Paul Pierce places LeBron James behind James Harden and Joel Embiid in MVP rankings - Lakers Daily Paul Pierce places LeBron James behind James Harden and Joel Embiid in MVP rankings - Lakers Daily
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Paul Pierce places LeBron James behind James Harden and Joel Embiid in MVP rankings

LeBron James Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is having another incredible season as the undisputed leader for the storied franchise.

He’s making a strong case to win MVP for the fifth time in his career, but the competition has gotten a little bit tougher as of late.

The Lakers have lost four of their last five games and have really struggled with Anthony Davis out of the lineup due to injury. James has tried to shoulder the load in Davis’ absence, but he hasn’t been able to do it on his own.

This has sparked conversations that James might not be the favorite for the regular-season award anymore. In fact, former star Paul Pierce ranked James as No. 3 in his personal rankings for MVP.

If the Lakers continue to struggle with James’s inability to lead the team to wins with Davis on the mend, the narrative that he’s not this season’s MVP will continue to gain steam.

James and company only have five games left before the NBA All-Star break with some tough challenges ahead. The Lakers will face the Western Conference-leading Utah Jazz on Wednesday, followed by matchups with the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings.

The MVP narrative could quickly change once again if James can lead the Lakers to a few wins over some of these playoff-caliber teams before the All-Star break.