The Most Valuable Player Trophy is among the highest honors an NBA player can receive. Only 36 players have been named the league’s MVP throughout the NBA’s history. In the past decade, seven players have been honored with the award, with Nikola Jokic being the latest recipient. Jokic has dominated the MVP award for the past six seasons, winning three MVPs and finishing in the top four in voting twice. Which of Jokic’s MVP seasons is the best, and who has had the best MVP season of the last decade?
11 stats were used to compare the MVPs. Points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and true shooting were used for counting stats. For advanced stats, net rating, box plus/minus, win shares, win shares per/48, and value over replacement player was used. The top five in each category were given points, with first place worth five points, fourth worth four, etc. Points aren’t the only thing being weighted, but they provide a point of comparison. Here are the top three ranked MVPs.
The Best MVPs Of The Last Decade
3. Kevin Durant 2013-14: The Slim Reaper
During the 2013-14 season, at just 25 years old, Kevin Durant led a team full of other 20-somethings-year-olds to 59 wins and the second seed out west. Durant had been in MVP talks for a while but had yet to claim the crown. With Russell Westbrook missing nearly half the season, Durant took over more playmaking and scoring, leading the league in total minutes played and being second in usage rate. Durant did this without missing a beat and seeing any drop-off in his play. He led the league in scoring with 32 points on sizzling 50/39/87 shooting splits. Besides his points, Durant led the league in all but a couple of advanced metrics. Compared to other MVPs, Durant has the most win shares with 19.2, which is a point better than second.
Durant is one of the best shot-makers the game has ever seen, and in his MVP year, he had it all. He is ranked second in PPG among MVPs, only behind Joel Embiid. He has two other top-five finishes in advanced stats: fifth in win shares/48 with .295 and third in VORP with 9.6. Durant finishes with 13 points, which is the fourth most.
2. Nikola Jokic 2023-24: The Joker
Jokic became the ninth player ever to win three or more NBA MVPs this year. Notably, his 2021-22 season ranks third, however, to highlight different players we will just focus on his 2023-24 campaign. In the 2023-24 season, Jokic led the Nuggets to 57 wins, the most in franchise history. He did so, averaging 26/12/9 dominating the court offensively with his scoring and playmaking. He finished the season leading the league in all but one advanced stat and led the Nuggets in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, highlighting his dominance. Additionally, the Nuggets were among four teams that finished in the top 10 in offensive, defensive, and net ratings thanks to Jokic.
Jokic has dominated the league in advanced stats for years and has the same type of dominance when it comes to past MVPs. His BPM for the season was 13.2, which is only second to himself and a point better than Curry. His win shares of 17 and WS/48 of .299 rank third, and his net rating of 11.8 is fifth best among MVPs while he leads all MVPs in VORP. Jokic’s 2023/24 is one of the greatest offensive seasons ever and is his best MVP season. His season finished with 26 points, which was the second most.
1. Stephen Curry 2015-16: The Chief is Cooking
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors made history in the 2015-16 season. Fresh off a championship, Curry evaluated his game even further, leading the Warriors to 73 wins, the most in NBA history. He was also named the first and only unanimous NBA MVP. Curry dominated the league offensively, averaging 30 points on 50/45/90 shooting splits. Curry led the league in points, steals, and nearly all advanced stats that year. He posted an insane 11.9 box plus/minus and a net rating of 17.7. For comparison, Curry’s net rating of 17.7 is the best among all other MVP winners this decade, and his BPM ranks fourth. Curry’s 2015-16 season also leads all MVP seasons in steals, true shooting percentage, and win shares per/48.
With his unstoppable firepower, Curry led the Warriors to the best regular season in the NBA’s history and won the only unchallenged MVP award. Curry’s 2015-16 season is one of the best individual seasons ever and potentially the greatest offensive season ever. Giving him the title of the best MVP of this decade. Curry’s 2015-16 season finished with the most points, with 29 having four first-place finishes.
