NBA MVP Power Rankings: Nikola Jokic remains atop the leaderboard after strong week

On Friday, the Mavericks headed to Boston to play the No. 1 team in the league, the Boston Celtics. After defeating the Toronto Raptors in relatively comfortable fashion, the Mavericks were looking to shock the world by beating the Celtics in Boston.

Unfortunately, the long-awaited matchup ended in blowout fashion in favor of the Celtics. The Celtics proved to be the better team on both ends of the floor and at the end of the third quarter they took the game which led to the 28-point defeat.

The Mavericks made numerous attempts to make the game close and even got within two points after a brigade of P.J. Washington 3-pointers. Superstar Luka Doncic contributed to the number of comeback attempts with his 37-point triple-double. Even after having an impressive game, Doncic proved to be not enough if you want to beat the Celtics.

Despite The Mavericks looking helpless at times, they could have given themselves a shot at winning had they fixed some glaring issues. For starters, Jason Kidd only played Daniel Gafford for a total of six minutes in the loss, which is simply not acceptable.

Additionally, Mavs fans were gifted with yet another stinker from Tim Hardaway Jr. Hardaway Jr. has had a rough go of it as of late but needs to dig himself out of this rut if he expects to keep his spot in the rotation. Hardaway Jr. has always had a long leash when it comes to his shot selection but lately, the eight-year vet has been hurting the Mavs with his reckless shot selections.

After a crushing defeat at the hands of the Celtics and another loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, how will Doncic's MVP status be affected? Let's take a look.

10. Anthony Davis

Last week's rank: N/A

Despite losing to the Nuggets last night, Anthony Davis will eclipse the top 10 for the first time in over two months after turning the Lakers season around.

9. Devin Booker

Last week's rank: 8

The Phoenix Suns are currently sitting at sixth in today's latest NBA standings. A large part of why the Suns have had so much success as of late has been because of their star guard, Devin Booker. If the Suns continue to win, expect Booker to rise in the coming weeks.

8. Kawhi Leonard

Last week's rank: 7

The LA Clippers have fallen to fourth in the Western Conference and have failed to stay within striking distance of the top three seeds. If the Clippers continue to drop, so may Kawhi Leonard in the MVP rankings.

7. Donovan Mitchell

Last week's rank: 9

Donovan Mitchell becomes our highest riser in this week's MVP Power Rankings after returning from injury. He hasn't just been dominant, but so have the Cavs as they try to remain in second place.

6. Domantas Sabonis

Last week's rank: 6

Domantas Sabonis once again remains just outside of the top five in this week's latest MVP rankings. If the Kings can widen the gap between them and the play-in race, expect Sabonis to rise.