The NBA regular season has concluded as the 2021-2022 NBA Schedule is in the books and the NBA playoffs are set to open on Tuesday April 12th, 2022. 

The good news for the NBA as well as the NBA Fans, is all but one of the 12 NBA players to land on the Top 10 NBA Players as of April 11th, 2022, rankings list will take to the hardwood at some point during the NBA postseason. 

The lone exception is LeBron James whose team the Los Angeles Lakers failed to reach the NBA playoffs while handing him the 4th time in his entire career he failed to make the playoffs.

As James will watch the NBA playoffs, the long time NBA All-Star still ranks as one of the top players in the NBA. 

Meanwhile joining James as some of the top players around the NBA includes former MVP’s Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo as well as 2021-2022 NBA MVP candidate Joel Embiid and young stars Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, and Trae Young. 

The talent on the hardwood around the NBA is deep and set to deliver exciting NBA action well into the future.

With that said, here is our list of the Top 10 NBA MVP Candidates as of April 11th, 2022

Honorable Mention

Donovan Mitchell

Team: Utah Jazz 

Just missing the Top 10 NBA Players as of April 11th, 2022, rankings is the Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell. 

Mitchell finished the season ranked 10th in the NBA in points per game averaging 25.9 per contests while shooting 44.8 percent from the field. The 25.9 points per game led the Jazz in scoring and ranked 2nd among all shooting guards. 

In addition, Mitchell ranked 4th among all shooting guards in assists per game (5.3) and 26th overall in the NBA while ranking 22nd in Player Efficiency Rating (21.68). 

DeMar DeRozan

Team: Chicago Bulls

Despite the late collapse of the Chicago Bulls that saw them plummet to the 6th spot within the Eastern Conference, nothing can be taken away from DeMar DeRozan who positioned himself within the NBA MVP debate.

 DeRozan finished the season ranked 5th in the NBA in scoring averaging 27.9 points per game while also averaging 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. 

The 27.9-point pers game set a career high for a 13th year NBA veteran while marking his ninth straight season averaging at least 20 points per game. 

Top 10 NBA Players

10. LeBron James

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

King James continues to be one of the best players in the NBA year in and year out despite his age creeping up towards the 40-year mark. 

While LeBron James lands at number ten on the Top 10 NBA players rankings, the four-time NBA MVP and four-time NBA Champion could be slotted as high as you want on this list based on his performance night in and night out on the hardwood. 

James finished the regular season averaging 30.3 points per game but failed to rank among the games top scorers based on games missed during the regular season. In addition to the 30.3 points per game, James averaged 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game throughout the regular season.

9. Jayson Tatum

Team: Boston Celtics

One of the game’s bright young stars is the Boston Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum who is coming off his best season performance of his young career after setting career highs in points per game, rebounds per game and assists per game. 

Tatum averaged 26.9 points per game to go along with eight rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. The Celtics 5th year star ranked 8th in the NBA in scoring, 29th in rebounds and 44th in assists. 

The former Duke Blue Devils star finished the season strong averaging 23 points a game in April while increasing his assists to seven per contest as the Celtics won their final four games of the season to secure the 2nd spot in the Eastern Conference. 

8. Stephen Curry

Team: Golden State Warriors 

Despite missing the stretch run to finish the regular season by the Golden State Warriors, it is hard not to include Stephen Curry as one of the Top 10 basketball players in the NBA. 

Curry finished the regular season ranked 11th in points per game averaging 25.5 (ppg) and also averaged 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. 

When Curry is on the floor opposing defenses are forced to alter their game plan while trying to slow down the Warriors deep three shot ability opening scoring chances for other stars within the team’s roster.

7. Trae Young

Team: Atlanta Hawks

It is hard not to like Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks as he continues to be one of the game’s top young stars each year since arriving at the NBA level. 

While Young lands ranks 7th on the Top 10 NBA Players as of April 11th, 2022, rankings list, the Hawks star will start to see his name rise on this board while he begins to lead the Hawks to the top of the Eastern Conference. 

Young finished the regular season ranked 4th in the NBA in scoring averaging 28.4 points per game while also finishing ranked 3rd in the NBA in assists averaging 9.7 assists per game. Through the strong play of Young, the Hawks secured one of the final four spots in the Eastern Conference Play-In tournament.

