We are bringing it back!
In previous years, we ran the Notinhalloffame NBA Cup, where we awarded points in descending order (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) to the top five players in every game, and at the end of the season, we awarded the Cup to the player with the most points.
Here is what we look at:
Traditional Statistics: It is obvious what we mean here: points, rebounds, steals, and blocks…the core group of statistics that we look at in any box score.
Plus/Minus/Shooting Percentage: This is a stat that we love. It's fine if you dropped 30 points, but if your time on the floor results in a negative plus/minus, how effective were you overall? Additionally, a huge scoring performance done with a horrible shooting percentage isn’t held in as high regard as scoring less with high accuracy.
Clutch/Takeovers: When are you putting up stats? Fourth-quarter and clutch performances are held in a premium, and conversely, we hate turnovers, and we dock accordingly.
This isn’t a testament to who is necessarily having the best season, but to who’s winning the most Cup Points. A 50-point/20 rebound game can’t generate any more than five Cup Points. Conversely, in a sloppy game by both sides, a mediocre performance can still earn a player Cup Points.
Here is the first top 10 of the 2026/27 Season
1. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers, 34 Cup Points: 8 Games, 4.25 Cup Points per Game, 38.5 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 8.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 34.2 PER, 1.9 WS.
In the first eight games of the season, Doncic has been on a scoring tear, leading the league in PPG (38.5), three-pointers (5.9), free throws (9.4), and the advanced stats of PER (34.2) and win shares (1.9). While Doncic’s turnover rate is very high at 5.2, he has never handled the ball more. The Lakers are 6-2, and Doncic, who was the Western Conference Player of the Week in Week 1, is why.
2. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers, 33 Cup Points: 9 Games, 3.67 Cup Points Per Game, 28.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 22.6 PER, 1.4 WS.
The Sixers are 8-1, and despite the additions of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey has been Philadelphia's top scorer. Maxey got off to a scorching start, earning Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors in Week 1.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami Heat, 31 Cup Points, 9 Games, 3.44 Cup Points per Game, 27.3 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 5.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 27.8 PER, 1.1 WS.
The Heat made a huge splash with the acquisition of Antetokounmpo, who, in his first nine games of the season, is doing Giannis things; however, at only 3-6, the Heat are not gelling and began the year 0-4. There is still a lot of time for the Antetokounmpo/Bam Adebayo pairing to work, but outside shooting needs to come to life. Nevertheless, it’s no surprise to see Giannis here.
4. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs, 30 Cup Points: 8 Games, 3.75 Cup Points per Game, 29.0 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.4 SPG, 4.5 BPG, 33.9 PER, 1.5 WS.
Doesn’t fourth seem low for him? Seriously, this is the guy who just put up a 52-point/24-rebound/8-block performance against Dallas on Nov. 4, and if the rules let us award more than five Cup Points, we would! Wemby might “only” be fourth, but he is the top MVP contender. Ah, Cup Point rules are fun!
5. Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors, 29 Cup Points: 8 Games, 3.63 Cup Points per Game, 23.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 5.1 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 19.6 PER, 0.4 WS.
This is the first of two strangely high results so far for two straight Toronto Raptors, as Barnes, for the 4-4 Raptors, has been the engine driving a sneaky good team. Nevertheless, this rank is unlikely to hold as we move into the coming weeks…much like…
6. RJ Barrett, Toronto Raptors, 28 Cup Points: 8 Games, 3.50 Cup Points per Game, 20.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 17.7 PER, 0.7 WS.
With Kawhi Leonard out (what a shock that Kawhi is hurt), Barnes and Barrett have been scooping up the Cup Points for the Raptors, who don’t have anybody else accruing them in mass. So the Raptors are the first team with two players on this. We don’t expect it to stay this way, but again, this is why we said we don’t think it is as defining a statement as to who the top players are in the game. It isn’t, and in the coming weeks the usual suspects should fall where they are supposed to. Regardless, Barrett has been Toronto’s most consistent performer, and how he and Barnes fare on the second ranking should be fascinating.
7 (TIE). Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 27 Cup Points: 7 Games, 3.86 Cup Points per Game, 20.1 PPG, 13.2 RPG, 8.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 23.5 PER, 8.4 WS.
The Celtics are 5-2 with Tatum (6-2 overall), and Tatum is carrying the workload as expected. Recently, Tatum won his 14th Player of the Week Award, and his overall production has been as consistent as past campaigns. Notably, he is in the top ten with just seven games played…much like…
7 (TIE). Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors, 27 Cup Points: 7 Games, 3.86 Cup Points Per Game, 29.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 33.1 PER, 1.5 WS.
Curry is defying age and remains an elite shooter as efficient as ever, as shown by his 33.1 PER. At age 38, he has yet to have a game where he scored under 20 points, and his doing so with load management and a sub-30-minute-per-game average.
9. Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers, 26 Cup Points, 7 Games, 3.71 Cup Points per Game, 23.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 6.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 22.1 PER, 1.0 WS.
Avdija has been Portland’s best player this season, and while he has been on the floor, the Trail Blazers have been 6-1. He has not scored less than 18 points in a game this year.
10 (TIE). Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons, 25 Cup Points: 8 Games, 3.13 Cup Points Per Game, 24.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 7.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 22.7 PER, 1.0 WS.
The playmaking point guard remains the heart of a Pistons team and has averaged at least 20 points and 8 steals in his last four games.
10 (TIE). Yaxel Lendeborg, Golden State Warriors, 25 Cup Points: 9 Games, 2.78 Cup Points per Game, 21.0 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 20.9 PER, 1.0 WS.
Landeborg is the rookie with the highest Cup Points, and he has been a huge asset for Curry and the Warriors. The Memphis Grizzlies’ Cameron Boozer might be the current favorite for Rookie of the Year, but he is trailing Lendeborg for our prestigious Cup.
Well, we think it is prestigious.
…especially if we keep telling ourselves that.
The rest of the Top 25 are:
12. Ty Jerome, Memphis Grizzlies, 23 Cup Points in 7 Games.
12. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, 23 Cup Points in 8 Games (This can’t stay under the top ten, right?).
12. Anthony Davis, Washington Wizards, 23 Cup Points in 8 Games.
15. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks, 22 Cup Points in 7 Games.
15. Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers, 22 Cup Points in 9 Games.
17. Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets, 21 Cup Points in 7 Games.
17. Alperin Sengun, Houston Rockets, 21 Cup Points in 7 Games.
17. Tyler Herro, Milwaukee Bucks, 21 Cup Points in 8 Games.
17. Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans, 21 Cup Points in 8 Games.
21. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta Hawks, 20 Cup Points in 9 Games.
21. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers, 20 Cup Points in 8 Games.
21. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, 20 Cup Points in 7 Games.
21. Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets, 20 Cup Points in 9 Games.
21. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks, 20 Cup Points in 9 Games.
21. Trae Young, Washington Wizards, 20 Cup Points in 8 Games
We knew it would differ from the Kia MVP Standings, and if we did our own (why wouldn't we, when so many others do), our top 25 MVP contenders wouldn’t look like our Cup Point standings.
But that is the fun!
Look for the revised Notinhalloffame NBA Cup standings next week!
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