For decades, the NBA’s MVP race has been one of the defining facets of the sport. From Larry Bird and Magic Johnson’s iconic race to the top putting the NBA back on the map in the 1980s to Michael Jordan and LeBron James’s dominance in subsequent decades, there’s no doubt that the NBA’s MVP race surpasses all other MVP contests in terms of sheer hype. As the years have gone by and the NBA’s parity has become increasingly apparent, however, this has led to a very intriguing consequence in the MVP race, which has gone from being a sub-three player affair to an utter bloodbath of talent. 

The best place to look for such variety in MVP candidacy is the current 2022-2023 season of play. Just one look at the comments under any NBA MVP rankings post on social media will tell all—there’s no right answer in terms of candidates. From the all-around statistical dominance of Nikola Jokić to the absurd scoring prowess of Luka Dončić and everything in between, this season’s MVP race is an unprecedented toss-up in terms of candidate variety. Without further ado, let’s try to make sense of this incredible pool of talent. 

There may be no better place to start when it comes to this illustrious group of players than the back-to-back reigning MVP, Nikola Jokić. In the eight years since the Serbian big man was drafted during a Taco Bell commercial, It’s safe to say that Jokić has made himself worthy of getting time on the air. The past two years of Jokić’s career have seen him put up numbers that are unlike any other player in league history in terms of variety. Over the past two seasons, Jokić has averaged a commendable 27 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. Jokić possesses an otherworldly ability to contribute in every single major statistical category, and he’s done it with superb efficiency metrics, shooting 57% from the field and a solid 36% from three-point range. Simply put, Jokić is one of the few NBA players that has no tangible weaknesses on the court. While none of his stats individually blow fans away, his ability to contribute to every facet of the game at such a high level makes him worthy of perennial MVP contention. Jokić is currently averaging 25.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 9.5 assists this season with a 61.3% field goal percentage, and it’s safe to say that he’ll be a strong candidate to win his third consecutive MVP award this season.

Arguably Jokić’s strongest contender for the MVP award this season has been Luka Dončić. Since entering the NBA in 2018, Dončić has been a scoring maestro and has seen himself be compared to NBA legend Larry Bird for his scoring prowess. As incredible as that comparison is, it may not justify Dončić’s unprecedented scoring run this season. Dončić has been averaging an absurd 34 points per game this season to go along with 8.8 assists, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. The main catalyst for Dončić’s colossal stat line has been his soaring efficiency numbers, as Dončić has been scoring at a 50% efficiency rate on total field goals compared to his career average of 45%. What makes Dončić’s stats even more impressive is that he’s been doing this on a Mavericks team that, without him, has been barren in terms of scoring talent. The team only has four players averaging more than 10 points this season, and the 2^nd highest scorer on the team (behind Dončić) is Christian Wood, who is averaging an unspectacular 17.6 points per game. As such, teams have constantly put Dončić into double or even triple coverage situations, but Dončić has continued scoring at a pace that, if kept up, will launch him into the annals of NBA history as one of the greatest single season scorers of all time. 

When one considers the NBA’s most valuable players, the first place they normally look is the league’s top team. This season, the Boston Celtics have unquestionably been the NBA’s best squad, rampaging through the league to the tune of a 27-12 record. At the helm of this team is a man who has shot himself into the MVP discussion this season: Jayson Tatum. While Tatum’s 30.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists are somewhat lackluster compared to some of the other candidates on this list, Tatum has impacted the Celtics in a way that goes far beyond the scoresheet. Since taking over as the de-facto leader on a Celtics team that was reeling from the dysfunctional Kyrie Irving era, Tatum has been at the helm of a Celtics team that has undergone a complete metamorphosis of identity. Tatum has proven himself to be a championship-caliber leader on the Celtics, and his current stat line is extremely impressive when one likens Boston’s depth to that of the other candidates on this list. With players like Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams, Marcus Smart, Al Horford, and Malcolm Brogdon surrounding him, Tatum has still managed to average an elite 30 points per game despite playing on one of the NBA’s deepest squads. Tatum’s evolution as a playmaker has led to much of his team’s success as well—his 4.2 APG and 8.2 RPG are good for first and second-best on the Celtics, respectively. While his stats might not be as impressive as many other MVP candidates, Tatum’s ability to lead his team into often-victorious battle every night more than makes up for his minor shortcomings. 

Regardless of the NBA’s top annual performers, there is one player who is always in the discussion for the league’s MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo. Advocating for Antetokounmpo to win MVP is challenging for many because there isn’t much about him that hasn’t been said already. Antetokounmpo is the definition of a physical freak; The man is a 7-foot tall, 243-pound giant with a 7’3 wingspan and physical abilities that are simply unrivaled in basketball history. Giannis handles the ball like an elite point guard, rips through defensive coverage with unguardable force, and has an elite basketball IQ that allows him to consistently make the best decision possible for his team to win. Over the past half-decade, Antetokounmpo has evolved into a dominant player who has been lauded by his peers as the best player in the world. The only true weaknesses to Antetokounmpo’s game are his overestimations on how good his three-point shot is (he’s hit just 24.3% of his three pointers this season) and his free throw percentage that hasn’t gone higher than 77% in his career. Regardless of how inconsistent his shots are, Antetokounmpo has been his usual dominant self this season with a stat line of 32.0 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game, and 5.2 assists per game. The sky is the limit for Giannis, and the only factor that can stop him is his average-at-best three point shot and free throw shot. 

Kevin Durant, while often viewed as a dark horse in MVP discussions, (he’s won the award just once in his illustrious career) has been having an outstanding season of his own this year. Durant is considered by many to be the greatest scorer in NBA history, and he’s backed that statement up this season with an impressive 30.0 PPG along with a decent 5.4 APG and 6.8 RPG. Durant’s efficiency metrics this season have been impressive as well, with a 56.0 field goal percentage and a 37.6 three-point percentage. Durant makes this list for, ironically, many of the same reasons that Jayson Tatum did. Coming off a rescinded trade request, Durant found himself on a Nets team that was surrounded by controversy created by both himself and the ever-controversial Kyrie Irving. However, Durant has unexpectedly stepped into a true leadership role with the Nets, lifting the team from what seemed like the brink of failure to a superb 26-13 record, good for 2^nd best in the Eastern Conference. Rather than feed the flames of controversy that will likely trail him for the rest of his career, Durant has pushed both himself and the Nets to success by doing what he does best: playing superb basketball and reminding the world why he is a future NBA hall-of-famer. 

Regardless of how much this season’s MVP race is analyzed, the answer as to who will win the award is ultimately a toss-up. No matter who wins the award, it’s incredibly encouraging to witness the best of the best in the sport compete for the league’s most coveted individual honor. One thing is for sure regarding the remainder of this NBA season; the MVP race will be a competition that is certainly worth watching.