malone (1998-99<\/a>) and LeBron James (2011-12<\/a>) won in seasons that were shortened. Therefore, even before the 65-rule was in place, MVP contenders were routinely reaching it, anyway.<\/p>\n Maybe in some ways it\u2019s not always fair because of injuries, especially in this era, but such is life, and shall we list all the injustices of 24\/7, 365-everyday living? It might take a minute.<\/p>\n And now let\u2019s discuss the seven-foot Serbian in the MVP room.<\/p>\n Everyone did a collective exhale when Nikola Joki\u0107, well ahead in the Kia Race to the MVP, was diagnosed with a hyperextended knee<\/a> \u2014 the best-case scenario \u2014 from last Monday\u2019s mishap in Miami. Joki\u0107 is an NBA treasure, someone who prepares himself diligently, plays the right way, stays humble, smartly represents the Denver Nuggets, and, of course, performs at the highest of levels.<\/p>\n His status will be reassessed in four weeks<\/a>, which roughly means he\u2019ll miss all of January. Which means there\u2019s a chance he won\u2019t reach 65. Should a player such as Joki\u0107 \u2014 who normally doesn\u2019t take time off (he played under 70 games only once in his career and that includes shortened seasons) \u2014 be punished when it comes to MVP? Is this unfair?<\/p>\n Everyone can agree on this: it is definitely unfortunate.<\/p>\n Anyway, for purposes of this particular discussion, Joki\u0107 won\u2019t be replaced at No. 1 on the Kia MVP Ladder until he becomes mathematically unable to reach 65 games, or someone comes along and pole vaults Joki\u0107\u2019s astoundingly high bar. That\u2019s not impossible to do, but good luck with that, also.<\/p>\n And none of that\u2019s happening this week, at the very least.<\/p>\n No. 1 remains No. 1 until further notice.<\/p>\n Setting the stage this week: A seriously delicious guard matchup awaits Monday when Jalen Brunson and the Knicks visit Cade Cunningham and the Pistons. Perhaps the top spot in the East will be at stake as well, or soon thereafter. These two MVP contenders have positioned themselves and their teams accordingly. Team and individual bragging rights are at stake \u2014 at least until they meet again, Feb. 6.<\/p>\n The stat to know: The Los Angeles Lakers are obviously rich in legendary talent \u2014 Kobe Bryant, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O\u2019Neal, LeBron James, etc. And none averaged at least 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a single season \u2026 like Luka Doncic is currently doing.<\/p>\n What they are saying: \u201cIt\u2019s a sad day for me because this is my favorite player to watch. If I paid money to watch a player, I\u2019m paying money to watch Joki\u0107 \u2026 this is a devastating blow to (his) team because you\u2019re talking about the front-runner for MVP.\u201d \u2014 Tracy McGrady, the former star-turned-broadcaster, on Jokic and the Nuggets.<\/p>\n 1. Nikola Joki\u0107, Denver Nuggets<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking:<\/a> No. 1 \u2194\ufe0f His case: Until his injury, he was on pace to become the first player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounds and assists. In addition, he\u2019s a top-five scorer. Also, in 32 games this season, Joki\u0107 had a triple-double in half of them.<\/p>\n Simply put: the man is just a machine. He also has 28 double-doubles, shooting 60% from the field and 43.5% from deep. Again, before this injury, there was no suspense regarding the MVP front-runner. It took a freak of nature to introduce a shred of doubt.<\/p>\n 2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking:<\/a> No. 2 \u2194\ufe0f His case: He rang in the New Year pretty much the way he left the old one, playing three quarters and dropping genius \u2014 getting 30 points on 11-for-15 shooting with four steals in a blowout win against the Blazers<\/a>. Apparently, the sky isn\u2019t falling in Oklahoma City anymore.<\/p>\n Gilgeous-Alexander averaged nearly 32 points on 58% shooting in December, which had its challenges, obviously, given the three losses to the Spurs. Still, his shooting efficiency remained steep and with a few exceptions, he kept his mistakes to a minimum.<\/p>\n 3. Luka Don\u010di\u0107, Los Angeles Lakers<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking:<\/a> No. 3 \u2194\ufe0f His case: Don\u010di\u0107 wrapped up a steady if not dominant December with a handful of MVP-flavored performances. Such as: A 45-point triple-double against the Jazz, 43 points and 13 assists against the Clippers,\u00a0 41 against the Bucks. He continues to lead the league in scoring.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, Don\u010di\u0107 remains a threat to drop a triple-double any night, or at least come close. He\u2019s averaging almost that for the season. As mentioned above in the Stat To Know, Don\u010di\u0107 is carving out space among the Lakers\u2019 legends of the past.<\/p>\n 4. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking:<\/a> No. 4 \u2194\ufe0f His case: How can someone handle the ball so much and seldom allow it to slip? In his last two games, 72 minutes of action, Brunson has two turnovers. That\u2019s one of those subtle signs that Brunson is having a solid season so far.<\/p>\n For December, Brunson averaged 30.6 points and seven assists and shot 40% from deep. He also averaged just 1.8 turnovers over 13 games, averaging 37 minutes played per game, which is supreme efficiency.<\/p>\n 5. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking:<\/a> No. 6 \u2b06\ufe0f His case: Wembanyama\u2019s ramp-up following a calf strain is going swimmingly. He has crammed much production at both ends in limited playing time and, on a per-minute basis, is playing better than much of the pack. Most recently was 31 points and 13 rebounds in 24 minutes (and surviving an injury scare) in a win over the Knicks. He\u2019s averaging more points than minutes over his last three games.<\/p>\n Therefore, he gets the top-five nudge, by a razor-thin margin, over Cade Cunningham for now. It remains to be seen if the Spurs hike his minutes or are content to keep him rationed at 25 per game, especially if they continue to win regularly.<\/p>\n The next 5:<\/p>\n 6. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons \u2b07\ufe0f And five more (listed alphabetically): Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets; De\u2019Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs; Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers; Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets; Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Association crew debates if Nikola Joki\u0107 is currently the best player in the league. 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Season stats:<\/a> 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 11 assists<\/p>\n
Season stats:<\/a> 32.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists<\/p>\n
Season stats:<\/a> 33.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists<\/p>\n
Season stats:<\/a> 29.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists<\/p>\n
Season stats:<\/a> 24.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.9 blocks<\/p>\n
7. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics \u2194\ufe0f
8. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves \u2194\ufe0f
9. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers \u2194\ufe0f
10. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets \u2194\ufe0f<\/p>\n