The 2021 NBA MVP race is starting to take shape. The frontrunners are clear — Joel Embiid and LeBron James top the NBA.com rankings, and many consider it at two-person race at the moment. That said, much can change between now and season’s end. The volume of viable candidates is, frankly, overwhelming.
Embiid has by no means a cakewalk to the award. The narrative-pushing for LeBron has taken only a minor hiccup this week, while names like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, and James Harden never cease to capture the imagination of fans and voters alike. There’s a real chance someone not named Joel or LeBron ends up taking the award home.
With the season transpiring as such, we have decided to make this MVP ladder a monthly recurrence. For as long as Embiid is truly in the MVP discussion, that is.
Honorable mentions: Damian Lillard, James Harden, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo
2021 NBA MVP ladder #5: Kawhi Leonard
After his performance in the Bubble raised significant health concerns, Kawhi Leonard has returned in tip-top shape this season. He’s leading the charge for a 24-11 Clippers team, putting LA firmly in the title contending conversation. The 29-year-old is averaging 26.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 51.2 percent shooting. He’s also playing elite wing defense.
Leonard is one of the most gifted isolation scorers on the planet. He has the strength and finesse to get just about anything. He can shoot over the top, plow through smaller defenders, or work patiently to create space. His growth as a playmaker, however, is what cements him in the MVP conversation. He has improved drastically in his ability to create for teammates since arriving in LA last season.
The Clippers look the part of a real contender, and while Paul George could sap away some of Leonard’s MVP momentum, it’s impossible to deny the cachet of a two-time Finals MVP. People know Leonard has it, and there’s no reason his case can’t gain steam over time.
2021 NBA MVP ladder #4: LeBron James
No disrespect to LeBron James, who is universally considered the best player in basketball. He is putting together a tremendous season, and the Lakers are firmly in contention at 23-11. That said, his proclivity for appearing No. 1 on a lot of MVP ladders is somewhat baffling. James probably deserves more than the four MVP awards on his resume, but he’s not front-running at the moment.
On the season, James is averaging 25.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.9 assists on 50.2 percent shooting. He is shredding defenses in thoroughly LeBron fashion, blending speed, strength, and playmaking vision unlike any player in the league. He is not only one of the NBA’s most gifted scorers, but a tried-and-true clutch performer who can flip the proverbial switch better than any other star.
James is also playing strong defense this season, adding to the narrative of rejuvenation in his age 36 season. The Lakers are winning basketball games and now are without Anthony Davis for an extended stretch. Even so, to call James the frontrunner feels doubtlessly disingenuous. There are better scorers and more prolific creators when taking this one single season into account. The Lakers are also 1-4 in the last five games — a rough start to the non-Davis stretch many assumed would bolster James’ case.
There is no doubting LeBron’s talent. Is is a truly singular force in this league, and there is no player I would rather have in the postseason. There is a very real discussion to be had about James’ GOAT status, and he deserves all the career-long accolades lobbed in his direction. That said, for this regular season award, he’s currently running a few spots behind first place.
2021 NBA MVP ladder #3: Stephen Curry
The Warriors have found traces of their former magic this season, in large part due to Stephen Curry’s revival. He’s putting up numbers comparable to his unanimous MVP season, and while Golden State is only 19-15, that’s no small feat when considering the roster around Curry.
The 32-year-old is averaging 29.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists while netting 48.5 percent of his shots (and 41.5 percent of his career-high 11.8 three-point attempts per game). Curry is once again blitzing ill-prepared defenses from deep, while most of the Warriors’ successful offensive sets revolve around Curry. Even Draymond Green’s recent ascent cannot overshadow Curry’s importance to Golden State’s success.
No player in league history has bent and warped defenses quite like Curry. His mere presence can irreparably shatter a defense’s game plan. He epitomizes the term “gravity,” and creates innumerable advantages for teammates simply by catching the eye of multiple defenders.
Curry is arguably the best scorer in basketball right now, and the Warriors are firmly in the playoff race despite a rather underwhelming supporting cast. Golden State is missing Curry’s right-hand man, and Klay Thompson’s absence has done nothing to stifle Curry’s production. He looks as good as ever. He looks good enough to win another MVP.
2021 NBA MVP ladder #2: Nikola Jokic
If the Nuggets had a better record, it would be hard to mount a case against Nikola Jokic. He has been unfortunately saddled with a poor bench and subpar play from his co-stars, as both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. continue to perform well below expectations. Jokic has been too often a one-man show in Denver, but he’s carrying that load with extreme proficiency.
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Jokic is averaging 26.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 8.6 assists on 56.0 percent shooting. He’s hitting 41.9 percent of his 3s, and playing much better defense than his detractors would suggest. If it weren’t for Jokic, the Nuggets would fall miles short of the 17-15 record they currently possess.
In fact, Jokic’s ability to traverse the choppy waters of Western Conference basketball with such a half-baked roster is deserving of major credit. The Nuggets don’t look like the conference finals team we saw last season, but Denver is not out of the picture entirely. That’s almost solely due to Jokic.
Both an elite scorer and one of the most gifted playmakers in the league, Jokic is a master manipulator. He can unravel a defense without so much as lifting a toe. He doesn’t move quickly, but he does move deliberately. He can get to his shot just about anywhere, and his penchant for eye-popping passes is matched only by the efficiency of those passes. He’s not passing for flash; he’s oozing flash while making pinpoint passes that often, in some way or another, lead to open shots.
This is, as I stated last time, a two-horse race between Jokic and the big man who you have likely guessed is on the next slide. Every name mentioned on this list has a case, and several names not on the list also have a fighting chance. For the time being, however, it’s difficult to think of awarding the MVP to someone other than Jokic or Embiid.
2021 NBA MVP ladder #1: Joel Embiid
Again, the case for Jokic is strong and there is no shame in considering the Nuggets center a superior candidate. That said, the Sixers are clinging tight to first place, and Embiid continues to spearhead Philadelphia’s offense with remarkable efficiency. He is averaging 29.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on 51.6 percent shooting.
Embiid is the greatest foul-drawer in basketball, a skill is too often scoffed at. Embiid is endlessly clever when facing the basket or posting up. He knows exactly how to get his defender in a compromised position, whether it’s a well-timed pump fake or a flourish of unguardable physical force. Embiid can steamroll defenders, or out-maneuver them in space. He’s a special kind of athlete.
The Sixers have been more comfortable than ever letting Embiid work from inside the paint. He’s making quicker reads, making better passes out of double teams, and turning the ball over less frequently. He still has room to grow in that department, but for overwhelming portions of the season, Embiid has been nearly unstoppable with post position and a spaced-out floor.
Doc Rivers has done a good job of using Embiid in different spots, too. He’s letting Embiid shred defenses from the middle of the floor — even letting him initiate the offense from the top of the key. With more space at his disposal this season, Embiid has unlocked the full breadth of his offensive arsenal. The results have been overwhelmingly positive for Philadelphia.
In addition to his offense, Embiid is one of the best defenders in basketball and a real Defensive Player of the Year candidate. In fact, the strongest argument against Embiid’s DPOY candidacy is the similarly strong case of Ben Simmons. They cancel each other out. Embiid is not, however, canceled out of the MVP race. The Sixers look closer to contention than ever (with the possible omission of the Raptors series), and a lion’s share of the credit falls on Embiid. He is your NBA MVP right now.