Week 2 is in the books and it’ll likely be a weekly theme of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander attempting to hold his throne atop the MVP polls. Luka Doncic returned from a three-game absence and dropped 44 points before sitting again, while Nikola Jokic triple-doubled in four-straight games but cooled off in his last two. There’s been plenty of big games from star players to put the heat on SGA like Giannis Antetokounmpo’s game-winner over Indiana.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Vaughn Dalzell’s Week 3 MVP Rankings
Assists Per Game: 5.9 (T-20th)
Rebounds Per Game: 5.1 RPG (T-90th)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are 7-0 and became the third team in NBA history to start 7-0 in back-to-back seasons and the first since the 1993-95 Rockets. Without Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City hasn’t skipped a beat as another example of how valuable SGA is.
SGA is third in usage rate (32.3%) and scored at least 30 points in six out of seven games, including three-straight. The reigning MVP is also getting to the free-throw line 9.6 times per game, which is the most since his 2022-23 season, and 5.9 triples per game — the most in his career.
The “free-throw merchant” as social media likes to call him, continues to find new ways to score while he’s in his prime. In reality, SGA has three double-digit free-throw attempt games and four of six or less, so he’s not getting to the free-throw line consistently like the world assumes.
Rebounds Per Game: 13.7 (2nd)
Blocks Per Game: 4.7 (1st)
The Spurs started off 5-0 for the first time in franchise history (shocking stat) before taking a loss to the Suns on Sunday. Victor Wembanyama was blazing through the first five with 30.2 points, 14.6 rebounds, 4.8 blocks, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
In the loss to Phoenix, Wemby played 34 minutes and went 4-of-14 from the field, 1-of-5 from three with no free-throws for 9 points. The Spurs star added 9 rebounds, four blocks, and two assists, but coming off his worst game of the season means I certainly have to drop him back down to No. 2.
Rebounds Per Game: 13.3 (3rd)
Assists Per Game: 6.8 (16th)
Giannis Antetokounmpo at the buzzer! The Greek Freak sent the crowd into a disheveled frenzy when he nailed an awkward fadeaway over two defenders at with no time remaining to give the Bucks a 117-15 win over the Pacers in Indiana. Antetokounmpo dropped 33 points and it was his fifth 30-point game in six contests with five double-doubles.
It’s early in the year, but point Giannis is averaging a career-high 6.8 assists per game as the main facilitator for the Bucks, while posting a career-high 13.3 rebounds thanks to better spacing thanks to Myles Turner.
The only downfall of Antetokounmpo’s awesome season so far once again is his free-throw shooting. Giannis is shooting 61.5% from the charity stripe, which is a career-low. He could lead the NBA in points per game if he was making his freebies, and those time of things make a significant difference come end of the year.
Assists Per Game: 11.5
Rebounds Per Game: 8.3
Luka Doncic returned in glorious fashion against the Grizzlies dropping 44 points on 14-of-27 from the field, 6-of-15 from three, and 10-for-13 from the line. Doncic also double-doubled with 12 boards and added six assists over 39 minutes.
Through four games without LeBron James, Doncic averages 13.5 free-throw attempts, 12.0 three-point attempts, 11.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. Doncic’s 39.3% usage rate leads the NBA with Giannis Antetokounmpo in secluded second (34.3%).
However, Doncic rested against Portland on Monday (Lakers won), which is concerning for his games played mark. Doncic already missed three games and is getting rest seven games in. It’s a long season and Los Angeles is without LeBron James, so it makes sense they don’t want to push Doncic, but load management hurts an MVP case. We know that SGA, Jokic, and Wembanyama won’t have load many, if any load management nights.
Rebounds Per Game: 13.2 (4th)
Assists Per Game: 11.3 (1st)
Through five games, Nikola Jokic triple-doubled four-straight, but failed with nine assists, then seven rebounds in his next two games as his streak ended. Denver has started 4-2 with losses to Portland and Golden State — two of the better defensive squads in a league with limited defense.
Two of the downfalls to Jokic’s start is his three-point shooting, which rose from 23.8% to 29% after last night’s win over the Kings. Jokic was 5-of-21 entering the game with only 4.4 free-throw attempts per game, but last night he recorded 34 points, 4-of-10 from three, and 2-for-3 from the free-throw line.
Jokic’s scoring overall is down at 22.7 points per game, but things are looking up after a season-high 34 versus the Kings. He leads the NBA with 11.3 assists per game and fourth in rebounding (13.2), so he’s clearly still top five, but five for me.
Stock Up
Rebounds Per Game: 4.8 (T-103rd)
Assists Per Game: 9.0 (T-5th)
The player saw the highest rise in odds from last week to this week is Tyrese Maxey. The 76ers have started off a hot 5-1, including four-straight to win the season. Maxey exploded for 39 or more points in three of those five games with at least six assists in every contest and 39 or more minutes. I wouldn’t put my money on him because there are far too many factors into how the 76ers season can go with Joel Embiid and Paul George dealing with early season injuries and load management.
Stock Down
Rebounds Per Game: 2.0
Assists Per Game: 4.0
As stated last week, Anthony Edwards went down with an injury and his odds moved from +2000 to +3500. Now they are +8000 as he missed his fourth consecutive game and likely going to miss the next handful. Minnesota plays New York, Utah, Sacramento, and Utah again until a break between Nov. 11-14. I would target Edwards to come back after that for one of the back-to-back games versus Sacramento and Denver.
Follow my plays for the season on X @VmoneySports, Instagram @VmoneySports_ and Action App @vaughndalzell.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
