Final NBA MVP Power Rankings: Young superstar wins his first MVP

The Dallas Mavericks finished the 2023-24 NBA regular season with a 50-32 record. Getting past the 50-win mark was looked at as a near-impossible feat for this team at the beginning of the season, but after Wednesday's win over the Miami Heat, Dallas accomplished the unthinkable.

With Dallas securing the fifth seed, they will play the LA Clippers for the third time in five seasons in the first round of the playoffs. The first two times these two rivals faced off, it ended in a Mavericks first-round exit.

However, the Mavericks could have their best opportunity yet at overthrowing their longtime rival. Since the All-Star break, LA has been battling to keep its position as a top-four seed, and with Kawhi Leonard's health being questionable for the start of the first-round series, Dallas could take advantage of the Clippers' recent struggles.

Final NBA MVP Power Rankings: Young superstar wins his first MVP

Behind Luka Doncic, the Mavericks have rebounded after a shaky start to the season. Doncic has led the Mavericks in just about every statistical category, and in the process, he has helped the Mavericks to their second 50-win season in three years.

Despite Dallas finishing the regular season with many positives, it is clear that some players have struggled to find their touch throughout the winning streak. Fans shouldn't be sounding the alarms on any of these players, but getting a full-strength Tim Hardaway Jr. during the playoffs will be critical for the Mavericks championship efforts.

With 82 regular season games coming and going for each team, let's take a look at how this year's NBAA MVP Power Rankings finished.

10. Kevin Durant

Last rank: 8

Kevin Durant made a valiant effort all year long to compete amongst the best in the league. Despite never cracking the top five throughout the season, Durant punched his ticket in as a potential All-NBA Second Team candidate.

9. Anthony Davis

Last rank: 10

If positions still existed for the All-NBA teams, Anthony Davis' name would come up as a potential first-teamer. Despite his Los Angeles Lakers struggling to make it out of the Play-In race all year long, Davis has proven to be the most valuable player on his team.

8. Devin Booker

Last rank: 7

Alongside Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns ground out a sixth seed to finish the season. Unfortunately for them, they will face off against a red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves squad. If Phoenix somehow makes it out of that series, they could have a shot at overthrowing the defending champs.

7. Domantas Sabonis

Last rank: 6

Domantas Sabonis has had a historic season since the first game of the year. He broke one of the longest streaks in NBA history by recording 61 straight double-doubles. Unfortunately for him and the Sacramento Kings, they struggled to close out the final ten regular season games and have fallen into the ninth spot in the West.

6. Jalen Brunson

Last rank: N/A

Jalen Brunson ended his 2023-24 campaign on one of the best offensive streaks in NBA history. He didn't just lead his team to the second seed in the Eastern Conference, but he has also become a potential All-NBA First Team caliber player.

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5. Jayson Tatum

Last rank: 5

Throughout an 82-game season, Jayson Tatum has proven to fans and voters that he is the best player on the league's best team. Don't expect Tatum to receive any first-place votes, but he has made his All-NBA First Team case clear.

Tatum capped off his 2023-24 campaign by leading his Boston Celtics to a 64-16 record. However, the success will be judged on how the Celtics will fare in the playoffs. For multiple seasons now, Boston has come up just short of a championship, but this season could be their best chance yet.

The Celtics undeniably have the best starting five in all of basketball, and behind Tatum, the Celtics have once again etched their name in the history books as the most efficient offense in NBA history. Fans are eager to see who the Celtics will play, and after the Play-In Tournament takes place, Boston will get the winner of the final East Play-In game.

Tatum and the Celtics are poised to steamroll through the Eastern Conference, but the same could've been said for last season before they lost to an eight-seeded Miami Heat squad in seven games.

If the Celtics are to have any shot at winning their first championship since their 2008 title run, it will need to be behind Tatum. If Tatum can step into a leadership role in this upcoming postseason, his name could finally be talked about amongst some of Boston's greats.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Last rank: 4

The Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Bucks have arguably had their toughest season despite grabbing the No. 3 seed. After making a head coaching change early into the season, Milwaukee was poised to connect all the dots and give the Celtics a run for the first seed. Not only did this not happen, but Milwaukee's title shot seems cloudy at the current moment.

