NBA Power Rankings: Jayson Tatum’s MVP Case Grows

The Celtics are having enormous success this season thanks to their best player, who is sharing the scoring load but performing statistically better in other areas.

Over the last week, with the NBA regular season entering its final stage, the drumbeat for Jayson Tatum’s MVP candidacy has gotten progressively louder. Some of that’s Tatum, who in an All-Star interview with ESPN declared that he was the best player in the league. Some of that is coming from others, like Draymond Green, who on his podcast said that those not considering Tatum are moving the goalposts on the award.

“The Celtics are 7.5 games ahead of the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference,” Green said. “Do people think the Celtics are that great to where Jayson Tatum is only in [sixth in the race]? Sometimes it’s like, that team is winning and that guy is the best player and playing well. In this situation, clearly that’s not the goalpost.”

Green was referencing the most recent ESPN straw poll, in which Tatum did not register a single first-place vote, finishing well behind Nikola Jokić, who sat atop the February version of the poll.

Tatum is loudly making his case for 2024 NBA MVP :: Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports

The case against Tatum is purely statistical. His scoring is down more than three points from last season, putting him well behind Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo. That’s largely due to the addition of Kristaps Porziņģis, a 20-point per game scorer who has successfully integrated into the Boston Celtics’ rotation.

It’s worth noting, however, that Tatum’s field goal and three-point percentages are both up from last season. And his assist numbers are at a career high. He’s one of the best isolation players in the game, has an excellent plus/minus and has developed into a strong post player. If his crunch-time numbers don’t stand out, it’s because Boston, with an NBA-best plus-10.5 point differential, has spent most of the season clobbering opponents.

Tatum’s case for MVP—and it’s a good one—will likely come down to the value voters put on winning. Tatum’s not the only candidate winning, of course. Gilgeous-Alexander is having an outstanding season on a team fighting for the top spot in the West. The same can be said for Jokić. Tatum needs voters to see the value in his willingness to take a half-step back to allow his teammates to thrive, a decision that has directly led to Boston’s enormous success.

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On to Sports Illustrated’s latest NBA power rankings.

1. Boston Celtics

Last week: 1

Joe Mazzulla won’t win Coach of the Year—the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Mark Daigneault probably has that award sewn up—but he can’t be considered a weakness anymore, either. Mazzulla has grown considerably in his second season, from his strategies, which include seamlessly incorporating Porziņģis into the Celtics’ system, to in-game adjustments. Internally, folks in Boston say, there is a confidence in Mazzulla that didn’t exist last season, when Mazzulla was thrust into the top job after the untimely exit of Ime Udoka. The players deserve most of the credit for what Boston has done this season. But Mazzulla is more than just along for the ride.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

Last week: 4

MVP voters—and I’m one of them—are running out of reasons not to put Gilgeous-Alexander at the top of the ballot. SGA averaged 32.3 points in the first three games out of the All-Star break, all Oklahoma City wins. Gilgeous-Alexander is on pace to become only the third player in NBA history to average at least 30-plus points and two-plus steals while shooting 50% or better from the field. The other two? Michael Jordan, who did it during his peak years of 1988 to ’92, and Stephen Curry, who accomplished it in 2015–16, the season he was unanimous MVP. Pretty good, no?

3. Minnesota Timberwolves

Last week: 2

Is Anthony Edwards the next face of the NBA? That’s what Karl-Anthony Towns suggested over All-Star weekend and Edwards’s play this season—career bests in scoring, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, etc.—is a strong sign he could be in the mix. Edwards went into the All-Star break by racking up 75 points in a back-to-back with the Portland Trail Blazers and is averaging 30.3 points in the three games coming out of it. That’s face-of-the-franchise-type stuff. Face of the NBA? Stay tuned.

4. Denver Nuggets

Last week: 6

Anyone catch that 34-point outburst from Michael Porter Jr. last week? MPJ’s offensive numbers have ticked down this season, but the 34 points against Portland—which was preceded by a team-high 22 against the Washington Wizards a night earlier—are welcome signs for the Nuggets, who have already been benefiting from Porter’s excellent rebounding. Consider: Denver is 10–2 when Porter grabs double-digit rebounds.

5. Los Angeles Clippers

Last week: 3

Little bit of a defensive blip for the Clippers, who were gashed by Oklahoma City (129 points) and the Sacramento Kings (123) coming out of the break. P.J. Tucker got some reps over the weekend, his first game action since November. Will the Clippers push Tucker back into the rotation? Among the reasons the Clippers have not bought out Tucker is his ability to defend Kevin Durant and Jokić could be valuable in the playoffs. Worth watching if Tucker gets some shake-off-the-rust playing time down the stretch.

