The NBA is now in the second half of the season, with the All-Star Game just days away.
That means people are focusing on what’s ahead, including end-of-season awards such as Most Improved Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and MVP.
Shaun Powell just released the latest Kia MVP Ladder, featuring the most likely candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player.
Sitting in the sixth spot on the list is Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who is ahead of Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets.
So, who is ahead of Mitchell on this list of MVP frontrunners?
Unsurprisingly, it’s the same names we have seen all season long.
Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks is in fifth place, behind Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, and finally Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
That top five has remained mostly unchanged for weeks and it seems very likely that Gilgeous-Alexander will win his first MVP trophy this season.
That makes perfect sense because he is averaging 32.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game and his Thunder are the top team in the Western Conference.
But Mitchell is doing incredible things for the Cavaliers as well.
He is posting 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game, shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from the three-point line.
Mitchell has happily taken on the leadership role Cleveland needed from him and is guiding his teammates through just about every possession when he’s on the floor.
On a team full of cherished stars, Mitchell is the most valuable, but competition for league MVP is extremely fierce this year.
NEXT: Brian Windhorst Has A Strong Belief On How Cavs Will Use De'Andre Hunter
