Early 2020-2021 MVP Ladder: Who's Leading?

One of them has four Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards under his belt and is gunning for his fifth. The other one is gunning for his first in only his third season. And that's only the top two players in the MVP ladder early in the 2020-2021 National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season.

LeBron James, who just turned 36 last December 30, is leading the MVP race. He is leading the Los Angeles Lakers in scoring (24 points per game) and assists (seven assists per game) with the Lakers sitting in third place in the Western Conference. The King, in his third season with the Lakers, is shooting 48% from the field including 40% from the three-point line. 

Second on the current MVP ladder is Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic is the NBA's fifth-leading scorer, averaging 27 points per game in the season's first eight games. He also leads the Mavs in rebounds (nine rebounds per game) and assists (eight assists per game) and that has been expected considering that Dallas is still playing without Kristaps Porzingis. Dallas is still outside of the West's playoff picture with a 4-4 slate but we can expect Doncic to turn things around especially if Porzingis returns and is healthy again.

Paul George currently occupies the third spot in the MVP ladder while Joel Embiid sits at number four. George's Los Angeles Clippers have the second-best record in the West at 6-2 and that, his numbers have something to do with it. He is averaging 24 points per game including a 39-point outing against the West-leading Phoenix Suns. He is also contributing six rebounds and four assists per game while shooting 47% from the three-point line. Meanwhile, the Philidelphia 76ers currently have the best record in the NBA at 7-2 despite having a new coach in Doc Rivers and part of the reason why the Sixers are looking good early on is that Joel Embiid is playing at an MVP level. Embiid is averaging 24 points, 11 rebounds, and close to two blocks per game this season. His best game thus far is a 38-point performance against the Washington Wizards. 

Completing the top five in the MVP ladder is Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors. Not only Curry is the NBA's second-leading scorer (29 points per game), but he is also last week's Western Conference Player of the Week after going on a scoring rampage that included a 62-point explosion against the Portland Trail Blazers. More importantly, the Warriors are in a seven-team tie in the middle of the West standings as seven teams have an identical 4-4 slate. 

Surprisingly, reigning two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo isn't in the MVP conversation. Yet. 

Photo is from NBC Sports