James Harden took the top spot in the 2014-15 NBA MVP Power Rankings from Stephen Curry last week, but Curry has wrestled that spot right back from Harden. But looking further down the list, a surprise MVP candidate continues his meteoric rise.
Jimmy Butler jumps into the MVP race
Stephen Curry reclaimed the top spot thanks to a monster performance in a win over Toronto, but Butler, the Bulls’ emerging star, keeps climbing up the list.
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1. Stephen Curry (Last week: 2)
Curry reclaims the top spot thanks in large part to a dominant performance in a blowout victory over Toronto. The sharpshooter had 32 points, 12 assists and five rebounds in 34 minutes in the 21-point victory. The Warriors have won four straight games and lead the West by a game and a half.
2. James Harden (Last week: 1)
Harden's spot on top was short-lived due to Curry's big effort against the Raptors and a few clunkers by Harden himself. The Rockets guard scored just 11 points in a blowout loss against the Pelicans last week and then he proceeded to get shut down in the second half against a fellow MVP candidate on Monday.
3. Anthony Davis (Last week: 3)
Davis didn’t do anything especially notable over the last week, putting up three ho-hum double-doubles over a four-game stretch as the Pelicans went 2-2. Davis continues to lead the league with a PER north of 31, but he might not be able to make any move up in these rankings unless New Orleans rises in the standings.
4. Jimmy Butler (Last week: 5)
The rise of Butler continued on Monday night when he not only hit multiple clutch shots down the stretch, but simultaneously shut down Harden in the second half of a Bulls victory over the Rockets. Butler held Harden to three points on 0-of-9 shooting in the second half as the fourth-year man continues to stake his claim as one of the top shooting guards in the league.
5. Marc Gasol (Last week: 6)
Gasol has the Grizzlies back to their winning ways despite the prolonged absence of Zach Randolph. Memphis has won four of five games following a four-game losing streak, and the big man made an impact in all five games, even the lone loss to Denver.
6. Kyle Lowry (Last week: 4)
The Raptors have hit a bump in the road, losing three straight games out west. It’s tough to pin too much blame on Lowry, because he has continued to put up big numbers. However, his efficiency dipped in two of the losses, and that gets him punished in this week’s rankings.
7. Damian Lillard (Last week: 8)
Lillard was at his best against the Lakers on Monday night, saving the Trail Blazers from an ugly defeat by putting the team on his back in the fourth quarter. Lillard scored 16 of his game-high 39 points in the final frame, pushing Portland to 27-8 on the season, good for second in the West.
8. John Wall (Last week: 7)
Wall posted three double-doubles in the Wizards' brutal five-game West road trip, but he didn't have a single huge game and Washington went just 2-3 on the trip. While Wall has been a steady force all season, those two things are enough to drop him below Lillard.
9. Russell Westbrook (Last week: 10)
Westbrook moves up a spot despite posting horrific shooting numbers over the last week. Westbrook hasn’t cracked the 40 percent mark in any of the last four games, but he still has a PER over 31 and always finds a way to impact games, even when he’s not shooting the ball well.
10. LeBron James (Last week: 9)
James has missed the last five games due to injury, but he stays on the list by virtue of being LeBron James. Also, the fact that the Cavaliers have been an utter train wreck without him on the court is proof enough of how valuable he is.
Next five: Klay Thompson, Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Paul, Pau Gasol
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