What a first week of the 2026-27 NBA season, and what an MVP race this is about to be. From Luka Doncic going for 52 points to Anthony Edwards' 45 points on Opening Night to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama doing what they're known for, this year's race for the league's illustrious award is truly wide open.
Gilgeous-Alexander has won the MVP hardware each of the last two years, and now that Jalen Williams is out indefinitely, likely for the year, with his significant lower left leg injury, he will need to elevate his play even more to help the Oklahoma City Thunder be true title contenders.
Could this lead to a third-straight MVP award for Gilgeous-Alexander?
Although the Thunder star has moved up in the latest MVP rankings after the first week, he did not claim the No. 1 spot. That belongs to Luka Doncic, who jumps ahead of Victor Wembanyama at the top of the NBA MVP rankings entering the second week of the 2026-27 season.
1. Luka Doncic – Los Angeles Lakers
Previous ranking: #3
2026-27 season stats: 3 games, 34.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 46.4 FG%, 39.5 3P%
Through the first three games of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers are 3-0 and averaging 128.0 points per game, the best in the league. Not only do the Lakers rank first in scoring and offensive rating, but they lead the league in field goal percentage and also rank second in 3-point shooting.
Luka Doncic has been at the center of the Lakers' success so far this year, and he's only trailing Ty Jerome (34.7) for the league lead in scoring. His 52-point performance speaks for itself, and his +44 rating on the court is fourth among all players with 100 or more minutes logged, trailing only Austin Reaves (+53), Joel Embiid (+49), and Cam Boozer (+45).
Doncic is clearly impacting winning in Los Angeles, and his near triple-double numbers once again put him at the top of the league in a variety of offensive categories. Winning matters in the MVP race, and when you're basically leading the league in scoring for the second straight year, that will get you MVP attention.
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Previous ranking: #3
2026-27 season stats: 3 games, 27.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 44.4 FG%, 30.4 3P%
Losing Jalen Williams is a punch in the face to Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder. All was going right for this team with a 3-0 record, and through the first week, it seemed like this team was right back at the top of the league in terms of title contention.
Although the Thunder are still in the championship mix, SGA will need to prove why he is the two-time defending MVP for Oklahoma City to have any chance of getting back to the top of the NBA. So far, Gilgeous-Alexander has been less efficient than he was during the last two seasons, but he's put together two 30-point performances.
Unfortunately for Gilgeous-Alexander, his streak of 141 games scoring at least 20 points was snapped in the second game of the year against Denver, as the Thunder star had just 17 points and subbed himself out late in the 96-84 win.
More pressure is now on Gilgeous-Alexander, which could lead to his best season yet. Then again, without Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins in Oklahoma City to provide stability with Williams out, everything now falls on Gilgeous-Alexander's shoulders.
Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 1
3. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs
Previous ranking: #1
2026-27 season stats: 3 games, 20.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 4.0 blocks, 47.7 FG%, 34.2 3P%
The start of the 2026-27 season was certainly not a showcase for Victor Wembanyama to stake his claim at the No. 1 spot in the MVP rankings.
Aside from the San Antonio Spurs falling 116-104 to the Thunder on Opening Night, Wemby was just 1-of-13 from the floor against his rivals. While he did have 13 rebounds and six blocks in that game, Wembanyama's offensive struggles directly resulted in the Spurs starting the year 0-1.
However, Wembanyama has eased the tensions slightly, dropping 25 and 23 points in back-to-back games, shooting 18-of-39 (46.2 percent) from the floor combined against Houston and Dallas.
If Wembanyama can get his averages up to at least 25 points and 13 rebounds per game, as well as shooting over 50 percent from the floor, he will have no problem getting back into the mix for the No. 1 spot in the NBA MVP rankings. Right now, given his struggles to start the year, it's clear why he fell two spots from the preseason ranking.
4. Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves
Previous ranking: #6
2026-27 season stats: 3 games, 28.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 44.3 FG%, 43.3 3P%
No team raised eyebrows during the first week of the 2026-27 NBA season more than the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are 3-0 and have outscored opponents by 70 points. Minnesota has scored at least 115 points in every game this season, and Anthony Edwards has been on a tear.
While there are still some concerns about his overall right knee health, as he is questionable for Monday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Edwards has soared to a new level with LaMelo Ball alongside him in the backcourt.
Edwards is shooting 44 percent from the floor and 43 percent from 3-point range through Minnesota's first three games, and his performance on Opening Night was remarkable. The Timberwolves' star had 45 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 9-of-17 from 3-point range.
This put Ant Man on the same list as Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain as the ONLY players in NBA history to record multiple 40-plus-point scoring nights in the first game of a new season. Keep a close eye on the Wolves this year, as they could overtake either the Thunder or Spurs in the West standings, which would only help Edwards' MVP resume.
Article Continues Below5. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
Previous ranking: #4
2026-27 season stats: 2 games, 24.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 40.5 FG%, 23.5 3P%
Another year, more of the same from Nikola Jokic. Mr. Triple-Double tallied his first on Saturday night in the Denver Nuggets' 141-135 overtime win over the New Orleans Pelicans, as he recorded 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, while also adding three steals and two blocks to his name.
This triple-double was significant because it was his 222nd total triple-double, factoring in regular season and playoffs, which passes Russell Westbrook for the most combined triple-doubles all time. In terms of the regular season, this was Jokic's 199th triple-double, putting him 10 away from tying Westbrook's regular-season record.
Jokic continues to dictate the Nuggets' offense, which ultimately leads to their success as a team. As long as he is healthy, he will continue to fill the stat sheets and be in the MVP mix.
Just missing the cut
6. Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons [Ranked No. 7 last week]
7. Tyrese Maxey – Philadelphia 76ers [Ranked No. 10 last week]
8. Jalen Johnson – Atlanta Hawks [Not ranked last week]
9. Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics [Ranked No. 9 last week]
10. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Miami Heat [Ranked No. 8 last week]