6. Ja Morant

Team: Memphis Grizzlies

Like Trae Young, the Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant will only continue to rise the rankings list year in and year out as he continues to develop into one of the games top young stars while guiding the Memphis Grizzlies to one of the top spots within the Western Conference. 

The former Murray State star ranks 6th in the NBA in scoring averaging 27.4 points per game while also ranking 14th in assists (6.7 apg) and 7th in Player Efficiency Rating (24.75). 

As Morant looks to recover from a knee injury, the Grizzlies chances of a deep playoff run sits on the shoulders of the third-year star.

5. Luka Doncic

Team: Dallas Mavericks

Many could argue that Luka Doncic could be the best player in the NBA based on his individual performance and the strong success of the Dallas Mavericks. With Doncic on the floor, the Mavericks surged to the 4th spot in the Western Conference while having the 6th best record in the NBA. 

In addition, to the 4th place finish the Mavericks finished the regular season as one of the hottest teams in the NBA winning eight of their final 10 contests. 

In the team’s final five games of April, Doncic averaged 33.3 points per game to go along with 8.5 rebounds and 10.5 assists per contest. Doncic finished the season ranked 3rd in scoring (28.5 ppg), 18th in rebounds (9.1 rpg) and 5th in assists (8.7 apg).

4. Joel Embiid

Team: Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers All-Star put together his best NBA campaign since making his NBA debut during the 2016-17 NBA Season. 

Embiid finished the season leading all NBA scorers while averaging 30.6 points per game and marking the first time since Shaquille O’Neal led the league as a center to take home the honors. 

In addition to leading the NBA in scoring, the 76ers star ranked 5th in the NBA in rebounds while averaging 11.7 rebounds per game to go along with 4.2 assists. Embiid ranked 3rd in the NBA in Player Efficiency Rating posting a 31.48 mark during the NBA regular season.

3. Kevin Durant

Team: Brooklyn Nets

If we could only get a full season out of the Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kevin Durant, we could all see how great the future NBA Hall of Famer is. 

Durant, who appeared in only 54 games during the regular season posted his third 30 point per game mark of his career while averaging 30.1 points per game. 

In addition to the 30.1 points per game, Durant averaged 7.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and one blocked shot per game. 

2. Nikola Jokic

Team: Denver Nuggets 

When the NBA awards come out the Denver Nuggets All-Star has the chance to secure his second straight NBA MVP Award after posting a second straight dominating performance. 

Jokic who led the Nuggets in nearly every category including points per game (27.1 ppg), rebounds (13.8 rpg), assists (7.9 apg), steals (1.5 spg) and blocks (.9 bspg), also ranked near the tops of the NBA in each category. 

The Nuggets star ranked 7th in scoring, 2nd in rebounds, 8th in assists and 1st in Player Efficiency (33.01) while missing fellow stars Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr within the Nuggets lineup.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Team: Milwaukee Bucks

In the end Giannis Antetokounmpo continues his reign as the top player among the Top 10 NBA Players as of April 11th, 2022, rankings list. 

The Milwaukee Bucks star can do it all on both ends of the floor as a prime time scoring threat on one end and a dominant defender on the opposite end. The Greek Freak finished the season averaging 29.9 points per game to go along with 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. 

In addition, Antetokounmpo finished trailing only Nikola Jokic in NBA Player Efficiency Rating (32.19) and Joel Embiid in scoring (29.9 ppg).

So who do you have as your leading candidate for Most Valuable Player in the 2021-2022 NBA Season? Rank below to be added in the Power Rankings and to have a chance to win a gift card to LAZADA, Amazon, Fanatics.com, or more that is specific to you. Join the contest by ranking below.

Related Links:

• Top 10 NBA Teams 2021 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Season Preview 2021-2022 Team Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Teams – November 2021 Power Rankings
• Top 10 Best NBA Players – November 2021 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Rookies of November 2021 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Best Players MVP Race – December 2021 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Teams – December 2021 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Rookie Leaders – December 2021 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Rookie Leaders – January 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Teams – January 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Best Players MVP Race – January 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Best Players MVP Race – February 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Teams – February 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Rookie Leaders – February 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Best Players MVP Race – March 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Teams – March 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Rookie Leaders – March 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Point Guards 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Shooting Guards 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Small Forwards 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Power Forwards 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Centers 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Rookie Leaders – April 2022 Rankings
• Top 10 NBA Teams – April 2022 Rankings