As you know, Wednesday is synonymous with MVP at TrashTalk. And as February has just begun, the race for the Michael Jordan Trophy is going to get more and more intense. Some have taken advantage of the last fortnight to send a few messages to future voters and get back in the rankings (hello Joel Embiid).
Stats : 30.2 points / 8.5 rebounds / 7.1 assists / 1.0 steals / 50.5% shooting
With: 24 wins – 28 losses
We don’t know if this will console LeBron James after the endgame episode in Boston, but the King lands in our Top 10 MVP as he closes in at high speed on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record. (and that he has just become the 4th all-time passer). Certainly, his Lakers continue to struggle to hitch the right wagon in the Western Conference but it has become impossible to ignore the individual exploits of the King when we know that he has 38 brooms. Night after night, LeBron pushes the limits of nature, and his outstanding performance during Anthony Davis’ absence has kept Los Angeles from sinking. It remains to be seen whether the Lakers – with the return of AD and potential adjustments to the trade deadline – can pull off a fantastic comeback in a tight conference.
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Stats : 30.9 points / 4.8 rebounds / 5.7 assists / 1.7 steal / 1.1 against / 51.0% shooting
With: 24 wins – 26 losses
If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not obtain (unfairly?) his starting place for the next All-Star Game, there is no doubt that he will be chosen by the coaches among the substitutes, he who still does not lower the foot in his tremendous 2022-23 campaign. Monster regularity, SGA is on a series of five consecutive games at least 30 points scored, and thanks to him the Thunder is paying some heavyweights in the NBA at the moment. The Nuggets (admittedly without Nikola Jokic) notably fell to Oklahoma City, then it was the Cavaliers (admittedly without Donovan Mitchell) who were struck down by the band at SGA. With a balance sheet almost in balance, the Thunder can continue to believe in the play-in tournament, and that is still a sentence that we did not think we would write at the start of the season.
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Stats : 29.7 points / 6.3 rebounds / 6.5 assists / 1.0 steal / 49.4% shooting (42.7% from 3-pointers)
With: 26 wins – 24 losses
Dismissed from the MVP race during his three weeks of absence (between the end of December and the beginning of January), Stephen Curry made his comeback in the Top 10 at the same time as the Warriors climbed the hierarchy of the Western Conference. Winner of four of his last five games, the defending champion is now fifth in the standings and the return of Curry is obviously no stranger to the good form of the Dubs: 34 points (in 49-45-96% shooting), 7 assists, 6 rebounds and more than an average interception, these are the stats of the Chief since mid-January. Suffice to say that he has taken up a real MVP rhythm to boost his friends, and in addition he allows himself to break Wilt Chamberlain’s records. A great patient.
Best basketball clinic in the Bay brought to you by Stephen Curry.
35 PTS
11 AST
7 REB(via @nba) pic.twitter.com/jBytmPTp08
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 28, 2023
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Stats : 29.7 points / 6.7 rebounds / 5.3 assists / 1.5 blocks / 55.9% shooting
With: 31 wins – 19 losses
Still no trace of Kevin Durant on the court since his injury in early January. KD therefore continues to logically fall in the standings, even if he is undoubtedly happy to see that the Nets can win a few games without him. Thanks in part to an unplayable Kyrie Irving in the fourth quarter, Brooklyn has won four of its last six games. A good dynamic that perhaps gives Durant a little more time to come back well, hopefully before the All-Star Break in mid-February.
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Stats : 27.3 points / 5.7 rebounds / 8.2 assists / 1.0 steals / 46.5% shooting
With: 32 wins – 18 losses
After his fine rise during the first half of January, Ja Morant experienced a setback and thus missed the opportunity to integrate the Top 5. Setback above all collective since the Grizzlies chained no less than five back-to-back defeats off their bases over the past two weeks. Memphis nevertheless remains solidly installed in second place in the West, while Ja continues the triple-double. Two in a row in the last two games, five over the whole season (only Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Domantas Sabonis do better), in other words the Grizz superstar is multiplying more and more.
