While Stephen Curry is the early frontrunner for MVP, his PER for the season continues to drop in recent weeks, dropping to No. 11. Team record and narratives are large components of the MVP calculus, but the MVP typically has at least a top-5 PER at the end of the season.
NBA PER (Week 8)
1. Nikola Jokic: 33.6
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 30.9
3. Jimmy Butler: 26.9
4. Joel Embiid: 26.3
5. Kevin Durant: 25.9
6. Montrezl Harrell: 25.4
7. Rudy Gobert: 25.2
8. Trae Young: 24.9
9. Ja Morant: 24.7
10. Anthony Davis: 24.7
11. Stephen Curry: 24.5
12. Jarrett Allen: 24.2
13. LeBron James: 24.0
14. DeMar DeRozan: 23.5
15. Richaun Holmes: 22.8
16. Karl-Anthony Towns: 22.8
17. Jonas Valanciunas: 22.7
18. Domantas Sabonis: 22.6
19. Jusuf Nurkic: 22.6
20. Donovan Mitchell: 22.5
21. Kristaps Porzingis: 22.5
22. Daniel Gafford: 22.1
23. Luka Doncic: 22.1
24. Frank Kaminsky: 21.0
25. Zach LaVine: 21.6