It’s been two weeks since my initial MVP article and my goodness, has a lot transpired. The Warriors have regained their championship form, going 6-0, and now have Demarcus Cousins back. However, they are not the only team that’s kicking ass. The Bucks went 6-1, and the Raptors went 5-2, as they continue to battle for the top spot in the East. The Jazz went 7-1 and have rebounded (basketball pun) nicely from a slow start and are now 7th in the West. The Brooklyn Nets have been a pleasant surprise, going 6-1 in the last two weeks and pushing themselves up to the 6th seed in the East! And we haven’t even discussed our MVP candidates.

LeBron hasn’t played since Christmas and the Lakers have faded in the West. Giannis continues to impress, including a big-time slamma-jamma over our Lord and Savior Luka Doncic. Then, of course, there’s the beard. James Harden is on one of the most impressive runs since Kobe Bryant in 2006, and the Rockets need every-single-point just to compete.

These past two weeks have given us some unbelievable basketball, but before we get to the rankings, I wanted to shout some players out who have been playing fantastic basketball for their clubs over the past two weeks. They may not be in the MVP race, but they are ballin’. So enjoy the shoutouts and the rankings.

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Shout Outs

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Latest MVP Rankings

Date: Jan 24, 2018

Prev : Jan 9 – Midseason

Note: MVP rankings will come out every 2 weeks until the season ends.

1. James Harden, SG

Houston Rockets, 27-20, 5th in West
Prev: 1

GP	PPG	APG	RPG	PER
44	36.3	8.3	6.6	30.8

Funny story: I already wrote my piece on Harden, and I’m putting some finishing touches on the article … then I see “Harden has 36 at half vs Knicks” come across my phone. Turns out the reigning MVP dropped a career-high 61 points at the Mecca (tying Kobe’s MSG record for an opponent), leading the Rockets to a big road win. Harden now has scored 40 points or more 17 times in 44 games. Harden has been unreal these last two weeks. While the Rockets haven’t done as well as their counterparts, it isn’t from lack of effort from the reigning MVP. He dropped 57 points, 58 point, and 48 points in three straight games (2 W, 1 L), and of course the 61 points last night. He continues to single-handedly keep this Rockets team in the race after injuries to Chris Paul, and now Clint Capela. Plus, the brutal trade of well-liked teammate Carmelo Anthony. Ok … you got me.

Harden’s numbers are clearly insane: 45.3 points per game in January, and even more impressive … Harden is averaging 39.3 points, 8.6 ast, and 7.0 reb in his last 33 games. That is 40% of the season averaging almost 40-9-7. Those are ’06 Kobe numbers … actually … those are NBA2K numbers! Harden and the Rockets went 4-4 over the last 8, and with CP3 returning soon, I don’t see Harden averaging 40 anymore, but he’s not going anywhere.

The Beard’s Last 2 Weeks

Record: 8 games – 4W, 4L

Stats: 38.2 min, 48.0 pts, 9.8 reb, 6.4 ast, 2.6 stl, 5.4 tov, 5 DD2, 1 TD3

Shooting: 112-247 (45.3%) FG | 45-135 (33.3%) 3PT | 115-127 (90.6%) FT

Result	Date	Pts	Reb	Ast	FG	3PT
W, @ NY	1/23	61	15	4	17-38	5-20
L, @ Phi	1/21	37	6	3	12-26	6-13
W, vs LAL	1/19	48	8	6	14-30	8-19
L, vs Bkn	1/16	58	10	6	16-34	5-19
W, vs Mem	1/14	57	9	2	17-33	6-15
L, @ Orl	1/13	38	9	12	11-32	1-17
W, vs Cle	1/11	43	10	12	12-24	8-16
L, vs Mil	1/9	42	11	6	13-30	6-16

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2. Giannis Antetokoumpo, PF

Milwaukee Bucks, 34-12, 1st in East
Prev: 2

GP	PPG	RPG	BPG	PER
43	26.5	12.6	1.4	29.2

Giannis has not backed down in the MVP-race and that is not surprising. The Greek Freak has been on a mission all season long, putting up insane box scores, and the Bucks have the best record in the league. Yes, that is correct. The Bucks have the best record in all of basketball, and Giannis is the reason.

In the last two weeks, the Bucks have won all six games he played and five in a row, losing the one game Giannis didn’t. Giannis dropped a triple-double against Dwyane Wade, then swapped his jersey with the veteran after the game. Giannis is the new face of the East and would be number one in my rankings … if James Harden wasn’t averaging 48 ppg in the last eight. Giannis is doing a little bit of everything, but the Bucks are good, so he doesn’t need to do everything. In this MVP race, that bizarrely hurts him. Giannis will have to do something that we haven’t seen before in order to win MVP at this point. Maybe he should grow a beard?

