NBA Playoffs MVP Power Rankings: Young guard trumps MVP winner for first place

On Saturday night, the Dallas Mavericks closed out their second-round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games. In one of the most impressive comeback displays this season, the Mavericks clawed back from down 17 to defeat the Thunder by one point off of P.J. Washington free throws.

Now that the Mavericks have advanced to the Western Conference Finals, they will be playing the Minnesota Timberwolves who just came off a huge Game 7 win over the defending champion Denver Nuggets. Similarly to the Mavericks, the Timberwolves made a magnificent Game 7 comeback where they were down by 20 points at one point in the second half.

This is the Timberwolves' first Western Conference Finals appearance since the 2003-04 NBA season. 

NBA Playoffs MVP Power Rankings: Young guard trumps MVP winner for first place

In the regular season, the Timberwolves owned the Mavs in the four games they played. The Mavericks only managed to win one game against the Timberwolves throughout the season and that just happened to be the only game Luka Doncic played against Minnesota.

In Doncic’s solo game against the Timberwolves, the Mavs went on to win 115-108. Doncic finished with an impressive 34 points, while Kyrie Irving led the team with 35 points.

The Mavericks have had a tough path to the Western Conference Finals but facing off against the Timberwolves will be their hardest test yet. Dallas will need all of Irving and Doncic’s capabilities, as well as other Mavs role players to have any shot at overthrowing the Timberwolves.

With the second round of the NBA playoffs coming to a close, let’s take a look at how the NBA Playoff MVP ladder would look after every player's second-round performance.

10. Rudy Gobert

Last rank: N/A

Rudy Gobert drew a tough second-round opponent with the Denver Nuggets. Being the main defender on three-time MVP winner Nikola Jokic was no easy task but Gobert proved why he was this season's Defensive Player Of The Year.

9. Jaylen Brown

Last rank: N/A

Jaylen Brown proved his worth after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in a swift five-game series. Brown finally elevated himself to playoff status and looked like the second star alongside Jayson Tatum.

8. Pascal Siakam

Last rank: N/A

Pascal Siakam became a huge contributor for the Indiana Pacers in their hard-fought seven-game series with the New York Knicks. Siakam arguably displayed his best brand of basketball since his 2019 championship run with the Toronto Raptors. If the Pacers are to have any shot at beating the Boston Celtics, Siakam could give them a slight edge.

7. Anthony Edwards

Last rank: 7

Despite topping the defending champs in seven games, Anthony Edwards has yet to display his full talent for every game in a given playoff series. Edwards has exploded for some big-time performances since the playoffs began in late April, but fans have yet to see the young superstar finish a playoff series without a handful of stinkers sprinkled in. Edwards' defensive matchup against Kyrie Irving is going to be must-watch television, and fans of both teams can't wait to see it.

6. Jayson Tatum

Last rank: 6

Jayson Tatum single-handedly dismantled the Cleveland Cavaliers in five short games. Despite one questionable loss in Game 2, the Celtics finally looked like they could win a championship on the biggest stage.

5. Tyrese Haliburton

Last rank: N/A

In his first playoff run of his short career, Tyrese Haliburton has been the definition of an up-and-down player. In the Indiana Pacers' first-round matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks, Haliburton, and the Pacers' offense couldn't hit the broad side of a barn let alone defend a cone in the open floor. Since squeaking out the Bucks in six games, Haliburton and the Pacers have turned it up a notch.

Against the New York Knicks, nobody gave the Pacers a chance to win the series. They not only beat the Knicks in seven games but embarrassed New York in the final two games of the series. Haliburton proved why he could lead his squad to a championship title in those final two games.

After going down 0-2 in their second-round matchup with the Knicks, Haliburton turned up his play and looked like the All-NBA players fans have come to know.

In the series-defining Game 7 win, Haliburton ignited for a huge 26-point performance including nailing six 3-pointers down when the final buzzer rang. Haliburton finished the Knicks off with a massive performance and let the New York crowd hear it all game long.

Despite beating the Knicks in seven games, they will have an even tougher opponent on Tuesday with the Boston Celtics. Both Haliburton and Pascal Siakam will need to have a massive series if the Pacers want to have any shot at making the NBA Finals.

4. Luka Doncic

Last rank: 3

The Dallas Mavericks have advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in the past three seasons under Luka Doncic. After defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games, the Mavericks are poised to clinch their first conference title since the 2011 NBA season. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves stand in their way.

