Victor Wembanyama is still the MVP favorite despite a brutal start to his season, and if the sportsbooks aren’t panicking, maybe the rest of the league should pay attention. We’re only a week into the NBA season, but the MVP race is already heating up, with the early odds at bet365 Sportsbook showing some wild storylines.
Wemby’s Early Season Woes Can’t Touch His MVP Odds
This kid is something else, right? Last year, Wemby nearly took his team to an NBA title, falling in five games to the Knicks in the Finals. This year, if he stays healthy, everyone expects him to snag his second Defensive Player of the Year award in a row. Think about that for a second: only Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Giannis Antetokounmpo have ever won both MVP and DPOY in the same season. That’s some elite company.
But here’s the kicker: his start to the season has been rough, and I mean *rough*. He’s shooting just 36.5% from the field through his first three games, including an abysmal 1-for-13 performance in a loss to the Thunder on opening night. Yet, he’s still averaging 11 boards and four blocks per game, and his MVP odds haven’t budged one bit. The sportsbooks aren’t flinching, which tells you everything about the belief in his potential for the rest of the season.
SGA and Dončić Are Lighting It Up, But Is It Enough?
Right behind Wemby, we’ve got a couple of absolute studs making their own cases. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the two-time reigning MVP, is back in the running and already looking unstoppable. In 2024-25, he dropped 32.7 points on 51.9% shooting, and the Thunder were the league’s best. Last season? He averaged 31.1 points on 55.3% shooting, and the Thunder had the best record again. The guy knows how to score and win, plain and simple. Even with his insane NBA-record streak of 141 consecutive regular-season games with at least 20 points finally coming to an end last week, he’s still averaging 27.7 points through three games, and OKC is a perfect 3-0. What a machine!
Then there’s Luka Dončić, who is absolutely tearing it up. It’s wild to think he’s never even finished second in MVP voting, with his best finish being third back in 2022-23 when he was still with the Mavericks. Last season, he led the entire NBA in scoring with 33.5 points, plus threw in 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds. Now that LeBron James has moved on from LA, and the Lakers officially belong to Dončić, can he elevate his game and his team to new levels? He’s certainly off to a ridiculous start this season, averaging 34.3 points per game through three contests, including a monster 52-point explosion against the Jazz on Sunday where he was only two rebounds shy of a triple-double.
Jokić’s Past Dominance vs. New Season Reality
And you can never count out Nikola Jokić, the three-time MVP. What’s even more mind-blowing than the three trophies is that he’s either won the award or finished second in six straight seasons. Last year, he made NBA history as the first player ever to lead the league in both rebounds (12.9) and assists (10.7), all while averaging a triple-double for the second consecutive season. Unbelievable consistency.
But here’s the rub: even though it’s a regular-season award, his Nuggets finished third in the West and got knocked out in the first round by a hobbled Wolves team. Did that tough playoff exit somehow impact his MVP candidacy this season? He definitely struggled in Denver’s first game against the Thunder, only putting up 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting. He bounced back though, showing that patented resilience.
This MVP race is shaping up to be absolutely wild, even this early. With guys like Wemby, SGA, Dončić, and Jokić already battling it out, we’re in for some must-watch basketball. Who’s gonna make the big leap, or stay consistent enough to snatch the trophy? We’ll be watching every single game to find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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