The Greek Freak’s Last 2 Weeks

Record: 6 games – 6W, 0L, 1 DNP

Stats: 30.3 min, 25.8 pts, 12.7 reb, 5.3 ast, 1.7 stl, 3.3 tov, 5 DD2

Shooting: 95-209 FG (45.4%), 40-115 3PT (34.7%), 93-102 FT (91.2%)

Result	Date	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	FG
W, vs Dal	1/21	31	15	5	0	10-20
W, @ Orl	1/19	25	13	5	2	10-17
W, @ Mem	1/16	27	11	3	1	10-14
W, vs Mia	1/15	12	10	10	3	4-9
W, @ Atl	1/13	33	6	4	3	9-17
L, @ Was	1/11	DNP
W, @ Hou	1/9	27	21	5	1	8-16

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3. Anthony Davis, C

New Orleans Pelicans, 22-26, 12th in West
Prev: 3

GP	PPG	RPG	BPG	PER
41	29.3	13.3	2.6	31.0

The Brow has missed the last two games with a fracture on his left index finger but could return as soon as next week, and the Pelicans are desperate for his return. Anthoy Davis is having his best season as a pro, one of the best seasons in NBA history, and the Pelicans are four games below .500. If he doesn’t return soon, the Pelicans might be so far out of the race it would be silly to keep AD in the top 10.

AD has been playing out of this mind trying to keep the Pelicans in the race. He dropped 46 points and 16 rebounds on the Clippers and then 30 and 18 on the Warriors. There is no question that AD is the best big man in the game today. The question remains if he can lead a team to the postseason, and stay healthy, and both remain open-ended for now.

The Brow’s Last 2 Weeks

Record: 5 games – 2W, 3L, 2 DNP

Stats: 37.7 min, 34.2 pts, 13.6 reb, 4.4 ast, 1.2 stl, 2.0 blk, 1.6 tov, 4 DD2

Shooting: 57-116 FG (49%), 6-15 3PT (40%), 51-57 FT (89%)

Result	Date	Pts	Reb	Ast	Blk	FG
L, vs Det	1/23	DNP
W, @ Mem	1/21	DNP
L, @ Por	1/18	27	7	2	1	9-17
L, @ GSW	1/16	30	18	7	3	11-26
W, @ LAC	1/14	46	16	4	1	16-34
L, @ Min	1/12	30	14	2	1	10-22
W, vs Cle	1/9	38	13	7	4	11-17

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4. Kawhi Leonard, SF

Toronto Raptors, 36-14, 2nd in East
Prev: 4

GP	PPG	RPG	SPG	PER
36	27.6	7.6	1.9	27.4

While Kawhi Leonard is having an unbelievable season, the Raptors continue to monitor his health situation with great caution, as Kawhi has sat out the last four games due to “load management”. Kawhi has played in 36 of the 50 (72%) games of the Raps, and they continue to look great without him, despite their loss last night.

If Kawhi continues to play games at this rate, that will put his total at around 59/60 games, and I don’t think that is enough to win MVP … and the Raptors are fine with that. They know they need Kawhi for the postseason, so I’m sure all parties involved are okay with a top-five finish in the MVP race.

The Claw’s Last 2 Weeks

Record: 3 games – 2W, 1L, 4 DNP

Stats: 31.3 ppg, 8.7 reb, 3.7 ast, 2.7 stl, 2.0 tov

Shooting: 34-66 FG (52%), 7-19 3PT (37%), 19-21 FT (91%)

Result	Date	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	FG
L, @ Ind	1/23	DNP
W, vs Sac	1/22	DNP
W, vs Mem	1/19	DNP
W, vs Pho	1/17	DNP
L, @ Bos	1/16	33	4	2	4	10-19
W, @ Was	1/13	41	11	5	3	15-29
W, vs Bkn	1/11	20	11	4	1	9-18

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5. Stephen Curry, PG

Golden State Warriors, 33-14, 1st in West
Prev: 6 ↑

GP	PPG	APG	3PTM	PER
36	29.3	5.6	189	26.7

When Steph Curry is on like he has been lately, it is fun to watch. Curry is one of those players that can heat up at a moment’s notice, and he has been having one of this best seasons of his career. Curry trails Harden by 29 in made threes with 189, and has attempted 161 less than Harden! 161 LESS! Curry is making a career-high 5.3 threes per game and shooting an insane 45% from three.

