NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) ladder race 2024: Top 5 candidates ft. Luka Doncic (Week 14) 

Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid's monster nights lit up Week 35 amid a series of sizzling Rivals Week matchups. The former has been on a tear this season and he dished out a scintillating 73-point performance against the Atlanta Hawks to put his name back in the MVP race.

His impressive run of form has ensured that the Mavericks are still one of the teams pegged to be prime playoff contenders.

At the other end, Joel Embiid dished out 70 points and 18 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers further consolidated their place in the East. However, he was a notable absentee as the 76ers went down to the defending champions Denver Nuggets.

This week's MVP ladder sees little change but sets the tone for the upcoming week of action before the NBA heads into the All-Star festivities. Here's a quick look at the updated standings after Week 13, which has Luka Doncic in the mix as he aims for his maiden MVP.

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NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) ladder race 2024: Top 5 candidates ft. Luka Doncic (Week 14)

#5 Luka Doncic

Luka Doncic Dallas Mavericks

• Last week games played: 3 (Wins 1, Losses 2)
• Season games played so far: 39
• Last week's stats: 40.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 11.2 assists
• Season stats: 34.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 9.4 assists

Luka Doncic's numbers last week were bullish. The guard dominated the Hawks in the absence of Kyrie Irving, but the Dallas Mavericks barely scraped through. His ability to produce monster performances has seen him break into the top 5 in our MVP ladder. This will be the Slovenian's best chance to win an MVP if he keeps up his consistent streak.

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#4 Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks

• Last week games played: 4 (Wins 3, Losses 1)
• Season games played so far: 44
• Last week's stats: 35.3 points, 14.0 rebounds and 9.5 assists
• Season stats: 31.0 points, 11.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists

The 'Greek Freak' continued his stellar run this week. The Milwaukee Bucks' 2-1 run in the absence of head coach Adrian Griffin, who was fired, sees the forward carry more responsibility.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been red-hot but his 30-point triple-double against the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week wasn't enough to push the Bucks over the line. With new head coach Doc Rivers in the fold, expect Antetokounmpo to make another massive surge.

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#3 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai Gilgeous Alexander OKC Thunder

• Last week's games played: 4 (Wins 4, Losses 0)
• Season games played so far: 45
• Last week's stats: 32.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.7 assists
• Season stats: 31.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists

The Canadian superstar has been on a brilliant run this season and is still top three on our list despite another guard dishing out 73 points.

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has not had mammoth nights like Luka Doncic, he has had a five-game streak of scoring 30+ points. With the OKC Thunder taking the top spot in the West, SGA's stock has rocketed.

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#2 Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic Denver Nuggets

• Last week's games played: 3 (Wins 2, Losses 1)
• Season games played so far: 46
• Last week's stats: 34.6 points, 12.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists
• Season stats: 26.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 8.9 assists

It has been a dominant January for Nikola Jokic. The center was named an All-Star starter and that doesn't come as a surprise. The Nuggets endured a mixed road trip with a 3-2 run and Jokic's consistency, despite losses in some of the games, has remained intact. In their recent win against the 76ers, the big man dominated with 26 points and 16 rebounds.

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#1 Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers

• Last week games played: 3 (Wins 2, Losses 1)
• Season games played so far: 33
• Last week's stats: 44.6 points, 11.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists
• Season stats: 36.0 points, 11.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists

He may have missed the game against the Denver Nuggets that promised an epic battle of the bigs against Jokic, but Joel Embiid's exploits this season so far put him at the top of the list.

Earlier this week, he joined Luka Doncic to become one of the two players notching up 70 points in the same week.

After his 70-point night against the San Antonio Spurs, the reigning MVP cranked up his season average to 36 points per game.