Where Does Celtics' Jayson Tatum Land in Current MVP Rankings?

Is Tatum the favorite to win the NBA MVP?

David Butler II-Imagn Images

The 2024-25 NBA season remains in its infancy — no team has played 15 games yet — but it's never too early to start looking at who are the favorites to win the MVP award.

Jayson Tatum is one of the early favorites to win the award. According to the Kia MVP Ladder, the Boston Celtics forward is second on the rankings a few weeks into the season, only behind Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.

Through the start of the season, Tatum is averaging 30.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. He ranks third in the NBA in scoring, only behind Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis.

Tatum has scored at least 30 points in eight of the Celtics' 13 games this season and helped the team start the year with a 10-3 record. He especially contributed to the Celtics' early season success when Jaylen Brown missed multiple games because of injury. Brown is now back, and the Celtics have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, and the fourth-best record overall in the NBA.

Jokic ranks ahead of Tatum on this edition of the list though his Nuggets have a worse record at 7-4 and Jokic is averaging fewer points per game, 29.7. Where Jokic, who has won three of the last four NBA MVP awards, has the edge is his production across the board. Jokic is averaging a triple-double season, posting 29.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 11.7 assists per game.

Tatum is ahead of Jokic in points per game, but Jokic currently leads the NBA in both rebounds and assists per game. He is also shooting more accurately this season so far than Tatum.

While Tatum has regularly been in the mix for the NBA MVP award, Jokic has now taken it home on three occasions. Tatum is still seeking to win his first NBA MVP award, though he is already an NBA champion and a five-time NBA All-Star.

After Jokic and Tatum, Phoenix Suns' Kevin Durant (3rd), Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (4th), and Davis (5th) round out the current top-five standings for the award.

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