NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) ladder race 2024-25 season: Top 5 candidates ft. Luka Doncic (Week 2)   

The NBA MVP ladder for the 2024-25 season continues to see new names dominate. The likes of Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are on a roll with their sides winning games to stay ahead of the competition. Our weekly MVP roundup sees a shakeup in the top three positions. Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum leads the pack, while Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic climbs a few rungs to get to second.

The two losses from last week hurt Davis' chances of staying as No. 1 as he gets pushed down to third place, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic land at fourth and fifth to complete the top five.

Here's a look at the NBA MVP ladder for Week 2 as the competition continues to heat up with the 2024-25 season well underway.

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NBA MVP ladder race 2024-25 season: Top 5 candidates ft. Luka Doncic (Week 2)

#5 Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets (3-3) | W-L record in Week 2: 3-1

Nikola Jokic - Denver Nuggets

It's certainly not common to see Nikola Jokic at No. 5 in the NBA MVP standing. The 3x NBA MVP star was a shoo-in to take the top spot for the honors during early preseason talks. The Nuggets have not had the greatest start to the season winning three of their six games.

Player stats (Week 2)	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	3P%
Nikola Jokic	30.5	13.2	10.5	2.5	2.0	58.6	67.2

While Jokic has been a force, the side has been unable to conjure up wins against formidable Western Conference opponents, with their latest loss coming against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Earlier this season, they were outplayed by the OKC Thunder and the LA Clippers, two West teams pegged to be bonafide playoff contenders. Their wins so far have come against teams they were expected to coast over, but the dubs against the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets came in OT.

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#4 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | OKC Thunder (6-0) | W-L record in Week 2: 3-0

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander- Oklahoma City Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander slips a rung in our standings despite the OKC Thunder riding on a red-hot 6-0 streak. Compared to the 30-point metronome that he was last season, the mercurial guard has been putting up numbers that by his standards, are a tad lower than what it used to be.

Player stats (Week 2)	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	3P%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	24.3	4.6	6.6	0.6	0.3	50.5	43.3

SGA and Luka Doncic came in as preseason NBA MVP favorites and the former is yet to hit that level of production that he did from his stellar 2023-24 run. This time around, he's hovering close to the 30-points-per-game mark, and has recorded just one double-double so far in the season.

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#3 Anthony Davis | LA Lakers (4-2) | W-L record in Week 2: 1-2

Anthony Davis - Los Angeles Lakers

Anthony Davis led our Week 1 NBA MVP standings, but losses to the Phoenix Suns and the Cleveland Cavaliers to start their five-game road trip have cost the big two spots as he slips down to third place. Davis has still been a force for the Purple and Gold this season as he continues to dominate on both ends of the floor.

Player stats (Week 2)	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%
Anthony Davis	29.7	13.0	2.3	2.0	1.7	57.4

The big has already achieved landmarks this season when he equaled former Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal with the best start by a franchise player. His first six games see him average more than 30+ points and 10+ rebounds, making him a legitimate threat to win MVP if the side can produce wins consistently.

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#2 Luka Doncic | Dallas Mavericks (4-2) | W-L record in Week 2: 3-1

Luka Doncic continues his pristine form for the Mavericks as he stacks up numbers in Week 2. His consistency has been unfathomable since the last two seasons and the Slovenian guard has been a prolific scorer for the side. His efforts saw the Mavs win three of the four games played this week with one loss coming against the Houston Rockets.

Player stats (Week 2)	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	3P%
Luka Doncic	25.0	7.8	6.3	1.0	0.3	39.6	27.0

Doncic's best performance last week was against the Orlando Magic. He propped up 32 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists shooting 11-22 from the field and 5-13 from beyond the arc. His 3-point shooting has seen a dip though as he shooting just 27% of his 3s.

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#1 Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics (6-1) | W-L record in Week 2: 3-1

The Jayson Tatum revenge tour has been off to a bold start with the forward having a solid impact on both ends of the floor. Tatum and the Celtics suffered just one loss in their four games last week. Barring the close to the Indiana Pacers, the defending champions recorded wins against the Milwaukee Bucks and back-to-back dubs against the Charlotte Hornets.

Player stats (Week 2)	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	3P%
Jayson Tatum	28.3	8.5	3.5	2.3	0.5	42.7	22.7

Tatum has cemented himself as the leading scorer in the side with 30.3 points. He also leads the Celtics in rebounds (7.6) and assists (4.6). Can he keep up his consistency to win his maiden NBA MVP this season?