NBA MVP Mondays: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis
Yesterday at 05:55 PM
There is no way to project who is going to win the 2024-25 NBA MVP award after just two weeks. Injuries occur over the course of the entire season, and until 2025 begins, there is really no telling which teams will be a lock to make the playoffs. Just because players get off to fast starts does not necessarily mean that is how they will play over the course of an 82-game schedule, which is why the MVP ladder across the NBA is ever changing through the first few weeks. However, if there is anything that stands out thus far, it is the play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, and Anthony Davis.
Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Tatum and Gilgeous-Alexander had the spotlight cast on them because of their team’s chances of facing off against one another in the 2025 NBA Finals. Fresh off their championship run last year, Tatum and the Boston Celtics found themselves as heavy favorites to repeat. In the Western Conference, the success that the Oklahoma City Thunder found with their historic 57-25 record despite being the league’s youngest team has paved the road for them to be the team to beat in what looks to be a loaded conference.
Through two weeks of the new season, it is clear to see where these teams and players stand as far as rankings go. The Celtics still hold the top spot in ClutchPoints’ NBA Power Rankings, despite suffering their first loss of the season in overtime to the Indiana Pacers, and the Thunder are right behind them. Gilgeous-Alexander and Tatum are leading their respective teams to the top of the NBA standings, which directly impacts the MVP race. At the same time, we can’t ignore the season Davis is putting together.
While the Los Angeles Lakers may be LeBron James’ team, both he and first-year head coach JJ Redick would agree that Davis needs to be their driving force in order to reach the pinnacle of success. So far, Davis has established himself as the best big man in the NBA this season, which is notable since a frontcourt player has won this award each of the last six seasons.
The race for the NBA MVP award is on, and while it is still early, it is Gilgeous-Alexander that has taken the top spot for the first time this year.
Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 1
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Previous ranking: #2
2024-25 season stats: 6 games, 26.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.2 blocks, 47.1 FG%, 27.9 3P%
The Thunder are 6-0 this season and are the only team in the league allowing less than 100 points per game on average to their opponents. Gilgeous-Alexander is the leader of this team, and what oftentimes goes unnoticed is his defensive impact. As a whole, Oklahoma City is a tremendous defensive team, which is why Shai isn’t recognized as much as he should be for how strong of a defender he is both on and off the ball.
It is early in the season, so a lot of these metrics are skewed, but Gilgeous-Alexander ranks second in defensive win shares and fourth in personal defensive rating. The only players he is trailing are his own teammates. Aside from leading the Thunder in scoring at 26.5 points per game, the 26-year-old is also setting the tone on both ends by averaging 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks. No matter what side of the court he is on, Gilgeous-Alexander can make an MVP-like impact.
With how successful the Thunder have been to start the new season, it is hard not to have Gilgeous-Alexander at the top of the NBA MVP rankings.
2. Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics
Previous ranking: #1
2024-25 season stats: 7 games, 30.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.9 steals, 48.2 FG%, 34.2 3P%
Jayson Tatum is certainly off to the best start he has had with the Celtics. While he is still willing to put the team above his own personal accolades and achievements, Tatum has certainly let it be known that Boston is his team. The 26-year-old has scored at least 30 points in four different games this season, and it certainly seems like the Celtics star is hunting his shot this season instead of deferring to others at times. Defending a title is harder than winning the first, and it truly seems like Tatum understands this.
Like Gilgeous-Alexander, Tatum has been making a strong impact defensively on the wing for the Celtics in addition to his offensive contributions. By helping set the tone of defense, the Celtics star is able to play the game at his pace and let the flow of the game come naturally. When you are among the leading scorers in the league and on arguably the best team in the NBA, it is easy to see why Tatum would be at the very top of the MVP rankings.
3. Anthony Davis – Los Angeles Lakers
Previous ranking: #3
2024-25 season stats: 6 games, 31.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 1.8 steals, 57.3 FG%, 25.0 3P%
Statistics never lie, and they say early on that Davis is the best big man in the NBA to begin the 2024-25 season. Dominance is the one word that can be used to describe the Lakers big man thus far, as he has recorded at least 29 points in five of Los Angeles’ first six games, with four of these performances being double-doubles. Davis is simply putting up Wilt Chamberlain-like numbers for the Lakers right now, and that isn’t the only NBA legend he is joining company with.
In fact, Davis became the first player since Karl Malone in 1993 to record at least 20 points, a steal, and a block in each of his first six games of the season. No matter how you splice Davis’ numbers to begin the new year, he is making history one way or another. If the Lakers can sustain success and contend for a top-four spot in the Western Conference standings, Davis will undoubtedly be in the MVP conversation.
4. Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves
Previous ranking: #5
2024-25 season stats: 6 games, 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 41.4 FG%, 37.5 3P%
Anthony Edwards has been putting on a show as of late for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Everyone knows about Edwards’ scoring abilities and his acrobatic plays, but did anyone know that the 23-year-old could possibly lead the league in three-point shooting? This season, Edwards has made 32 perimeter shots through six games, and he currently leads the league in made threes. He has also made at least five triples in five games.
As far as being a complete offensive weapon, Edwards is beginning to solidify himself as one of the best pure scorers in the league. One of the biggest questions that surrounded Edwards last season was whether or not he could become a consistent shooting threat, yet there are some now complaining that he is taking too many threes. Well, the Timberwolves star has one message for those who tend to think his new shot diet is stale: “F**k ’em!”
5. Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks
Previous ranking: #4
2024-25 season stats: 6 games, 28.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 40.4 FG%, 31.1 3P%
This has been a very slow and quiet start to the season for Luka Doncic. After sitting out most of the preseason, Doncic has yet to have one of his marquee performances despite scoring 40 points in the Dallas Mavericks’ second game of the year. It is quite comical to refer to Luka’s start as “quiet” for his standards simply because he is still averaging 28.0 points per game and has the Mavs 4-2 overall.
Unlike Gilgeous-Alexander, Edwards, and others, it seems like there is a fatigue starting to grow surrounding the numbers we see from Doncic on a nightly basis. A 32-point, nine-rebound, and seven-assist game like he just had against the Orlando Magic is impressive, yet nobody wants to turn to Doncic and claim he is having an amazing start to the year. He will eventually pick things up at a higher rate, and when he does, Doncic will rapidly turn into an MVP favorite once more.
Just missing the cut
6. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets (Ranked No. 7 last week)
7. Kevin Durant – Phoenix Suns (Ranked No. 6 last week)
8. Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers (Unranked last week)
9. Devin Booker – Phoenix Suns (Unranked last week)
10. Ja Morant – Memphis Grizzlies (Unranked last week)
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