At the rim or beyond the three-point line, LeBron James has been hitting his target in the season championship game.
The first in-season tournament has launched, complete with new kits, courts and stakes. The climax of the event is the competition for the inaugural NBA Cup and the tournament’s Most Valuable Player Award.
The selection of the MVP “will be based on the performance of the players in the group stage and knockout rounds.” With relatively few games played and only eight teams advancing from the group stages, it means winning is even more important in the sprint for the award.
Here’s a look at which players are expected to win tournament MVP honors.
1. Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
Last week’s rankings: number 1
Match statistics: Averaged 28.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 13.5 assists, 1.8 rebounds, and 49.3% field goal percentage per game
The Pacers’ offensive engine has been pushed into fifth gear in recent tournament games, including a 157-152 shootout victory in Atlanta. Haliburton never wavered, scoring 37 points on over 61 percent shooting and dishing out 16 assists.
Indiana’s win over Detroit in the final group game was easily his worst performance of the tournament. He still scored 26 points and had 10 assists. Somehow being able to produce like a star even on an off night is one of the key signs of truly shining.
Haliburton has helped Myles Turner become one of the league’s most feared pick-and-roll finishers; Turner has completed more than 50 possessions as a pick-and-roll man this season (fifth-most), and the Pacers That’s a ridiculous 1.51 points per possession.
Indiana will advance to the playoffs after winning the Eastern Conference Group A. Haliburton is the primary reason.
2. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
Last week’s rankings: third place
Match statistics: 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.0 rebounds, 60.0 shooting percentage
Fans of in-season tournaments and analyzing statistics should support James as their symbol. The 38-year-old superstar has taken 18 shots in the paint in the game…and only missed once.
James’ long-range efficiency is equally jaw-dropping. The Lakers forward made 14 of 24 three-pointers. Incredibly, all of his long-range shots came from above the break (none of them came from the bottom corner).
The Lakers (4-0) are the first team in the Western Conference to advance out of their group and advance to the knockout rounds. James sets the shooting standard for a team, with all five of his top scorers shooting better than 50 percent. After winning all the franchise honors, James seems eager to add the NBA Cup to his trophy case.
3. Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks
Last week’s rankings: Honorable Mention
Match statistics: 29.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 52.9 field goal percentage, 50.0 3 field goal percentage
Whenever Lillard attacks from deep, he’s statistically a coin toss. Their opponents may have felt like their odds were even slimmer, especially in the third quarter, when Lillard hit seven of his nine 3-point attempts in the tournament.
The synergy between Lillard and his new teammates is growing. Brook Lopez is starting to benefit directly; four of Lillard’s 10 assists in Friday’s win over Washington came through the veteran big man. Lopez finished with a career-high 39 points. Prior to this, his shooting rate when receiving passes from Lillard was only 28.6%.
Of the top 20 scorers in the tournament, only Stephen Curry and Trae Young are averaging fewer shots per game. Lillard brings the kind of superstar playmaking ability Milwaukee envisioned. In addition to closing the gap on Boston in the regular-season standings, the Bucks (3-0) now dominate the Eastern Conference Group B championship and the automatic elimination berth that comes with it.
4. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
Last week’s rankings: number 2
Match statistics: Averaged 19.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 53.5% field goal percentage per game.
Sabonis has grown closer to teammate De’Aaron Fox after a 36-point, 12-assist performance on Friday. Fox has only played two tournament games so far, while Sabonis has played three, giving the big man some advantage.
Sabonis put up numbers in Friday’s win over Minnesota: 15 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocks. The impact of this victory is huge. Both teams are undefeated in Western Conference Group C. Sacramento (3-0) took control of the group with the win and could advance to the knockout round.
The Kings can seal the next stage by winning their final group game against already-eliminated Oklahoma City. Getting there will be a testament to how well Sabonis performs with and without Fox.
5. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Last week’s rankings: Not ranked
Match statistics: 30.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.7 rebounds, 55.4% shooting
After Booker missed the tournament opener (a loss to the Lakers) due to injury, Phoenix won the remaining three games with its young stars. The cause-and-effect relationship cannot be overstated; the Suns have outscored their opponents by 55 points in the 99 minutes Booker has played.
Booker’s absence from the game currently puts him below the top four. His superstar production puts him above the rest. Victory and what it means is the tiebreaker. Phoenix, who has the inside track for the Western Conference’s lone wild-card berth, made a huge comeback from the Lakers’ loss and beat Utah State by one possession.
The Suns made up for that on Friday (without Kevin Durant) by defeating Memphis 110-89. Booker scored 40 points to help Phoenix close the championship point gap. Incredibly, his three-pointer with 13 seconds left gave New Orleans a one-point advantage. The trickle-down effect means the Suns are likely to make the knockout rounds, barring some truly lopsided results at the end of the group stage.
Honorable Mention
De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings: He has performed well in his first two games since returning from injury. A third performance of the same quality could put him in the top five.
Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets: Sengun mimicked Jokic in Friday’s win over the Denver Nuggets, and the Rockets still have a chance to win Western Conference Group B.
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks: Led New York to a dramatic and much-needed comeback victory over Miami. The Knicks’ chances of advancing will depend on the final few games of the group stage.
Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat: This is not a typo. Butler shot 61.5% overall and 62.5% from three-point range in the tournament.
Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans: Score at will inside the three-point line, but New Orleans will be nervous to watch Houston’s final game to see if they’ll be eliminated by the margin.
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Matt Petersen is an interactive producer for NBA.com.
The views expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery Channel.