Fortunately for fans of the Bucks, they have a guy named Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis has led his Bucks to many late postseason runs, including a title run in 2021. However, after a calf strain suffered one week before the end of the season, his availability for game one of the first round is unclear.

If the Bucks wish to have any late post-season run, they will need to be at full power behind their franchise player. Giannis has shown in the past that he can shake off major injuries in a short amount of time. But traditionally, an injury of this caliber will keep the former MVP out for multiple weeks.

Milwaukee will face off against the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. If Giannis is to miss time, it will be critical that Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton prepare to carry this team for the first half of the series.

The Bucks will be heavily favored against the Pacers, but without Giannis, this series could be much closer than fans realize.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Last rank: 3

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had a fantastic season and has now led the second-youngest team in the NBA to a first seed in the Western Conference. With a 57-25 record, Gilgeous-Alexander has made his MVP case clear after Sunday's win over Dallas.

OKC will still have a lot to prove come playoff time, but as it currently stands, the Thunder are the hottest team in the league. Behind Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder finished the season on a six-game winning streak when many counted them out.

Despite finishing with the top record in the West, fans and the media have constantly disrespected this historic squad. Many fans have wanted their teams to draw OKC for either a first-round matchup or to avoid the defending champs.

Gilgeous-Alexander will need to showcase why he is a top-three MVP candidate in this season's playoffs, and fortunately for Thunder fans, they will face off against whoever wins the final Play-In game for the eighth spot in the West.

Being that the Thunder have the second-youngest squad in the NBA, many have already written off Gilgeous-Alexander and his team. Their lack of playoff experience and NBA experience, in general, has scared off some fans when hoping on their bandwagon.

The Thunder will have a week to prepare for their eventual playoff matchup. Whoever they end up drawing, they will need to prove to the media and fans that they belong in this position. Gilgeous-Alexander should be poised for a breakout playoff run.

2. Nikola Jokic

Last rank: 2

In the eyes of the national media and voters, it looks like Nikola Jokic could be well on his way to winning a third MVP award in landside fashion. If fans had any say in this vote or could sway any outcome, this race for MVP would be much closer between Jokic and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic.

While there will be controversy when Jokic is announced as the 2024 NBA MVP (if he wins), he is much deserving of his third trophy. The Nuggets big man led his squad to a 57-25 record and carried his team to a second seed and a potential first-round playoff matchup between either the Los Angeles Lakers or the New Orleans Pelicans.

Despite not clinching the first seed in the Western Conference, the Nuggets remain the team to be beaten in the playoffs, so much that it seemed like opposing teams were scrambling until the final game of the regular season to avoid matching up against the reigning champs.

Whoever does end up playing the Nuggets in the first round will get served up a delicious plate of Jokic basketball. His skill and talent were showcased all season, but during his latest playoff run, Jokic turned into one of the greatest players the world has ever seen.

As of now, the Pelicans or the Lakers will have their plate full if they win their first Play-In matchup. Luckily for the Lakers, they faced off against Jokic and the Nuggets last season in the Western Conference Finals, so this could give them the motivation to get some much-needed revenge.

1. Luka Doncic

Last rank: 1

In the eyes of fans, Luka Doncic should be on his way to winning his first MVP award at the age of 25. Unfortunately for him and his fans, it appears that the MVP race was decided halfway through the season, and Doncic could be robbed of his first legit chance at winning the MVP.

Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks finished out their regular season campaign in historic fashion, yet it seemed like nobody was batting an eye at the numerous records Doncic broke in the process.

The 25-year-old guard has arguably had his best season yet, and in any other MVP race, he would have won the award in landslide fashion. The only real argument voters have at picking Jokic over Doncic is the Nuggets have seven more wins than Dallas, and Jokic's advanced stats are off the charts compared to any other player.

However, when looking at the advanced stats, Doncic's name is right behind Jokic in most categories. It is unclear what agendas the national media had against Doncic, but when the MVP is announced, Doncic's 2023-24 campaign will go down in history as one of the best statistical seasons in NBA history.

Doncic willed the Mavs to a 50-win season after everyone doubted them before the season started, and he will have the chance to prove that he is the real MVP in the 2024 NBA Playoffs

While the Mavericks have shifted their focus to the seven-game playoff series with the LA Clippers, Doncic's regular season will never be forgotten.

For more updates on the MVP race, Luka Doncic, and playoff basketball, stay plugged in.