Tucker saw action this week for the first time since November and could be a defensive asset down the stretch :: Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports

6. Cleveland Cavaliers

Last week: 5

With Donovan Mitchell sidelined, the Cavs absorbed back-to-back losses to the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers before rebounding with a win over Washington in Mitchell’s return, followed by a thrilling last-second win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. Jarrett Allen continues to deliver. The All-Star snub collected 19 points and nine rebounds in the win over the Mavs, narrowly missing his 24th double double since Dec. 23.

7. Dallas Mavericks

Last week: 8

Speaking of MVP candidates: Dončić scored 40-plus in two of the Mavs’ first three games coming out of the All-Star break. Dončić’s MVP case, of course, would be strengthened by Dallas climbing out of the play-in mix. A suddenly sturdy defense—the Mavs are second in defensive rating since Feb. 5—will certainly help.

8. Phoenix Suns

Last week: 7

Here’s a stat: The Suns are 0–4 without Jusuf Nurkić this season. When he’s not antagonizing Green—that’s a spicy matchup we can only hope to see in the playoffs—Nurkić has been incredibly steady for Phoenix, averaging 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds in 27 minutes per game.

9. Milwaukee Bucks

Last week: 12

In the aftermath of the Bucks holding the Charlotte Hornets to 86 points Tuesday—including a ridiculous 26 at halftime—here’s a snippet from a recent conversation with Doc Rivers about what he saw from Milwaukee’s defense when he first took the job. Over the last few weeks, Rivers has tried to simplify the Bucks’ defense, stripping away options for a more consistent approach.

“The first two games I kind of sat and watched,” Rivers says. “And I’m listening to our coverages, defensively. And I’m like, f---, I need a book for all this s---. How can you do it all? It’s impossible. And it always sounds good. And I always tell coaches this at clinics, it sounds good. Like, ‘Oh man, we should do this on this coverage. On this play we can do this. On this play we can do this.’ By the time the game’s over, you’re doing 10 different things. And you can’t do that.”

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10. Sacramento Kings

Last week: 10

The Kings retain a top-10 spot thanks to a pair of terrific road wins over the Nuggets and Clippers. De’Aaron Fox has regained some of his swagger, averaging 25.9 points on 48.7% shooting in February while his co-star, Domantas Sabonis, has not had a single-digit rebounding game since January.

11. New York Knicks

Last week: 11

So where’s the panic meter on OG Anunoby? Tom Thibodeau says Anunoby, out since Jan. 27 with an elbow injury, has not progressed to shooting yet while The Athletic is reporting he is at least two to three weeks away. Meanwhile, three of the Knicks’ four wins in February have come against the injury-ravaged Memphis Grizzlies, 76ers (ditto) and Detroit Pistons. My sense from talking to people close to Julius Randle is that Randle will avoid season-ending surgery on his injured shoulder and be back in the lineup. With Anunoby … who knows?

12. Miami Heat

Last week: 13

The Heat really are a wild ride. Tuesday’s win over Portland made it five in a row—all on the road—and seven of the last eight. Entering the game against the Blazers, the Heat defense was allowing just 102.2 points per game in February, the lowest average in the NBA this month. Want more? How about opponents shooting 32.7% from three-point range (second lowest) and 45.1% from the field (fifth lowest) while forcing 14.2 turnovers per game (fourth most). Miami’s D is getting it done.

13. Indiana Pacers

Last week: 15

When Myles Turner produces, the Pacers win. Mostly, anyway. Indiana is 14–7 this season when Turner scores 20 or more points and 9–3 when he posts a double double. Turner continues to be a pretty good rim protector, too, ranking in the top 10 in blocks per game.

14. New Orleans Pelicans

Last week: 9

The Pels got a badly needed win Tuesday in New York. New Orleans’s offense has sputtered of late, ranking in the bottom third of the NBA over the last seven games. With a road-heavy schedule coming up over the next few weeks, the Pelicans will need to address those issues, quickly.

Zion Williamson and the Pelicans need to address their offensive issues :: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports

15. Orlando Magic

Last week: 18

How has the Magic addressed their poor three-point shooting? By taking fewer of them. Orlando is attempting fewer than 30 three-point shots in February, a downright stingy number in today’s NBA. Conversely, the Magic are second in the league in accuracy during this month, connecting at better than 40% of their threes. Less is more, I guess.

16. Golden State Warriors

Last week: 17

Hey, look, Chris Paul is back. Paul played 22 minutes against the Wizards on Tuesday, his first action since early January. Steve Kerr says Paul will play all the non-Curry minutes, giving the Warriors one of the most high-profile (and expensive) second units in the NBA. Hey, it worked against Washington: Paul and Klay Thompson were a combined plus-21 off of the bench.

