NBA Cup MVP Rankings: Doncic Leads, Alexander Second, Reeves Fourth, LeBron Not Listed

On November 30th Beijing time, with the NBA Cup quarterfinals decided, the NBA official site also unveiled the Cup MVP leaderboard. Two Lakers players ranked in the top five, but LeBron James was absent. The full rankings are as follows—

1. Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers

Key Performance: In the group stage finale, Doncic faced his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, delivering a "revenge game" with 35 points and 11 assists, sealing a strong finish to the group stage for his team. Although the Lakers had already secured a quarterfinal spot before the game, Doncic played 40 minutes—not only to demonstrate his full fitness but also driven by determination against his old club. In the opening group match against the Grizzlies, he scored an impressive 44 points. If the Lakers advance smoothly to the Las Vegas knockout stage and have a chance to reach the Cup final for the second time in three years, this season will mark a new era with Doncic as the undisputed leader—the Lakers are now Doncic’s team.

2. Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Key Performance: Despite needing to play the entire fourth quarter, this is no challenge for SGA. In a crucial recent game, he stepped up when needed (even if it meant extra minutes), scoring 15 points in the final quarter (37 points total) and dishing out 8 assists, helping the Thunder overcome the surging Suns and move closer to the Las Vegas knockout rounds. The Thunder reached the Cup final last season but lost; at that time, SGA’s performance was unusually subdued. Since then, he and the team have been on a winning streak, claiming all subsequent honors.

3. Brunson, New York Knicks

Key Performance: Brunson missed only one Cup game (in which Shamet had a career-best 36 points against the Heat), while in all other group matches, he delivered standout performances for the Knicks. He is adapting to coach Mike Brown’s system amid a coaching change. Against the Bucks, he dominated with 37 points, earning the game’s best player honors and securing the Knicks’ spot in the knockout stage.

4. Reeves, Los Angeles Lakers

Key Performance: Were it not for Doncic’s dazzling presence, the Lakers’ spotlight would have fully shone on Reeves—his Cup performance has been nearly flawless. In the group finale against the Mavericks, he scored 38 points on 12 of 15 shooting; previously versus the Clippers, he tallied 31 points on 11 of 16 shots; against the Pelicans, he again posted 31 points along with 7 assists. Reeves is experiencing a breakout season and has shown the capability to contend for All-NBA honors in this short tournament sample, now becoming one of the Lakers’ key offensive weapons aiming for the Las Vegas knockout rounds.

5. Ingram, Toronto Raptors

Key Performance: The Raptors became the first team to advance from the group stage undefeated, a somewhat surprising outcome largely thanks to Ingram—who scored 20+ points in four consecutive Cup games. So far this season, Ingram has been consistently strong and is now an All-Star candidate. Alongside Scotty Barnes and RJ Barrett, Ingram has not only led the Raptors into the Cup quarterfinals but also helped the team secure second place in the Eastern Conference. From this perspective, Ingram and the Raptors have exceeded expectations this season.

Rankings from 6th to 10th are as follows—

6. Powell, Miami Heat

7. Wagner Jr., Orlando Magic

8. Towns, New York Knicks

9. Fox, San Antonio Spurs

10. Gillespie, Phoenix Suns

Additional 5 candidates (alphabetically listed)—

Bane (Orlando Magic), Booker (Phoenix Suns), Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder), Isaiah Joe (Oklahoma City Thunder), Vassell (San Antonio Spurs)