Curry has played in 23 straight games, so it seems the early season injury issues are out of the way, and if he can play in around 70 games, Curry might have a real shot at MVP. The Warriors are looking like their old selves again, which means Curry will get MVP mentions as long as he stays healthy. He dropped 48 with 11 threes on Dallas and then dropped 41 with nine threes on the Pelicans three days later. Fun Fact: Curry has five games where he has made nine threes or more. Super Fun fact: Curry is all over the leaderboard for most threes in a single game. It is insane.

Curry’s Last 2 Weeks

Record: 6 games – 6W, 0L

Stats: 32.0 min, 31.2 pts, 5.3 reb, 6.0 ast, 1.7 tov, 1 DD2

Shooting: 61-119 FG (51%), 38-81 3PT (47%), 27-27 FT (100%)

Result	Date	Pts	Reb	Ast	FG	3PT
W, @ LAL	1/21	11	5	12	3-12	2-10
W, @ LAC	1/18	28	5	4	10-19	3-11
W, vs NO	1/16	41	5	3	11-22	9-17
W, @ Den	1/15	31	6	4	10-18	8-13
W, @ Dal	1/13	48	6	5	17-32	11-19
W, vs Chi	1/11	28	5	8	10-16	5-11

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6. Kevin Durant, SF

Golden State Warriors, 33-14, 1st in West
Prev: 7 ↑

GP	PPG	APG	RPG	PER
47	28.0	6.0	7.4	25.5

Kevin Durant has been a model of consistency all season long for the Warriors. He has played in all 47 games so far, scoring 20+ in all but three. The Warriors are so loaded that you sometimes forget KD is even on the team, but he is averaging the most silent 28 points per game I’ve ever seen and even upped his assists to six. The best thing about Durant is his efficiency as a scorer and this season is no different.

Over the past six games, KD is his own club … the 50-50-80 club. 50% from the field, 50% from three, and 80% from the line … and to be honest, he usually shoots better from the line. He’s also averaging a steal and almost 2 blocks a game, so simply put, Kevin Durant is one of the best players of all time, but he won’t win another MVP wearing a Warriors uniform.

KD’s Last 2 Weeks

Record: 6 games – 6W, 0L

Stats: 33.3 min, 25.2 pts, 7.2 reb, 4.8 ast, 1.2 stl, 1.7 blk, 2.3 tov, 1 DD2

Shooting: 54-97 FG (56%), 17-33 3PT (52%), 26-31 FT (84%)

Result	Date	Pts	Reb	Ast	Blk	FG
W, @ LAL	1/21	20	6	4	3	7-11
W, @ LAC	1/18	24	7	5	2	8-13
W, vs NO	1/15	30	15	4	1	10-24
W, @ Den	1/15	27	4	6	1	11-15
W, @ Dal	1/13	28	7	5	2	10-21
W, vs Chi	1/11	22	4	5	1	7-11

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7. Joel Embiid, C

Philadelphia 76ers, 32-17, 4th in East
Prev: 8 ↑

GP	PPG	RPG	BPG	PER
46	27.2	13.3	2.0	26.0

When Joel Embiid plays, he has been a one-man-wrecking-crew, and this season, Embiid has played in 46 of the Sixers 49 games, breaking the stigma that he couldn’t stay healthy. Embiid is “THE GUY” in Philly, and has the Sixers within 3 1/2 games of the top spot in the East. Embiid has been a monster inside, scoring 8 points in the paint per game and he’s 2nd in free throws made and attempted (guess who’s leading the league…).

Embiid has led the Sixers to five wins in their last eight games and he continues to put up monstrous numbers. Embiid has dropped 30+ in three straight games and has scored 30+ eighteen times this year. If the Sixers can catch the Bucks and/or the Raptors, Embiid might have a shot. The numbers are there for Joel, but there are just too many ballers out there at the moment.

The Process’ Last 2 Weeks

Record: 7 games – 5W, 2L, 1 DNP

Stats: 32.2 min. 30.0 pts, 12.7 reb, 2.6 blk, 3.6 ast, 5 DD2

Shooting: 72-140 FG (51%), 10-29 3PT (35%), 56-71 FT (79%)

Result	Date	Pts	Reb	Ast	Blk	FG
W, vs SA	1/23	33	19	3	1	13-28
W, vs Hou	1/21	32	14	2	3	9-16
L, vs OKC	1/19	31	8	6	1	11-19
W, @ Ind	1/17	22	13	8	3	9-19
W, vs Min	1/15	31	13	3	1	10-17
W, @ NY	1/13	26	8	1	6	9-24
L, vs Atl	1/11	DNP
L, @ Was	1/9	35	14	2	3	11-17

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8. Nikola Jokic, C

Denver Nuggets, 31-15, 2nd in West
Prev: NR ↑

GP	PPG	RPG	APG	PER
46	19.8	10.3	7.7	26.9

Nikola Jokic is new to this MVP list, but he has been a beast all season long. I didn’t think the Nuggets would hang on this long, but they have, and one of the biggest reasons is the play of Jokic. We’ve seen the passing ability from the big man, but this year it’s on another level. He is averaging almost 8 assists a game, essentially being the point guard in Denver’s offense. Jokic is almost averaging a triple-double, but unlike another dude who IS averaging a triple-double, Jokic is efficient.

