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The NBA regular season is barely underway, but the race for the league's most prestigious individual honor is already taking shape. The field for Most Valuable Player promises to be fiercely competitive, and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's bid for a third consecutive award appears to be in jeopardy.
Injuries are already casting a shadow over the race, with several notable ailments complicating players' candidacies as they strive to meet the 65-game eligibility threshold. None looms larger than Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards' knee issue.
The season's opening weeks have been intriguing, and here is the first installment of USA TODAY Sports' NBA MVP rankings:
5. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Stats: 22.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.8 assists in 5 games. Cunningham may not have the gaudiest numbers, but he is the engine driving Detroit's offense and the spark behind its success. No team faced a tougher opening schedule than the Pistons, who squared off against the Celtics, Heat, 76ers, and Knicks. Detroit won all but the matchup with New York. Cunningham handles the ball, scores, creates for teammates, rebounds, and defends willingly—all while fellow All-Star Jalen Duren (hamstring) is sidelined.
4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Stats: 26.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists in 5 games. Gilgeous-Alexander should climb this list in short order. The Thunder have already been decimated by injuries, with three starters missing the Oct. 28 loss to the Mavericks. Jalen Williams (ankle) may be out for the season, and Cason Wallace (torn labrum), Chet Holmgren (knee tendinitis), and Alex Caruso (ankle) are likely to miss extended time. That will make life harder for Gilgeous-Alexander as defenses key in on him, but if he maintains his statistical consistency, it strengthens his MVP case given Oklahoma City's depleted roster.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami Heat
Stats: 27.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists in 5 games. Miami's season started unevenly, with Bam Adebayo and the role players struggling to find cohesion as the Heat incorporate Antetokounmpo. Yet in their first win on Oct. 28 against the Hawks, Miami reverted to a pick-and-roll offense that suits Antetokounmpo, and he responded with 24 points and a dominant 18 rebounds. It will take time for this team to jell, but Antetokounmpo's dominance has been evident early on. He already leads the league with an absurd 19.2 points in the paint per game. However, Miami must win more games for him to be taken seriously in this race.
2. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Stats: 25.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists in 5 games. Wembanyama's numbers remain superb, as they have been for the past couple of seasons. But quantifying his impact requires accounting for the intangible: he is the most singularly effective defensive presence in the world. He leads the league in blocks (3.8 per game), but more importantly, he forces opponents to rethink attacking the paint. The Spurs started slowly with two losses but have since won three straight. If San Antonio remains a primary threat in the West—especially if Oklahoma City slips due to injuries—Wembanyama's case will be undeniable.
1. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers
Stats: 36.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists in 4 games. Dončić's back tightness bears watching, but no player has been more vital to his team's productivity and success. He leads the NBA in scoring and has accounted for 28.1% of Los Angeles' points in the games he has played; with assists included, his offensive impact is even more pronounced. With LeBron James back in the East with the 76ers, Dončić is the anchor and offensive catalyst. His defense remains a liability, but no player has been more in control and playing at his own pace and structure.
Also considered: Alperen Şengün, Houston Rockets; Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks; Ty Jerome, Memphis Grizzlies; Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves; Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics; Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers; Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors.
Originally reported by usatoday.