Thanks to Nikola Jokic’s great play, the Denver Nuggets are in the thick of the title race. The two-time MVP has the most triple-doubles and value over replacement player (VORP) in the game. The current MVP, Joel Embiid, might not play enough games to win the award. This puts the Joker ahead as the trade deadline gets closer.

In 2021 and 2022, the award went to Jokic. In 2019 and 2020, it went to Giannis Antetokounmpo. The last three winners are still in the race, but there are a lot of young players close behind them who want to win for the first time. The MVP is still up in the air; any of six players could win the award with a good finish.

Who is ahead in the MVP race as January comes to a close? It is already time for the new 65-game minimum, which could be the difference in who wins. The top five at the beginning of February. Thanks to Jayson Tatum, who almost made the list but did not quite make it.

5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

This season, SGA is second in the NBA in value over replacement player (VORP) and first in steals.

The Thunder are now in third place in the Western Conference, one game behind Gilgeous-Alexander. When he gets into the box, no team can stop the 6’6 guard. He is the best and most common driver in the NBA. SGA is quickly becoming one of the best two-way teams in the league. They are third in scoring in the league.

In the West, the Thunder have the best net ranking. If Oklahoma City wins the top spot and Gilgeous-Alexander keeps up his great play, he will quickly move up in the MVP rankings. It takes 54.7 percent of their shots for SGA to average 31.3 points, 6.4 assists, 5.6 boards, and 2.2 steals per game.

Oklahoma City is only 6-4 in their last ten games, and other teams are getting stronger. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fell a bit in the rankings.

4.  Giannis Antetokounmpo

This season, Giannis is in the top five in VORP, win shares, points, and rebounds.

It looks like Antetokounmpo is having another memorable season. For every 35.1 minutes he plays, he scores 31.0 points, grabs 11.7 boards, gives out 6.2 assists, steals 1.3 balls, and blocks 1.1. Giannis can not be stopped because he is making over 60% of his shots from the field.

The Bucks are 32-15 and in second place in the Eastern Conference. They fired their head coach and hired Doc Rivers in his place, but Milwaukee is still in the running for the title. The Bucks have the fourth-best record in the NBA. You can expect them to be in the running the whole time, and getting Damian Lillard may help them get to the playoffs.

Giannis may not be the best player in the league at any one thing, but he is still one of the best all-around choices. He scores, defends, rebounds, and plays sports very well. Antetokounmpo has won a title and been named MVP twice. His stats might be better than the two times he won, and the Greek Freak is in the middle of his best years.

Doc Rivers needs to help the Milwaukee Bucks’ defense get better. Giannis Antetokounmpo will finish in the top three for MVP if he keeps scoring over 31 points per game and helps the Bucks get close to the top of the East.

3. Luka Doncic

Doncic is second in the NBA in points scored, and his 73 points on Jan. 26 tied for the fourth-most in a game in NBA history.

Luka has been named to the NBA’s first team of All-NBA four years in a row, and he keeps getting better. So far this season, the 24-year-old has set new records for points, assists, steals, and 3-pointers made. He makes 37.5 percent of his three-point shots and is an attacking force that can not be stopped. Doncic plays the most minutes in the league and keeps putting up crazy numbers.

Every night, he scores second and assists third. Doncic is also third in VORP and fourth in box plus-minus.

The Mavericks’ record is the thing that hurts Luka’s chances of being MVP the most. They are 26-21 right now, but they are seventh in the Western Conference. They are only two games behind fifth place, but it will be hard for him to win MVP if his team does not even make the playoffs. The season would end today and Dallas would be in the Play-In Tournament. The Mavericks need to win more games to improve number 77’s chances of being named MVP.

People who vote look for big performances like Luka Doncic’s 73-point game, and he is definitely putting up the numbers. The success of his team and how he ends the season will decide the winner. If Doncic can have a few more memorable games, it will be hard to ignore his case for MVP.

2. Joel Embiid

For the third year in a row, Embiid is getting the most points in the NBA. This season, he is tied with Wilt Chamberlain for the most points scored in 36 minutes.

The current MVP is in first place, but he probably will not play enough games to win the award. To win this season, players must play at least 65 regular season games. Embiid has already missed 12 games. He hurt his knee on January 30 and can only sit five more down the stretch.

For the season, Embiid has scored 35.3 points, grabbed 11.3 rebounds, given out 5.7 assists, stolen 1.1 balls, and blocked 1.8 shots. Under new head coach Nick Nurse, he has been impossible to stop, and all of his stats have gone up since his MVP season in 2023.

Embiid has everything an MVP candidate needs as a player. The 76ers are 12 games above.500 and only one game behind third place in the Eastern Conference. On January 22, Embiid scored 70 points against the Spurs. He is currently in the top four in VORP and win shares. No matter how someone looks at the race, Joel Embiid’s name stands out.

The seven-footer almost certainly will not be able to play in 31 of the last 36 games of the regular season. His injury is making things tough right now, and the 76ers would rather have him fit in the playoffs. Embiid won MVP in 2023, but do not think he will do it again. The Sixers star does not play enough, even though his work is good.

1. Nikola Jokic

Important fact: Jokic is the best player in the NBA in almost all advanced metrics, such as VORP and win shares.

Without a doubt, The Joker is the NBA’s best player. He just led the Nuggets to the 2023 NBA title and is having another great season. Jokic scores 26.3 points, grabs 12.1 rebounds, gives out 9.0 assists, steals 1.2 balls, and blocks 0.9 times per game. Every night, he is the only player in the top 20 in points, boards, and assists.

Jokic is favored by all of the advanced measures. NBA Reference says that he is the best in the game in seven of the eight categories they look at. He has a defensive win share plus-2.7, which is fourth in the league. In the other seven, the Joker is number one.

The only team behind the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference by just half a game is the Utah Jazz. This puts them back in the title race thanks to Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets will likely be seen as the favorites until someone beats them. Is it possible for Jokic to win his third MVP award and second title in the same year? That is the star player from Serbia’s goal.

The race for MVP is still very close. There are still more than 40 percent of the regular season left. Nikola Jokic may be ahead at the start, but other runners will catch up as the race goes on. Can the Joker get three out of four? Keep listening to find out.