NBA MVP Race: Did Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry Make It to Top 5 in Latest Rankings?
The 2022 NBA MVP race suffers several significant changes every week. Even though only five players can aspire to win the coveted award after the regular season ends, there are 10 good candidates who could make a push to get it.
After an impressive display in January, the Cameroonian-born player Joel Embiid is now the frontrunner in getting the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player for the 2021-22 season.
Along with Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chris Paul, and Stephen Curry are closing the top 5, according to Michel C. Wright of NBA.com, who is giving us the latest updates every week on this intense race.
2022 NBA MVP Race: Joel Embiid Surpasses Nikola Jokic For No. 1 Spot
After Joel Embiid won Player of the Month honors last month, he continues to rise quickly, claiming first place in what is expected to be a close race between the Sixers' star and the Denver Nuggets superstar.
After Nikola Jokic dethroned two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and spent two weeks at the top of the rank, the Philadelphia 76ers center has done the same to him.
Embiid was already making noise and was on his way to taking over the top spot when Jokic climbed up to the 1st spot, resulting in Joker's second place.
Embiid missed a highly anticipated matchup against Memphis on Monday because of a planned rest day after participating in 21 consecutive games, which registers as the second-longest streak of his career.
Stephen Curry Returns in Top 5 in 2022 NBA MVP Race
Overtaking DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls, Stephen Curry moved back into the top five.
Curry, who led the ranking for the first two months of the competition, is regaining his level while ensuring that the Golden State Warriors remain one of the league's best teams.
The rest of the pack includes two players who made it into the top 10 this week, demonstrating that they are currently playing excellent basketball.
Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, who scored 30 or more (40 or more twice) in five of his last eight games, and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves ranked 9th and 10th, respectively, and are attempting to lead their teams to a deep run in the playoffs.
The next five include DeMar DeRozan, who placed 5th last week, Ja Morant of Memphis Grizzlies (Last week: No. 8), and Devin Booker of Phoenix Suns (Last week: No. 9), as well as last week's unranked Doncic and Towns.
According to the NBA, Chris Paul is the only player in the current top 5 who hasn't led the ranking at this point, and the Phoenix Suns are having a tremendous season right now.
The 'Point God' could make some noise in the next few weeks if they retain that level and CP3 keeps his good pace.
For the time being, Joel Embiid is leading the pack, hoping to maintain this pace for the rest of the season and avenge his second-place finish behind Nikola Jokic in last season's vote.
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Written by: Jess Smith
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