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Stats : 31.8 points / 12.2 rebounds / 5.2 assists / 53.6% shooting
With: 34 wins – 17 losses
The Freak is back! In free fall recently because of his sores and the poor results of Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo has set the record straight since he left the infirmary on January 23: five games, five wins, 37 points – 14 rebounds – 4 assists on average at more than 61% in shooting (including 44% from 3-pointers!), a peak at 50 units against the Pelicans, a title of best player of the week in the East, in short, it was well worth it a return to the Top 5 of the MVP Race. Under the impetus of their Greek monster, the Bucks have regained the place of runner-up in their conference behind the Celtics, and hope to continue to gain momentum now that the trio Giannis – Jrue Holiday – Khris Middleton is once again reunited. It will nevertheless be necessary to keep an eye on the state of health of the Freak, who left the match against the Hornets yesterday by holding his leg after a bad reception on a counter…
OH MY GOODNESS. ???? pic.twitter.com/6NJGgvSlwp
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 28, 2023
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Stats : 33.4 points / 8.9 rebounds / 8.3 assists / 1.6 steals / 50.1% shooting
With: 27 wins – 25 losses
The second half of January wasn’t easy for Luka, who suffered an ankle injury amid the Mavericks’ defeats. What further increase the frustration of the Slovenian phenomenon, which today puts pressure on the leaders of Dallas to obtain a better supporting cast upstream of the NBA Trade Deadline. This frustration, he notably evacuated it on the poor Pistons (and assistant coach Jerome Allen), who took 53 points in the face during Doncic’s first game after his injury. However, it will take a lot more on the collective level for Luka to be able to find the podium of the Race for the MVP and really compete with the guys in front of him.
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Stats : 31.1 points / 8.7 rebounds / 4.4 assists / 1.1 steals / 46.5% shooting
With: 36 wins – 15 losses
Dolphin of Nikola Jokic in mid-January after a big start to the year with his Celtics, Jayson Tatum lost a place at the same time as Boston lost games. Three in a row anyway for the Greens before the very controversial victory against the Lakers last weekend, inevitably it’s a bit of a stain even if JT continues to have the best collective record, while being in the mill every evening . In scoring obviously (four perfs at 30 points minimum over the last five games), but also in the other sectors of the game and in particular in rebounds (13 on average over the last five games!) while some of his teammates were conspicuous by their absences (pivots Al Horford and Robert Williams III, but also Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart or Malcolm Brogdon). Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla will still have to be careful not to burn Jayson, who runs at more than… 43 minutes per game over the fortnight and who necessarily sticks his tongue out a bit (41% shooting, more than 5 turnovers per evening)…
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Stats : 33.6 points / 10.0 rebounds / 4.2 assists / 1.7 against / 1.1 steal / 53.4% shooting
With: 32 wins – 17 losses
We were all waiting for the duel of giants between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic last Saturday, and Joel emerged victorious from the fight by KO 47 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, at 18/31 shooting (4/7 3-pointers) and 7/10 on free throws. It’s called sending a message, especially to fans who refused to vote Jojo among the incumbents for the next All-Star Game. This absolutely exceptional performance not only marks the spirits, but also symbolizes the excellent dynamics on which Embiid and his Sixers currently find themselves. Before their loss to the Magic earlier this week, Philadelphia had 12 wins in 14 games (including one against Ben Simmons and Brooklyn), an impressive record allowing Doc Rivers’ men to climb to second place in the East (third today behind Milwaukee). If Joel continues to chain the perfs of boss while chaining the victories (beware nevertheless of the missed matches, already 12 this season), he will be able to seriously compete with the man he managed to outclass last weekend.
47 points
18 rebounds
5 assists
3 steals
2 blocksJoel Embiid put on a MONSTER performance in the Sixers W. #NBARivalsWeek pic.twitter.com/TiXwFAFsZE
— NBA (@NBA) January 28, 2023
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Stats : 25.1 points / 11.1 rebounds / 10.0 assists / 1.4 steals / 63.1% shooting
With: 35 wins – 16 losses
Nikola Jokic missed his duel with Joel Embiid last Saturday, but wasted no time in recovering. 26 points, 18 rebounds, 15 assists yesterday against the Pelicans – which allows him to average triple-double over the season (a first all-time for an interior) – and a 35th victory for Denver, the second best total of the NBA behind Boston. Over the whole of the 2022-23 campaign, it is difficult today to put anyone other than Jokic in the lead, although the last fortnight has clearly served to tighten the race. In addition to Embiid’s performance on Jokic, the latter also missed three games in two weeks because of an hamstring injury, and the Nuggets logically dropped a few games on the way. So watch out Niko, the MVP is far from over.
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Honorable Mentions: Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Damian Lillard (Blazers), De’Aaron Fox et Domantas Sabonis (Kings), Julius Randle et Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Lauri Markkanen (Jazz), Bam Adebayo (Heat), James Harden (Sixers), Kyrie Irving (Nets), Anthony Edwards (Wolves)
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