NBA MVP Mondays: Why LeBron James deserves to finish top 5
03/31/2025 05:24 PM
With only two weeks left in the 2024-25 NBA regular season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in line to be named the third MVP in Oklahoma City Thunder history. This has been a historic season for Gilgeous-Alexander, and he has the edge over Nikola Jokic after the two were very close in this NBA MVP race around the All-Star break.
It is a given that Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic will finish first and second in the NBA MVP vote, but what about the rest of the top five? Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum have been regulars in the MVP rankings throughout the season, which leaves one top-five spot remaining.
That spot should belong to LeBron James.
What James has accomplished at 40 years old is incredible. Aside from ranking 11th in scoring and sixth in assists, he also ranks 22nd in rebounding this season. LeBron and Jokic are the only players in the league to be averaging at least 20 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists this season.
Aside from all the statistics and numbers, what makes James worthy of being in the NBA MVP discussion is the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers still rely on him playing to win.
As good as Luka Doncic is, he alone hasn’t been able to lead the Lakers to key wins without LeBron. This season, Los Angeles has gone 6-5 overall when James is sitting out.
With eight games left on their schedule, the Lakers are still very much in the hunt for the 2-seed in the Western Conference. While it will be a collective effort to get there, LeBron is the main reason why the Lakers are even a title-contending team.
If you need further proof of James’ impact in Los Angeles, just look at the Lakers’ recent stretch.
LeBron missed seven straight games in the middle of March due to a groin injury. The Lakers went 3-4 during this stretch, losing matchups against Milwaukee, Denver, and Brooklyn. As a result of their instability without James, Los Angeles began to fall in the Western Conference standings.
Between his playmaking and scoring abilities, James allows Doncic to play freely and not have to worry about constantly getting others involved offensively. That is why he is so valuable to the Lakers’ overall success and why he will get attention in this NBA MVP race.
Whether or not voters put him or someone else in the top five next to Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic will be answered over the final two weeks of the regular season.
Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 22 | Week 21 | Week 20 | Week 19 | Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Previous ranking: #1
2024-25 season stats: 71 games, 32.9 points, 6.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.0 blocks, 52.1 FG%, 37.2 3P%
Gilgeous-Alexander’s resume for MVP continues to grow with every 25-point game he has and every win the Thunder picks up.
Oklahoma City has won 16 of their last 17 games, and Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 25 points in every game he’s played since February 23. He is well on his way to being named the Western Conference Player of the Month for March, and he took full advantage of Jokic’s injury absence to bolster his MVP campaign.
The only question for Shai and the Thunder is whether he will sit out some games down the stretch to prepare for the playoffs.
2. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
Previous ranking: #2
2024-25 season stats: 64 games, 29.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 1.8 steals, 57.4 FG%, 41.2 3P%
Upon returning from his ankle injury that sidelined him for five games, Jokic recorded a 39-point triple-double in a 127-117 win over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Jokic now has 30 triple-doubles this season, his most ever and tied for the sixth-most by any player in a single season.
At this rate, it looks likely that the Nuggets star will finish the regular season averaging a triple-double. Only Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson have ever done this in league history.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
Previous ranking: #3
2024-25 season stats: 61 games, 30.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.2 blocks, 60.1 FG%
With Damian Lillard out, all the weight of the Bucks falls on Giannis’ shoulders. While he has been terrific in recent games, scoring at least 30 points and grabbing at least nine rebounds in each of his last four games, Milwaukee has lost four straight to fall in the East standings.
This will be Antetokounmpo’s eighth straight season averaging a double-double.
It will be interesting to see how much the Bucks utilize Giannis down the stretch with Lillard sidelined indefinitely due to a blood clot in his calf. Antetokounmpo has been battling a foot injury in recent games, hence why he could wind up sitting out some games if they don’t matter at the end of the season.
However, Giannis must play in at least four of the team’s remaining eight games to remain eligible for MVP and other honors.
4. Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics
Previous ranking: #4
2024-25 season stats: 67 games, 27.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals, 45.5 FG%, 35.1 3P%
Jayson Tatum has been picking up his play in recent games, and the Boston Celtics are starting to look like the defending champions they are ahead of the playoffs.
This has arguably been Tatum’s best season in the league, as he is close to his career-high average in rebounds and he is averaging a career-high 6.0 assists per game. Tatum has also been one of the better two-way players in the league this season.
No matter how you look at it, Tatum has been the best player on the Celtics all season long and is the driving force behind why Boston enters the postseason as a threat to go back-to-back. This will be the second time in his career that he finishes top-five in the NBA MVP voting.
5. LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers
Previous ranking: #7
2024-25 season stats: 63 games, 24.5 points, 8.5 assists, 8.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 51.1 FG%, 37.3 3P%
How LeBron performs over the final two weeks of the regular season and where the Lakers finish in the Western Conference standings will dictate whether he gets serious MVP votes or not.
James has put Los Angeles in a position to contend for the 2-seed in the West, as two games against Houston down the stretch run of the season could give the Lakers the advantage near the top of the standings.
To be 40 years old and averaging 24-8-8 on the season should be enough for James to finish top-five in the NBA MVP vote for the 15th time in his legendary career.
Just missing the cut
6. Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers (Ranked No. 9 last week)
7. Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves (Ranked No. 6 last week)
8. Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors (Ranked No. 7 last week)
9. Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons (Ranked No. 8 last week)
10. Alperen Sengun – Houston Rockets (Unranked last week)
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