By Nikola Miloradovic/ info@eurohoops.net
After five rounds, the contours of the early MVP race were already taking shape. A few players came out firing, others picked up right where they left off last season, while some needed time to settle into their rhythm.
Fast forward eight more rounds, and the picture looks very different — as expected. Some stars have surged to the forefront, others have cooled off, and the usual pillars of consistency continue to dominate courts across Europe.
With momentum shifting and the standings tightening, movement at the top was inevitable. Welcome to the second edition of the Eurohoops MVP Ladder for the 2025–26 EuroLeague season.
1. Kendrick Nunn, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens
Season Stats: 18,5 points (4th), 3,8 assists, 3,3 rebounds, PIR of 17,7 (12th)
Team Record: 9-4 (3rd)
Previous Spot on the MVP Ladder: 2nd
The reigning MVP has had his ups and downs through the first 13 games of the 2025–26 season, but his highs are still among the most dominant in the league — and the feeling is that the best is yet to come. When Kendrick Nunn finds his rhythm, he takes full control, no matter the opponent.
He already owns two MVP of the Round awards and seven games with a PIR above 20. In his latest outing, the guard simply took over against Partizan, blowing the game open in the third quarter and finishing with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists for a PIR of 39.
Nunn keeps proving he’s one of the EuroLeague’s most unstoppable forces, driving Panathinaikos to the top of the standings — despite injuries and dips in form — alongside Hapoel Tel Aviv and Crvena zvezda.
His overall stats may not look as high as expected, mainly due to a couple of off nights, but the volume of elite performances tells the real story. When he gets it going, he might be second to none — and he has delivered often enough to sit at the top, backed by his impact, reputation, and clear room for even more consistency.
The scary part? He’s still hungry.
“I ain’t going nowhere! I want more… I got my double-double early on, but I need that triple-double,” Nunn said after his last game.
2. Sylvain Francisco, Zalgiris Kaunas
Season Stats: 16,9 points (8th), 7,3 assists (1st), PIR 21,1 (3rd)
Team Record: 8-5 (4th)
Previous Spot on the MVP Ladder: First appearance
The French guard made an early statement in Round 3 with 19 points and 7 assists against FC Bayern Munich, but his form dipped shortly after. Following defeats to Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan — and a solid showing against FC Barcelona in Round 6 — Francisco kicked off an impressive stretch with a 23-point, 10-assist double-double versus Virtus Bologna in Round 7.
As Zalgiris regained momentum, Francisco became the key figure behind their rise. He earned the October MVP award, and just before the FIBA window, he delivered two more standout performances.
In Movistar Arena, he recorded 33 points and 11 assists against Real Madrid, earning applause from the home crowd, and then added 23 points and 11 assists in a win over Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz to end November on a high note as well.
With this strong run, the 28-year-old put himself in serious contention for another monthly award and climbed all the way to the top spots of the MVP Ladder.
3. Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus
Season Stats: 17,1 points (7th), 7,4 rebounds (2nd), PIR of 20,5 (5th)
Team Record: 8-5 (6th)
Previous Spot on the MVP Ladder: 1st
The 2023 EuroLeague MVP burst out of the gates to start the season, impressing from day one. His pace dipped a bit between Rounds 8 and 12, but Round 13 in Belgrade showed one thing clearly — Sasha is back.
Despite Olympiacos losing to Zvezda, Vezenkov delivered 29 points and 8 rebounds, almost singlehandedly keeping his team alive until the very end. It wasn’t enough for the win, but it was a clear sign that he’s back on track and ready to resume dominating courts across the continent.
Even with that brief dip, the Olympiacos forward remains in the top five in PIR and seventh in scoring in the EuroLeague. With the momentum from his performance in Belgrade, he’s expected to climb even higher, firmly keeping his name in the early MVP conversation — and on the Ladder.
Vezenkov is averaging 17.1 points and 7.4 rebounds. Olympiacos holds the second-best record in the EuroLeague (8–5), and Sasha remains the only player besides Nunn to have won two MVP of the Round honors. It’s fair to say expectations were sky-high — but it’s just as clear that much more is still to come from one of the best players in the competition.
4. Elijah Bryant, Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv
Season Stats: 14,8 points (15th), 5,8 rebounds (10th), 3,3 assists, PIR of 20,2 (6th)
Team Record: 9-4 (1st)
Previous Spot on the MVP Ladder: First appearance
The first five games of the season were solid — good, even. Hapoel was on the right track, and Bryant was cementing himself as a key piece. Then came a three-game stretch where he struggled scoring, but still impacted the game with rebounds and playmaking. Against AS Monaco, he nearly posted a double-double without points, finishing with 8 rebounds and 7 assists.
And then he erupted.
Bryant dropped 25 points (PIR 36) against Dubai and followed it with 24 points (PIR 38) in a dominant performance against Baskonia, earning MVP of Round 10.
From that point on, he’s been consistently impactful. After 13 rounds, it’s clear Elijah Bryant is one of the standout performers among the EuroLeague leaders. He’s just outside the top five in PIR, but his versatility, efficiency, and ability to take over games have pushed him up the rankings — and firmly onto the MVP Ladder.
5. Chima Moneke, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade
Season Stats: 14,1 points, 7,4 rebounds (3rd), 1,2 steals (10th), PIR of 18,8 (7th)
Team Record: 9-4 (2nd)
Previous Spot on the MVP Ladder: First appearance
Chima Moneke delivered several standout performances in October, including a stellar showing against ASVEL that earned him MVP of Round 7 with a PIR of 35.
Unfortunately, he went down with an injury shortly after playing a major role in Crvena zvezda’s win over Panathinaikos. But he closed November on a strong note, recording an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double in a huge win over Olympiacos.
Moneke is having a terrific season and is one of the main reasons Zvezda sits at the top of the standings with a 9–4 record, tied with Hapoel and Panathinaikos. Yes, Jordan Nwora has flashier numbers, but missed five games so far, and Codi Miller-McIntyre is the brains behind the system — yet the former Monaco and Baskonia forward is the piece that connects everything.
He pushes the pace, crashes the glass, sets the tone, and leads both on and off the floor. Ask anyone inside Zvezda’s locker room, and they’ll probably tell you he’s the guy who glues the team together with his infectious energy. That’s why in Vol. 2 of the Eurohoops MVP Ladder, Moneke stands out among the names turning heads a third of the way through the regular season.
Honorable mentions: Jordan Nwora, Codi Miller McIntyre, Mike James, Nadir Hifi, Nikola Milutinov, Filip Petrusev.