Believe it or not, we're coming up on the halfway mark of the 2024-25 NBA regular season, and a pretty clear cast of MVP candidates has emerged. The top three guys, in some order, are pretty universal right now,

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bumps Nikola Jokić from the top spot in the Kia MVP Ladder, while Victor Wembanyama moves up another peg in the Top 5.

The fifth spot was another tough choice. Jalen Brunson is the beating heart of a Knicks offense that has been a force this season and he could well be No. 5 on my board, but the defensive concerns and credit for that offense also going to Karl-Anthony Towns bumped Brunson down one spot in my book to sixth. By the end of the season, this may flip.

It seems safe to say his days of anonymity are over. In three years, Williams has gone from an unheralded prospect to the second-most important player on a championship heavyweight. That brings a

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a minus-odds favorite to win NBA MVP despite Nikola Jokić's outstanding numbers so far this season.

Gilgeous-Alexander saw the matchup as a possible NBA Finals preview. He wanted to see how the red-hot Thunder would square off against the reigning NBA champions. To be the best, you have to beat the best. That's what OKC did in its 105-92 win over the Celtics where it limited them to a season-low 27-point second half.

Nikola Jokić, averaging 31.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and shooting 55.4%, delivered back-to-back 40-point games against Victor Wembanyama, who is an MVP contender and Defensive Player of the Year favorite.

Following a big win against the Celtics, SGA and the Thunder are now 30-5 this season. They've won a franchise-record 15 consecutive games.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points and Jalen Williams had 24 to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-102 win over a Philadelphia 76ers team missing three All-Stars on Tuesday night. Joel Embiid,