NBA MVP Power Rankings: Giannis Antetokounmpo falls, new player joins top five

The Dallas Mavericks recently played the Portland Trailblazers on Friday. The Mavericks took care of business throughout the fourth quarter, but it came to the cost of superstar Kyrie Irving.

Thankfully it seems Irving may have avoided a series injury, but there is no timetable for his return.

Despite the loss of Irving, the Mavericks took care of business throughout large periods of Friday's game. Behind the play of Luka Doncic and multiple other Mavericks who stepped up in a massive way.

NBA MVP Power Rankings: Giannis Antetokounmpo falls, new player joins top five

Mavericks point guard Dante Exum had the game of his life. In his second-highest-scoring game of his career, Exum would drop 23 points, seven assists, and six rebounds. Exum amazingly only had one turnover in his second start with the Mavs.

All night long, Exum was able to dissect the Blazers' defense with his speed and athleticism. He had multiple points inside the paint simply by taking defenders off the dribble and daring the center to step up on him. Without Exum's contribution, the Mavs likely wouldn't have one their 13th game of the season.

In addition to Exum, other Mavericks had great games. Off the bench, Tim Hardaway Jr. would contribute 20 points on efficient shooting. Defensively, Hardaway Jr. continued to showcase his charge-taking ability. He had three charges drawn after the first half and made it hard for multiple Blazer players to drive inside.

Luka Doncic continued to showcase why he's a top 3 MVP candidate. He dropped 32 points and ten assists while leading the Mavericks all night in the win over the Trail Blazers. With Doncic's miraculous week of basketball, let's check in and see this week's MVP Power Rankings list.

10. LeBron James

Last week's rank: N/A

It's amazing to say that the oldest player in the NBA is now an MVP candidate. With LeBron's leadership and amazing play, he led the Lakers to the first-ever In-Season Tournament Championship and dominated in every game.

9. De'Aaron Fox

Last week's rank: N/A

Fox has the numbers to be a top-five MVP candidate but doesn't have the games played to be so. Despite a few early Injuries, Fox has played amazing all year long.

8. Jayson Tatum

Last week's rank: 7

It's hard to see the best player on the best team be eighth in the rankings, but that's the world we live in. Tatum continues to play amazingly all year long. He has even led the Boston Celtics to the best record in the NBA.

7. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Last week's rank: 5

Giannis is deserving of a top-five spot after putting up career-best numbers around the board. He drops due to his team's embarrassing play in the semi-finals of the In-Season Tournament.

6. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Last week's ranking: 4

Another candidate deserving of a top-five spot in the MVP list. He is shooting a career-best from the field and has led the Thunder to one of the top records in the Western Conference. Despite Shai's play on the court, the five names ahead of him had better weeks.

5. Kevin Durant

Last week's rank: 9

Kevin Durant officially becomes this week's highest riser in the MVP Power Rankings.

Durant has played amazing all year long and has the numbers to back it up. Through 19 games, Durant has averaged 31 points, six rebounds, and five assists. He has quietly become a dark horse MVP candidate, which is insane given his numbers on the year.

Offensively, Durant has only aged like wine. His freakish height gives him an automatic advantage over any defender in the league. Durant has shot over 50 percent from the field this season, and from behind the arc, Durant has shot 50 percent.

Over the Suns' last few games, Durant has scored over 30 in the last eight of nine games. He has quickly become Phoenix's number-one player and has led them to a promising 12-10 record. Despite the Suns' strong start to begin the season, they have dropped three of the last four games. The loss of Durant could be a huge reason why.

Durant has missed a few games now due to an ankle sprain. He is expected to make a full recovery this coming week.

Durant hasn't only been an offensive monster. He has quietly become one of the Suns' best defenders. He has averaged a block throughout the season, and it's easy to see why. Durant has become a pseudo-center for the Suns' throughout portions of games.

Despite Durant's recent injuries, he has risen in this week's MVP Power Rankings.

4. Tyrese Haliburton

Last week's rank: 6

Tyrese Haliburton has skyrocketed the rankings the last two weeks and finds himself at four in this week's MVP Power Rankings.

Haliburton has been on a tear all year and was no different this past week. He elevated his play to a new level during the In-Season Tournament and has truly looked like a rising star in the making. His performance against the Boston Celtics this last week was his breakout game. He dropped a 26-point triple-double and led the Pacers to a massive upset win.