Even after knocking the first seed off, the Mavericks will face an even tougher opponent with the Timberwolves, and many fans have speculated whether or not the Mavericks can win. Everyone seems to be doubting the Mavs, and if they want any chance against the Timberwolves, Doncic will need to step up.

Outside of a handful of respectable performances in the second round, Doncic has mightily struggled in this year's NBA Playoffs. Doncic has shown life over the last few games but it's nothing compared to what fans have become accustomed to when Doncic performs in the playoffs.

Doncic has been injury-riddled throughout this season's playoffs but in the last few games against the Thunder, Doncic displayed incredible poise and looked the healthiest he has looked in over a month.

The Mavericks will be in for a rude awakening if Doncic and Kyrie Irving open the series struggling. There will be a lot of pressure on Doncic to carry his team to their first NBA Finals appearance in over a decade. If Doncic completes this near impossible task, he could be the next face of the NBA.

3. Jalen Brunson

Last rank: 4

After going up 3-2 against the Indiana Pacers, the New York Knicks were well on their way to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since the early 2000s. After dropping two straight games and losing embarrassingly on their home floor in Game 7, it's clear the Knicks need to make some offseason adjustments.

Despite coming up short of expectations, the Knicks have found a bonified star in Jalen Brunson. The one-time Dallas Mavericks guard has exceeded expectations and after this season, fans have realized Brunson can be an All-NBA First Team caliber player for the remainder of his prime.

Even while being undersized as an NBA point guard, Brunson has defied logic with his uncanny shot-making ability. At one point in the regular season, Brunson rivaled Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic for leaders in usage percentage.

After a successful regular season, it was clear that this high usage rate caught up to both Brunson and the Knicks. The Pacers realized that if you could slow down Brunson, the rest of the Knicks would struggle in the process.

The Knicks will look to retool around Brunson in the offseason and could even be in the market for a new co-star to stand alongside Brunson. If the Knicks are successful in their offseason endeavors, they could be well on their way to winning their first NBA championship since the 1970s.

Brunson should be excited about his future with the Knicks. If New York can surround Brunson with a supportive cast on both ends, Brunson could be due for an MVP run in the coming seasons.

2. Nikola Jokic

Last rank: 1

Similarly to the New York Knicks, the Denver Nuggets found themselves up 3-2 over the Minnesota Timberwolves and well on their way to defending their NBA title once again. Unfortunately for Denver, they didn't anticipate Minnesota going nuclear in Game 6 and 7 to win the series.

Despite choking a 3-2 series lead for a chance at advancing to the Western Conference Finals, Nikola Jokic didn't disappoint for a single game. The now three-time MVP single-handedly kept his team alive after falling two games behind early in the series with the Timberwolves.

Jokic was one of Denver's few bright spots in a tough series. Unfortunately for NBA fans, Jokic has played his final game of the 2023-24 NBA season.

Jokic dominated all season long and stamped his name as one of the greatest centers of all time. Fans have even begun to discuss whether Jokic is the greatest European to play the game of basketball. With names like Dirk Nowitzki and Giannis Antetokounmpo in that discussion, it's hard to argue in favor of Jokic. However, after winning his third MVP award in four seasons he could likely have etched his name as the greatest European basketball player ever.

This may have been a disappointing end to the season for Jokic but he should hold his head up high as the Nuggets will only bounce back from a loss like this.

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Last rank: 2

After taking the youngest roster in the NBA to their first seed in over a decade, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was poised to take his team to their first Conference Finals since the 2015-16 NBA season. However, they ran into Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

After convincingly winning Game 1, the Thunder failed to have the same shooting and defensive impact they once had for the remainder of the series. They were fortunate enough to give themselves a shot at winning the series after stealing Game 4 but it didn't matter.

Despite losing in six games, Gilgeous-Alexander proved why he was second in MVP voting at the end of the season. Gilgeous-Alexander constantly torched the Mavs for multiple big-time performances and became the main reason the Thunder dragged the Mavericks on for six tough games.

As the Thunder begin only to sniff their prime years, Gilgeous-Alexander will be ready for many more late playoff runs with his Thunder squad. They may need to make some offseason moves to make that wish become a reality, but they have found a bonified star in Gilgeous-Alexander for the long haul.

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30 points, seven rebounds, and six assists to close out his 2023-24 playoff campaign, the best of his young career. Gilgeous-Alexander proved to many fans why he deserves their respect and why he can compete for an NBA Championship soon.

For more updates on the Dallas Mavericks' upcoming playoff series with the Minnesota Timberwolves, stay plugged in for more as we'll have you covered.