The race for the 2024-25 NBA Kia MVP Ladder intensifies, with Nikola Jokic from the Denver Nuggets and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder battling for the top spot. While there are other former MVPs in the race, here is the list of the top four players on the leaderboard as of March 18, 2025.
Jokic has had the best season of his career so far, and last week was no different. He closed out the week with a 40-point game against the Washington Wizards, preceded by a 28-point performance against the Lakers and 34 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, he missed the first game of this week on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors. With the Nuggets holding a 44-25 win-loss record and eyeing a top-three finish in the West.
Jokic currently stands third on the points leaderboard, averaging 29.1 points per game, fourth in rebounds with 12.8 per game, and second in assists with 10.3 per game. Being a center, Jokic hasn’t been highly effective in blocking shots, averaging just 0.8 blocks per game. However, he has improved his defensive skills, currently averaging 1.8 steals per game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was at the top of the leaderboard a couple of weeks ago, but he has dropped slightly due to a dip in his steals rate. Since March 9, SGA has scored 40 or more points in two games, had two 30+ point games, and scored 25 points against the Nuggets. The Thunder are currently locked in for a top finish in the Western Conference and have defeated some of the best teams this season, even without Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at times.
Shai leads the season in scoring, averaging 32.9 points per game while shooting 52.2% from the field and 36.7% from three-point range. From the free throw line, his efficiency stands at 89.9%. He has hit 144 three-pointers this season, averaging 2.14 per game. He ranks 20th in assists per game, averaging 6.2, and 10th in steals per game with 1.8 while also recording one block per game.
With 24 games left in the regular season for the Thunder, Shai faces a significant challenge to reclaim the top spot, particularly in rebounding and steals—two key metrics that have slightly dipped over the past week. With Jokic closing in on Shai’s points-per-game average and improving his steals and assist numbers, the Thunder guard, currently in second place, risks fading further if his defensive performance continues to decline.
| Rk | Player | Team | W | L | GS | MP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG% | 3P% |
| 1 | Nikola Jokić | DEN | 44 | 25 | 62 | 36.5 | 29.1 | 12.8 | 10.3 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.575 | 0.413 |
| 2 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | OKC | 56 | 12 | 66 | 34.4 | 32.9 | 5.0 | 6.2 | 1.8 | 1 | 0.526 | 0.371 |
| 3 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 38 | 30 | 56 | 34 | 30.2 | 12 | 6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.599 | 0.178 |
| 4 | Jayson Tatum | BOS | 50 | 19 | 63 | 36.6 | 27.1 | 8.7 | 5.9 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.454 | 0.352 |
Note*: The odds are taken from BetMGM
| Player Name | Betting Odds |
| Shai Gilgeous Alexander | – 800 |
| Nikola Jokic | +450 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | +50,000 |
| Jayson Tatum | +50,000 |
Image Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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