Who says the NBA Cup means nothing to players around the league? Stars are giving maximum effort in these games, especially between reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama in their showdown during the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday.
Wembanyama, who was making his return from a calf injury that sidelined him for 12 straight games, came off the bench and delivered one of the most impactful performances we have witnessed from a player this season in a single game.
In just 21 minutes off the bench, Wemby was +21 for the game with 22 points and nine rebounds. No matter what the score was or what the Thunder threw at him, Wembanyama was extremely comfortable and always created momentum for the San Antonio Spurs.
That is why the Spurs pulled off the 111-109 win to advance to the NBA Cup championship game on Tuesday against the New York Knicks.
With Wembanyama back on the court, whether he plays off the bench or in the starting lineup, the Spurs have proven to be legitimate threats in the Western Conference. More importantly for Wembanyama, he is still eligible for the MVP award, and this game was a clear statement that he can be the best player in the league.
Earlier this season, before he suffered his calf injury, Wembanyama was right in the mix for the NBA MVP award with Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic. If he stays healthy and the Spurs continue to grow as a young team on the rise, that same MVP noise will surface once more.
Wembanyama is back in the NBA MVP rankings, creating an interesting list in a very open race for this year's award entering the holiday season.
Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Previous ranking: #1
2025-26 season stats: 25 games, 32.4 points, 6.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 56.0 FG%, 43.7 3P%
Even after losing to the Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinals, Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are still on pace to break the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors' 73-win record. As long as they remain on pace to do so, Shai will remain first in the MVP race, barring god-like performances from either Nikola Jokic or Luka Doncic.
Gilgeous-Alexander's streak of scoring at least 20 points has been extended to 97 consecutive games now after he had 29 points on Saturday against San Antonio. The Thunder MVP is now 29 games away from breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record of 127 consecutive games with 20-plus points.
Between this record being in range for Gilgeous-Alexander, as well as the Thunder threatening to win at least 70 games, SGA is very much in control of his MVP fate this season.
2. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
Previous ranking: #2
2025-26 season stats: 24 games, 29.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 10.9 assists, 1.4 steals, 62.2 FG%, 42.4 3P%
Not much has changed for Nikola Jokic since last week's MVP rankings. In one game that the Denver Nuggets played, Jokic registered 36 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists in a 136-105 win over the Sacramento Kings.
Jokic continues to do all the heavy lifting for the Nuggets with Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun sidelined, as this was his 22nd double-double of the season and his second straight game with one. Surprisingly enough, this was Jokic's first double-double with points and rebounds since Dec. 1.
As long as he continues to average a triple-double, Jokic will be right at the top of the NBA MVP rankings next to Gilgeous-Alexander.
3. Luka Doncic – Los Angeles Lakers
Previous ranking: #3
2025-26 season stats: 19 games, 34.7 points, 8.8 assists, 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 46.0 FG%, 32.4 3P%
Luka Doncic continues to lead the league in scoring at 34.7 points per game, and coincidentally enough, he had 35 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 132-119 NBA Cup loss to the Spurs. On Sunday, Luka led the Lakers to a close 116-114 win over Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns with 29 points and six assists.
Even with LeBron James back, the Lakers are Luka's team, and his offensive numbers will likely increase with Austin Reaves sidelined due to a calf injury.
Other than missing six games this season, Doncic's MVP resume remains spotless. He has scored at least 30 points in nine straight games, and Doncic has seven double-doubles during this stretch, including a 31-point triple-double against the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 7.
4. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs
Previous ranking: #9
2025-26 season stats: 13 games, 25.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.5 blocks, 50.4 FG%, 35.6 3P%
Will Wembanyama meet the minimum game requirement to be in the running for the MVP award this season? That is the only question surrounding the young Spurs star and his ability to remain in these award races.
After missing 12 games with his calf injury, Wembanyama returned for the Spurs' NBA Cup semifinal game against the Thunder on Saturday, and he delivered in his first-ever game off the bench.
What makes Wembanyama a true MVP candidate is his ability to make everyone around him better. Because of how much attention Wemby draws on offense, others like De'Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, and Stephon Castle can operate with more space and more confidence.
Of course, then there is the impact Wembanyama makes defensively, and that was evident against the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander and others wouldn't challenge the Spurs in the paint because of Wembanyama towering at the rim, which helped San Antonio close out this game late in the fourth quarter.
Wembanyama can only miss five more games from now through the end of the season to remain eligible for the MVP award.
5. Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons
Previous ranking: #4
2025-26 season stats: 22 games, 26.9 points, 9.1 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 45.4 FG%, 30.7 3P%
Like Jokic and the Nuggets, Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons only played one game this past week. This was a 142-115 win for the Pistons, a game where Cunningham only played 23 minutes and recorded 15 points and six assists.
This was Cade's second-lowest scoring output of the season, as he had 12 points in Detroit's fourth game of the season, a 116-95 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cunningham trails only Jokic for the league lead in assists, and his 12 double-doubles trail just Josh Giddey (15) and Doncic (14) for the most by a guard in the NBA this season. The Pistons remain at the top of the East standings, which is why Cunningham remains firmly in the MVP race.
Just missing the cut
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks [Ranked No. 6 last week]
7. Jalen Brunson – New York Knicks [Unranked last week]
8. Jaylen Brown – Boston Celtics [Ranked No. 5 last week]
9. Jalen Johnson – Atlanta Hawks [Ranked No. 7 last week]
10. Alperen Sengun – Houston Rockets [Ranked No. 8 last week]