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17. Philadelphia 76ers

Last week: 14

Late March is the latest Joel Embiid update, per ESPN, meaning Philadelphia, which has sunk in the standings since the reigning MVP went out with an injury and is just a half-game up on the No. 8 seed, is looking more and more likely to have to fight through the play-in tournament to make the postseason.

18. Los Angeles Lakers

Last week: 16

The Max Christie situation in L.A. is just weird. Christie, whose youth, athleticism and three-point shooting would seemingly be welcomed assets in the Lakers’ rotation, can’t seem to find a foothold with Darvin Ham, who played Christie just five minutes in Sunday’s loss to Phoenix. Spencer Dinwiddie will have a role with the Lakers, but Christie sure seems to deserve longer looks.

19. Chicago Bulls

Last week: 19

Coby White’s resurgence has been one of the few bright spots in a lost season for the Bulls. Particularly his play in the fourth quarter. Entering Tuesday’s loss to Detroit—yikes, by the way—White had collected 10-plus points in the fourth quarter 13 times this season. Since Feb. 1, White ranks third in the NBA in fourth-quarter points (84) and fifth in clutch points (23).

20. Houston Rockets

Last week: 21

The Rockets have as many home wins as the West-leading Timberwolves while only East basement-dweller Detroit has fewer road wins. That just about sums up Houston’s season.

21. Toronto Raptors

Last week: 26

Signs of life from Gradey Dick, the Raptors’ 2023 lottery pick, who racked up 36 points in his last two games and is connecting on 50% of his threes this month. Toronto, meanwhile, has won three straight and is inching closer to the final play-in spot.

22. Atlanta Hawks

Last week: 22

Trae Young’s injury could cost the Hawks a play-in slot, which may not be the worst thing with the Hawks likely headed for a rebuild after this season. Atlanta definitely has a keeper, though, in Jalen Johnson who recorded his fourth straight double double in Tuesday’s win over the Utah Jazz.

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23. Utah Jazz

Last week: 20

The Jazz, who don’t seem really interested in staying in the play-in mix, are seeing what they have in rookie Taylor Hendricks. Hendricks, a 6' 9" forward, has had some good moments (a 12-point, nine-rebound effort against Charlotte) and shaky ones (a combined three points in two losses to Golden State) as Utah shifts into next-season mode.

24. Brooklyn Nets

Last week: 23

Say this for the Nets: When they lose, they really lose. After getting blown out by 50 vs. Boston before the All-Star break—a loss that led to Jacque Vaughn getting canned before the team could return—Brooklyn lost by 28 to Toronto, 15 to Minnesota and, after a blowout win over the Zombie Grizzlies, 27 to Orlando. Not sure interim coach Kevin Ollie is going to be keeping this job.

25. Memphis Grizzlies

Last week: 24

The upshot of a lost Grizzlies season is that the coaching staff gets longer looks at young players. That includes second-year wing Vince Williams Jr., Memphis’s lone representative at All-Star weekend. Williams has found a role as a pesky defender and budding playmaker (he’s averaging 6.3 assists in February). In Williams and GG Jackson, the Grizz appear to have two solid role players for a team that expects to compete for a championship next season.

26. Charlotte Hornets

Last week: 25

Twenty-six points for the Hornets in the first half against the Bucks on Tuesday. You have to really, really try in today’s NBA to score only 26 points in a half.

27. Portland Trail Blazers

Last week: 27

It’s going to be a long, long rebuild in Portland.

28. San Antonio Spurs

Last week: 28

If you’re not watching Victor Wembanyama every night, you’re really missing out. Wembanyama is posting some absurd statistics while continuing to do norm-defying things even by today’s modern NBA standards. It’s been a tough season in San Antonio—the Spurs have one win this month—but Wembanyama has lived up to the hype.

29. Detroit Pistons

Last week: 30

The Pistons moved up! The Pistons moved up! After getting robbed of a win Monday in New York, Detroit showed poise in winning at Chicago the next night. Cade Cunningham, who scored 32 against the Knicks and has at least 26 in each of his last four games, continues to look like a cornerstone player and Jaden Ivey has rediscovered his three-point shot this month. Hey, it’s something.

30. Washington Wizards

Last week: 29

I don’t know what to make of Jordan Poole. He’s shown some signs of life lately—21 points against Oklahoma City, 31 against Cleveland—but he continues to be a high-volume, low-percentage scorer who can’t buy a bucket from three-point range. Recently, ex-Nets exec Bobby Marks suggested Poole had one of the worst contracts in the league. Hard to argue.