Emirates NBA Cup MVP Ladder Update: Giannis Antetokounmpo shines in group play

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The Emirates NBA Cup is heating up with fresh new jerseys and courts adding to the excitement of the early-season matchups. Teams are vying for a chance to compete for the coveted NBA Cup and the title of the competition's Most Valuable Player.

The MVP selection “will be based on the players’ performance in both Group Play and the Knockout Rounds.” With relatively few games and only eight total teams advancing out of Group Play, that means winning matters even more in the sprint for this award.

Here’s a look at which players are claiming the early inside track toward tournament MVP honors.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Tournament stats: 30.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 9.0 apg, 2.5 bpg, 69.7 FG%

Milwaukee is righting the ship after a rough start to the season, and NBA Cup group play has produced two of the Bucks’ more encouraging performances. They’re tied with Detroit (2-0) atop East Group B, making point differential a potentially enormous factor moving forward.

Antetokounmpo remains his dominant self through all of it. Defenses have had little answer for the former two-time Kia NBA MVP, as he is shooting 65% or better no matter how closely he is defended during Cup play. He is having the opposite effect on opponents, who are shooting a frigid 36.8% on 2-pointers defended by the Greek Freak.

2. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

Tournament stats: 33.0 ppg, 13.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 58.5 FG%

The defending Cup champion Lakers lead West Group B with a 2-0 record, and Davis is the biggest reason why. The All-NBA big man found no resistance against Utah or San Antonio, against whom Davis shot a blistering 20-for-29 in the paint.

Davis’ suddenly improved health remains an intriguing plot point both for the Cup and the Western Conference in general. After eclipsing 70 games played last season for the first time since 2018, the former No. 1 overall pick has played in 15 of the Lakers’ 16 games this season.

3. Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic

Tournament stats: 31.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 5.5 apg, 2.5 spg, 50.0 FG%

Orlando’s outlook appeared bleak when Paolo Banchero suffered a torn right oblique in October. The Magic’s offense was already middling, just 15th in the league when the team’s lone All-Star went down.

Wagner has reset expectations not just in Banchero’s absence, but when he returns. The German forward is shooting 80% in the restricted area and 54.5% from midrange during Orlando’s 2-0 run in group play. The Magic have outscored opponents by 46 points in the Cup minutes Wagner has logged. When he plays, Orlando has overwhelmingly been the better team.

4. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Tournament stats: 23.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 7.0 apg, 2.0 spg, 49.0 FG%

The Warriors were the first team to clinch a spot in the Knockout Rounds, and once again Curry is the driving force behind their success. His vintage 3-point shot has been on point; Curry is shooting 46.2% from deep in Golden State’s two wins, including 45.5% on pullup 3-pointers.

Depth has blunted the need for more outlandish counting stats from him, but that depth is empowered by Curry’s presence; Golden State’s net rating is plus-19.6 when he plays, minus-21.6 when he sits in Cup play.

5. OG Anunoby, New York Knicks

Tournament stats: 24.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 63.6 FG%

Houston’s Dillon Brooks and the Lakers’ LeBron James were also candidates for a muddled fifth spot. Others with sterling numbers, but who have only played in a single Cup game, were also passed over here. Anunoby’s participation and production give him the edge for now as the Knicks (2-0) are clearly at their best with the veteran swingman on the floor.

Anunoby is averaging nearly 40 minutes per game, fifth most in Cup play. The Knicks’ net rating swings from plus-15.9 with him on the court to minus-41.3 when he sits. (That is not a typo.) He is also shooting 16-for-18 in the restricted area, with 11 of those coming on dunks.