A few days later, in the semi-final match, Haliburton would do the exact same thing to the Milwaukee Bucks. He would score 27 points and cash in 15 assists while leading the Pacers to another massive upset win.

Haliburton has come alive in the last few weeks, and it's easy to see why. His length as a guard gives him an automatic advantage over any defender. Around the rim, Haliburton can finish with ease and has deemed the floater as his signature shot.

Despite Haliburton's inside scoring ability, he has also become lethal around the perimeter. He is already shooting a career-high 44 percent from behind the arc. This is a number that will drop slightly, but at the rate that Haliburton pulls from three, he could be on a historic rate.

The Indiana Pacers still have a lot of basketball left to play. If the first 20 games are any indication of how this team will fare, then the NBA is in for a rude awakening. Expect Haliburton to remain on this list in the near weeks.

3. Luka Doncic

Last week's rank: 3

Luka Doncic is once again at the third spot in this week's list, even after multiple historic games.

Somehow, Doncic has looked even better this week than he did the last. In both games played, he led the Mavericks to two crucial victories. A 50-point blowout win against the Jazz and a suspenseful victory over the Trailblazers.

In both games, Doncic put up amazing stat lines, including a 29-point triple-double at halftime in the Jazz game. This was the first ever recorded 25-point triple-double at halftime by any player in the NBA.

In the game against the Trail Blazers, Doncic put the Mavericks on his back and led them with 32 points and 10 assists. Without Doncic's presence, the Mavericks would have likely lost an easy one to the Blazers.

Doncic has opened up the month averaging a 36-point triple-double. If he can somehow keep these numbers up with Irving likely missing some valuable time, then he could definitely rise on this list.

The Mavericks' schedule won't get any easier, so they will need all of Doncic's brilliance if they hope to float above water. Since Doncic has unveiled his new look, the Mavericks haven't dropped any unnecessary games. Heaband Luka is a problem.

2. Joel Embiid

Last week's rank: 2

Nothing may have changed inside the top three, but a lot happened that could shake up the future power rankings.

Joel Embiid has dominated his way into the month of December. With two powerful wins over lesser Eastern Conference opponents, it's easy to see how good Embiid has been. He has already dropped a 50-point game and followed it up with a 38-point showcase.

Embiid's dominance has continued to be on full display. He has demolished the boards in both performances and has anchored down low for the Sixers all season long.

Defensively, Embiid has looked like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and it was no different over last week's stretch. In a game against the Hawks, Embiid had four blocks and made Clint Capela look like a JV player. If Embiid can hone in on the defensive end every night, then he could easily become a back-to-back MVP winner.

In earlier games, Embiid did the same thing to opposing centers. He made them look silly all night long.

Offensively, the numbers that Embiid has put up have been no joke. He has shot an easy 51 percent from the field and has almost looked better than last season. He has dominated inside in both scoring and also creating second-chance opportunities.

If Embiid continues to be this good on the glass, then he will average a career-high three offensive rebounds.

The Sixers' schedule won't get any easier as they have a tough week approaching. They will need all of Embiid's abilities if they wish to continue winning games. The Sixers are well on their way to having one of the best records in the East.

1. Nikola Jokic

Last week's rank: 1

Nikola Jokic remains at the one spot, but it's by a slim margin.

The former two-time MVP has finally looked human this year and so have the Nuggets. After dropping three straight games, it's clear something isn't right in Denver. This could be your normal case of midseason sickness or something alarming.

It's unclear what the problem is, but it's too early to even tell if something is wrong. Jokic has still looked like Jokic through this tough stretch. He has averaged 26 points to open the month of December, but his efficiency is way down from his career averages.

He has averaged 40 percent from the field in four games this past week and has shot an even worse 25 percent from behind the arc. Jokic isn't known as a knockdown shooter from deep, but he has the ability to hurt defenses with his stretchability.

These numbers will need to shift quickly if the former MVP wishes to be in the NBA finals again.

Despite the sluggish look on offense, Jokic has been a relatively plus defender this season. His defensive capabilities often get overshadowed, but he has looked like a plus defender over this few-game stretch.

This is the first time all season things aren't roses and daises in Denver. Jokic will need to be the one to pull the Nuggets out of this slump.

The Dallas Mavericks schedule will only get tougher as we approach Christmas. For more updates on Mavericks basketball, stay plugged in.