Cade Cunningham overtook Victor Vembanyama, Luka Doncic

When the 2025-26 NBA season began, all the attention in the Eastern Conference was solely focused on the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks as the only real contenders, simply forgetting what JB Bickerstaff is, Cade Cunninghamand the Detroit Pistons achieved. Well, Cunningham is quick to remind everyone who the Pistons are, and he now attracts the attention of MVP.

The Pistons are currently 14-2 and have won 12 straight games, the longest active streak in the NBA.

Not too long ago, Detroit was a laughing stock in the NBA and lost 28 games in a row. There were even those who mocked the Pistons and claimed that no one wanted it “that team.” This season, everyone wants to be the Pistons, because this group has an established young star playing at an insanely high level, and it’s not crazy to think that this success will continue.

After earning his first All-NBA selection a season ago, Cunningham continued to excel in improving his team and those around him.

His assists are up compared to 2024-25, his turnovers are down, and Cunningham just looks like he belongs in the upper echelon of players in this league. At 24, Cunningham has controlled every game he’s played in, and he’s not afraid of any momentum.

This helped unlock Jalen Duren’s full potential, and Detroit became one of the better offensive teams in the league.

The MVP award is an individual award, but team success and a player’s impact on his team’s ability to win have been major factors in who has won the award in recent years.

Nikola Jokic put up historic numbers during the 2023-24 season, but one of the main reasons he won the award Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is that he led the Denver Nuggets to a 57-25 record, the same as Oklahoma City at the top of the West.

Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander’s historic year, plus the fact that he led the Thunder to 68 wins, allowed him to run away with the award.

While Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander will once again battle for the top MVP ranking this season, we can’t forget about the East and what Cunningham is doing with the Pistons. If his dominance continues and the Pistons continue to widen the gap at the top of the conference, he will garner even more MVP attention.

This is especially true if the Pistons can approach their franchise record of 64 wins in a single season.

For now, Cunningham remains in the hunt for the MVP award, as he comes in ahead of Victor Wembanyama and Luka Dončić in this week’s edition of the ranking list.

Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: 4th week | 3rd week | 2nd week | 1st week

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder

Previous rank: #1

2025-26 Stats: 18 games, 32.2 points, 6.6 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 54.3 FG%, 41.2 3P%

The Thunder are so good that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t played in the fourth quarter in 11 games this season. Despite this, he is still among the league leaders in scoring and has recorded at least 20 points in every game this season.

The reigning league MVP now has 90 consecutive games with at least 20 points, making him two 20-point games away from tying Wilt Chamberlain for the second longest such streak in NBA history.

It’s not crazy to think that the Thunder can break the Golden State Warriors’ 73-9 record from 2015-16, and if that happens, there’s no way SGA won’t be MVP again. His efficiency and number of points speak for themselves.

2. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets

Previous rank: #2

2025-26 Stats: 16 games, 30.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, 10.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 62.8 FG%, 41.8 3P%

Nikola Jokic continues to average a triple-double, but now he and the Denver Nuggets will be tested in the coming weeks as Aaron Gordon and Christian Brown are sidelined with injuries. This will be the biggest chance for Jokic to prove that he is the best in the league valuable player, as his contributions will need to keep Denver atop the West without key contributors.

Over the past week, Jokic added two more triple-doubles to his name and had three more 30-point performances, including a 44-13-7 performance in a 128-123 loss to the Sacramento Kings over the weekend.

Right now, the gap between SGA and Jokic is extremely wide, as Jokic leads the league in rebounds and assists, and is one of six players averaging at least 30 points per game.

Previous rank: #3

2025-26 stats: 13 games, 31.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, 62.9 FG%, 50.0 3P%

If you need any proof of how valuable Giannis Antetokounmpo is to the Milwaukee Bucks, just look at their 0-3 record since he fell with a groin injury. The Bucks are nothing without Antetokounmpo, as he is the reason they are even in the Eastern Championship mix every year.

Giannis consistently carries the Bucks and puts this team on his back every night, which is why he remains at No. 3 on the MVP list despite the injury.

Antetokounmpo has already missed four games this season, meaning he can only miss 13 more games to remain eligible for season-ending honors like the MVP award. It will be interesting to watch when he eventually returns.

4. Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons

Previous rank: #7

2025-26 Stats: 13 games, 27.4 points, 9.9 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 44.4 FG%, 29.1 3P%

Cunningham trails only Jokic in assists this season, and is currently 13th in scoring. More importantly, he has directly impacted the Pistons, who are 14-2 to this point in the season.

While the West may end up being better than the East, we have to respect what Cunningham accomplished in Detroit. It’s not easy being the best team in any conference, and Cunningham makes it look easy every night, much like Jokic and Gilgeus-Alexander.

There’s a certain calmness and poise to his game that resonates with his teammates, and that’s why the Pistons have started the year so strongly. If their success continues, it’s only Cunningham’s way up these MVP rankings.

5. Luka Doncic – Los Angeles Lakers

Previous rank: #5

2025-26 Stats: 12 games, 34.5 points, 8.9 assists, 8.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 46.7 FG%, 31.1 3P%

Even with LeBron James back in the fold, Luka Doncic continued his hot streak and scored for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Doncic currently leads the league with 34.5 points per game and has been the Lakers’ leading scorer in all but five games this season. More importantly, he led the Lakers to a 12-4 record through their first 16 games, putting them behind Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder in the Western standings.

This season, Luka looks faster and more agile, and it was it is reflected in his defensive effort. His defensive plus-minus is the highest of his career, and Doncic is averaging a record 2.0 steals per game.

However, it will be difficult for him to overtake Gilgeous-Alexander or Jokic, even if he ends the season as the league’s leading scorer. Doncic will have to do something heroic and continue to carry the Lakers atop the Western standings to have a shot at the MVP award.

It’s just missing the cut

6. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs (4th place last week)

7. Alperen Sengun – Houston Rockets (10th last week)

8. Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers (unranked last week)

9. Jaylen Johnson – Atlanta Hawks (unranked last week)

10. Josh Giddy – Chicago Bulls (No. 9 last week)