It's been a while since we checked in on NBA.com's weekly "Race To The MVP Ladder" rankings, so let's catch up on where LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard stack up among the most valuable players in the NBA this season.
Aldridge comes in at No. 6 this week, a four-spot improvement from last week ...
After taking the first two games this season, the Trail Blazers could clinch the season series with the Thunder by winning tonight's game, always a nice ace to have up your sleeve in case the Western Conference playoff race comes down to tiebreakers. Portland, as we saw on Sunday versus the Grizzlies, needs Aldridge to beat the best teams in the league, and with the way Westbrook has been playing, the Thunder certainly qualify as one of the best right now.
Aldridge is ranked behind Atlanta point guard Jeff Teague at No. 5 and ahead of Golden State guard Klay Thompson at No. 7.
As for Lillard, he comes in at No. 9 this week, two spots lower than last week ...
Wednesday night's performance was a step in the right direction for Lillard and Wesley Matthews, both of whom have experienced minor lulls in their three-point shooting percentage since the start of February. But both players, particularly Lillard, have tried to attack the basket more often while waiting for the three ball to come back around, so it's not all bad.
Lillard is ranked behind Grizzlies center Marc Gasol at No. 8 and ahead of Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry at No. 10.