The last two weeks have been a little rough for the Nuggets. They got the doors blown off their arena when the Warriors came to town and lost a tough game against the Jazz last night, but Jokic has been playing very well. He dropped triple-doubles against the Cavs and Clippers and dropped 40 points, 10 reb, and 8 ast against the Blazers. While the Nuggets may have been surpassed by the Warriors in the standings, they are still only 1.5 games back, and Jokic is primed for a top-10 MVP finish.

The Joker’s Last 2 Weeks

Record: 7 games – 4W, 3L

Stats: 30.2 min, 23.2 pts, 11.1 reb, 8.4 ast, 2.1 tov, 6 DD2, 2 TD3

Shooting: 61-120 FG (51%), 9-33 3PT (27%), 32-37 FT (87%)

Result	Date	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	FG
L, @ Uta	1/23	28	21	6	2	10-21
W, vs Cle	1/19	19	11	12	1	8-12
W, vs Chi	1/17	18	8	11	1	6-18
L, vs GSW	1/15	17	4	8	0	6-12
W, vs Por	1/13	40	10	8	0	15-23
L, @ Pho	1/12	23	10	4	0	8-15
W, vs LAC	1/10	18	14	10	0	8-19

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9. Paul George, SF

Oklahoma City Thunder, 28-18, 3rd in West
Prev: 9

GP	PPG	RPG	SPG	PER
46	27.0	7.9	2.3	23.8

Paul George stays in 9th on the list, but don’t let that take away from how well he has been playing lately. PG is averaging a career-high 27 points per game on the season, and OKC is in third place at the moment. George has evolved into the number-one scorer for the Thunder, and one of the top scorers in the league.

Over the last two weeks, the Thunder beat good teams like Philly (thanks to a PG game-winner) and the Blazers but lost to the Lakers at home and the lowly Hawks. Still, PG has been fantastic, dropping 30+ in three straight … all wins. Perhaps if he scores 30+ more often, OKC could find themselves hanging with the big boys all season long.

Last Two Weeks

Record: 7 games – 4W, 3L

Stats: 38.6 min, 28.1 pts, 7.4 reb, 4.1 ast, 3.1 stl, 2.0 tov

Shooting: 58-138 FG (42%), 26-62 3PT (42%), 55-61 FT (90%)

Result	Date	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	FG
W, vs Por	1/22	36	8	4	5	10-21
W, @ NY	1/21	31	4	4	1	9-18
W, @ Phi	1/19	31	6	5	3	8-20
L, vs LAL	1/17	27	7	8	3	9-19
L, @ Atl	1/15	24	8	3	5	6-18
W, vs SA	1/12	18	11	4	2	5-17
L, @ SAS	1/10	30	8	1	3	11-25

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10. LeBron James, SF

Los Angeles Lakers, 25-23, 9th in West
Prev: 5 ↓

GP	PPG	RPG	APG	PER
34	27.3	7.1	8.3	26.4

LeBron has not played in a game since Christmas, so I can’t keep him in the top five. Even in his fourteenth year, LeBron’s value to his team is still crazy high, as shown by his absence. The Lakers are struggling without LeBron, going 5-9 in 14 games since his injury. Before Christmas, LeBron was having one of his best seasons, and that’s saying something. Lebron drops a 27-7-7 for his career, and he is right around there this year, but this year he had truly added a three-point shot. LeBron is making two threes a game, proving that he can still expand his game.

Since LeBron hasn’t played in over two weeks, I’ve decided to show the splits when he plays vs when he doesn’t.

LBJ Splits

w/ LBJ	Stats	w/o LBJ
20-14	Record	5-9
113.2	PPG	110.1
24.4	APG	24.5
48%	FG%	45%
34.7%	3PT%	30.6%
69.4%	FT%	67.1%
+2.2	+/-	-3.4
108.8	O-Rating	104.1
106.5	D-Rating	107.1

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Thank you for reading the 2nd edition of the 2019 MVP rankings. Make sure to check back in two weeks for the latest rankings!

Brandon Rosenthal is a writer, podcast host/producer, and avid basketball fan since the early 1990’s. He has been covering the NBA since 2016 for the30minutelunchbreak.com. You can view all of his posts and articles, and follow him on Twitter.