National Basketball Association

Who is NBA MVP? Giannis, Luka Dončić, Joel Embiid top ladder

Published Mar. 30, 2022 5:50 p.m. ET

The NBA's MVP race is heating up, with two-time winner Giannis Antetokounmpo making a huge surge with just two weeks left in the regular season.

Colin Cowherd took on the case on "The Herd" on Wednesday, saying that he believes Giannis is the league's most clutch performer and an obvious choice to win the award.

And on Nick Wright's latest MVP ladder, Antetokounmpo surged to the top for the first time all season, ensuring voters they won't regret picking the Greek Freak.

"You won't regret this [vote]," Wright said. He's the best player. They're going to win the championship, or at least you believe they're going to make the Finals again. He does it on both ends and his numbers are off the charts. Giannis is the league MVP."

Here's how the "First Things First" host's current ladder stacks up, with odds provided via FOX Bet.

Who is atop Nick Wright's MVP ladder?

Nick Wright reveals his NBA MVP ladder. Watch as he explains why Ja Morant has fallen off, and why his adult Slovenian son Luka Dončić has fallen just short from the No.1 player on his list.

6. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Season stats: 27.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.3 APG | Team record: 47-29 (third in East)

MVP odds: +25000

Wright's thoughts: "Jayson Tatum, go collect your Eastern Conference Player of the Month award right now — 34 [points], seven [rebounds] and five [assists] on 54/47/91 shooting splits [in March] for the hottest team in the Eastern Conference."

5. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

Season stats: 26.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.9 APG | Team record: 61-14 (first in West)

MVP odds: +10000

Wright's thoughts: "The hottest team in the Western Conference, the hottest team in basketball. And by hot, I mean, the best record all year. They might win 67 games, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns. Booker has a humble 27 [points], five [rebounds] and five [assists]. Again, the Suns might win 67 games, he has to get serious ballot consideration."

4. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Season stats: 26.3 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 8.0 APG | Team record: 45-31 (sixth in West)

MVP odds: -133

Wright's thoughts: "Jokic is shooting 60% from the field this month. He has 26 [points] 14 [rebounds] and eight [assists], obviously an insane PER [player efficiency rating] and he has moved up to No. 4 on the MVP ladder. What is preventing him from being higher? His team is the 6-seed, and we've given out, in modern NBA history, one MVP to a player on a team seeded that poorly. It was Russell's Westbrook's MVP, and everyone immediately regretted it."

3. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Season stats: 29.9 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 4.3 APG | Team record: 46-29 (fourth in East)

MVP odds: +110

Wright's thoughts: "I almost feel badly about having him here, but he's had three opportunities in the last two weeks for a statement win against somebody else on this ladder — against the Suns against Jokic and against Giannis. To his credit, he has played well to very well in all of those games. But the Sixers have lost all three of them, so you're probably not going to be the one seed. It's just hard for me to make the argument that Embiid, as great as he's been, has been better than either of the next two."

2. Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks

Season stats: 28.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 8.5 APG | Team record: 47-29 (fourth in West)

MVP odds: +20000

Wright's thoughts: "He [Luka] was so far behind, he needed to continue February into March. In February, he was [averaging] 35 points a game. In March, he's only at 30 points per game, so he is dropped one spot. However, the Mavs are going to be the three seed. The Mavericks might end up with the third-most wins in the entire NBA, and it's a one-man show every single night.

"All the Nuggets fans who are arguing, 'Look at what Jokic is doing with his teammates.' Well, Luka has equivalent teammates and his team is better because Luka has been better. However, Luka's exceptional-ness, if you will, really only translates to one end of the floor."

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Season stats: 29.9 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 5.8 APG | Team record: 47-28 (second in East)

MVP odds: +900

Wright's thoughts: "The No. 1 guy on the ladder is the best player in the league. He's won two of the last three MVPs and he won the last Finals MVP. It's Giannis and he showed it again last night. But Giannis on the year has 30 [points] 12 [rebounds] and six [assists], an insane PER nearly identical to Jokic's and is just clearly the best two-way player in the league. Clearly, with respect to Jaren Jackson Jr., the best defensive player in the league."