1. Giannis Antetokounmpo

For most NBA fans, averaging 26 points, almost 13 rebounds and 6 assists per game sounds like an amazing stat line worthy of being in the MVP conversation. But for Giannis, it only tells half of the story. This season, he is averaging a career high in rebounds and assists. This is his second highest points averaged so far in his career. He also is shooting almost 60 percent from the floor on an average of 17 shots a game.

Stats aside, I know most people will counter by saying, "But he can't shoot the three in a three-point shooting league." My rebuttal: it actually makes his performances so far this season that much more special because he is averaging almost 30 PPG while shooting poorly from three, only shooting 15 percent on barely over 2 attempts per game. The "Greek Freak" is special, and somehow he has found a way to improve even more. Did I mention that the Milwaukee Bucks are the number one seed in the Eastern Conference right now?

2. Stephen Curry

I know that he has already won the MVP two times and he plays on the most scrutinized yet talented team in the league. Nonetheless, you cannot have a discussion about MVP without mentioning Stephen Curry. The man is averaging almost 29 points per game, which is only a point less than his career high average of 30 from the 2015-2016 season. Another argument for Curry is he is averaging almost 50 percent from the floor AND from three. Unlike Giannis, who barely takes threes, Curry attempts almost 11 threes a game and makes a good majority of them. I know voters' fatigue will probably contribute to why he would not win the MVP, but he definitely deserves to be in the discussion.

3. Kawhi Leonard

Take his cringe-laugh and the bias against his dysfunctional exit from San Antonio away, and Kawhi is clearly a top-five candidate, hands down. Leonard is averaging a career high in points and rebounds with 27 PPG and 8 APG on the second seed Toronto Raptors. He is shooting almost 50 percent from the floor and just under 40 percent from three, which definitely has been beneficial to the Raptors as he has been able to provide the same (if not better) production than ex-Raptor Demar DeRozan for a team that has not lost a beat. I will admit he gets a bit of a knock because he missed a few games already this season and has shown that he is not a huge fan of back-to-backs. I won't say it has done enough to knock him out of the MVP discussion, but he definitely needs to maintain this pace and hopefully miss fewer games down the stretch as the Raptors move towards a playoff push.

4. Lebron James

27 PPG, 7 APG and 8 RPG in year 15. Honestly, that is all that needs to be said to make the case for Lebron James to be an MVP candidate this season. This young Lakers team has been riding the shoulders of James this entire season up until these most recent games, where he has been out with a groin injury. I do believe him being out for a few games will hurt his stock, but nonetheless, he is the "best player in the world." If he continues the pace he has been on, then he will surely keep his name in the running.

5. James Harden

This man is absolutely ridiculous right now. The Houston Rockets started out horrible, coming off a devastating game 7 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. It looked like the team had not recovered when they also lost their two primary defenders, Trevor Ariza and Luc a Mbah Moute.

But more recently, the Rockets have shot up all the way to the fourth seed in the West, and it has been all on the shoulders of James Harden. With Chris Paul in and out of the lineup, Harden has been able to average a career high in points with 33 PPG while also averaging 8 APG and nearly 6 RPG. This man took the month of December by storm, and now he has the Rockets only a few games back of first place. This reigning MVP has not taken his foot off the gas and is looking to hold onto the crown just a little bit longer.

6. Nikola Jokic

Jokic is hands down the second best center in the league after Anthony Davis this season. Jokic has used his strong passing ability, court vision and capability to stretch the floor and lead the Denver Nuggets, who just spent the last two seasons just barely out of the playoffs, to the number one seed in the Western Conference. The man has had some monster performances, like 37 points and 21 rebounds game against the Brooklyn Nets, and a 32 points and 16 rebounds performance against the Dallas Mavericks. Between this and the stat lines he is producing, along with team success, it is hard to write Jokic off.

The main factors that could hurt Jokic's chances are that he is not a perimeter player, he plays for a small-market team, and he sometimes has dry patches, meaning he will go a few games in a row scoring less than 10 points. Regardless, he definitely looks like a man on a mission as the Nuggets look to take the next step and reach the playoffs.

7. Kevin Durant

I'm not going to go in too much on Kevin Durant in terms of his MVP stock as it is somewhat minimized by the fact that he plays alongside Stephen Curry, who is second on this list. Regardless, Durant is an offensive juggernaut that has played relatively well despite his fallout with Draymond Green and the constant talk of his pending free agency. This season, he is averaging nearly 29 PPG 6 APG and almost 8 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the floor. The man is simply a beast and practically in the running for the scoring title every year despite who he is playing with. I would not say he has a high chance of winning MVP, but his stat line is definitely worth putting him in the running.

8. Kyrie Irving

I know Irving recently got injured and the Celtics started out the season very poorly with his and Gordon Hayward's return. But overall, this season Irving has been a beast and constantly shows his ability to close games for the young, talented Boston team. Averaging 23 PPG, nearly 7 APG and 4 RPG while shooting over 50 percent from the floor, Irving is playing out of his mind. The stats don't scream MVP, but his performances in high stake situations and his ability to close games are what has significantly pushed his MVP stock. The Celtics are definitely talented, but without Kyrie, they are just another young team that can't finish games. He is the difference between wins and losses.

9. Paul George

Paul George is literally playing out of his mind right now. He's playing so well, in fact, that he has analysts, statisticians, and commentators alike all debating if he is the best player on the Oklahoma City Thunder instead of Russell Westbrook. I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. George is averaging a career high in points and rebounds with 26 and 8 while shooting 45 percent from the field. He has also played a lot more aggressively this season, increasing his shot attempts from the 17 shots per game he had last year up to 20 shots. And this is all while playing next to the "ball hog" Russell Westbrook. This team is dangerous: the Thunder are in the top five in every defensive statistic and George has a lot to do with that.

10. De'aaron Fox

I know that this is a stretch, but this is my dark horse. Fox definitely is not in the national spotlight enough yet to really compete for the top spots, but personally, I believe he has taken the most significant step forward out of all the sophomores from the 2018 NBA draft class. And that includes players like Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum and Utah Jazz's Donovan Mitchell.

Fox has improved in almost every statistical category, averaging 18 PPG, nearly 8 APG and 3 RPG. He is also the leading catalyst alongside Buddy Hield in leading the Sacramento Kings to become the ninth seed in the West. This is a significant improvement from past seasons, as they are less than three games out of being the sixth seed. I believe he is more likely to win the Most Improved Player Award, but MVP is supposed to be a player who has a significant impact on the team and Fox is changing life in Sacramento right now. He's the sleeper playoff pick right now for one of the bottom four seeds in the Western Conference. I'll also just say that this is a feel good pick because I really think he was underrated going into last year's draft.