ESPN’s analytics department published its 2025-26 Net Points review on April 10, identifying the NBA’s most impactful players in 15 separate facets of play. The study processed nearly 60,000 minutes of regular-season action and ranked players by Net Points per game, a metric that blends volume and efficiency to mirror a team’s scoring margin.
Overall MVP
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder — +6.9 per game, +468 total
The Thunder guard led the league in overall value, buoyed by elite midrange accuracy, relentless foul drawing and league-best clutch production.
Specialty winners
Ball Hawk (forced turnovers)
Toumani Camara, Portland Trail Blazers — +3.2 per game, +255 total. Camara tops the list by generating dead-ball turnovers, most notably charges.
Darth Fader (fadeaway shooting)
Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers — +0.3 per game, +20 total. High volume of step-back and fadeaway attempts gives the Lakers star a narrow edge.
Spark Plug (bench impact)
Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder — +2.0 per game, +83 total off the bench. The 2024 second-round pick supplies two-way energy whenever he enters the game.
Facilitator (passing)
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons — +1.3 per game, +81 total. Cunningham’s assists most often find Jalen Duren and Duncan Robinson, who convert at 69 % and 66 % efficiency, respectively.
Rainmaker (three-point shooting)
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets — +2.3 per game, +163 total. Murray hit 46 % of catch-and-shoot threes and 42 % off the dribble, both career highs.
Surgical (midrange)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder — +1.0 per game, +67 total. Including fouls drawn on midrange attempts, his value rises to +2.1.
Soft Touch (floaters)
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers — +0.6 per game, +38 total. The 6-foot-2 guard’s in-between game offsets size disadvantages at the rim.
Juggernaut (finishing at the rim)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks — +3.8 per game, +136 total. Despite playing only 36 games, Antetokounmpo remains unmatched in self-created rim attempts.
Glass Cleaner (overall rebounding)
Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets — +1.1 per game, +88 total. Thompson leads by securing boards while preventing his direct matchup from doing the same.
Cleanup Crew (putbacks)
Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons — +1.0 per game, +66 total. Duren punishes defenders who leave him to help on drives.
Speed Demon (transition offense)
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers — +1.5 per game, +101 total. Maxey creates most of his own transition chances and converts despite modest shot quality.
Cold-Blooded (clutch offense)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder — +33 clutch Net Points. He posted below-average clutch numbers in only seven of 27 tight finishes.
Stopper (defense)
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs — +2.6 per game, +164 total. The 7-4 rookie alters opponents’ plans and boosts teammates’ defensive pressure.
Runners-up and rookies
Each category also listed three runners-up and a top rookie. Notables include Nikola Jokic finishing second in passing, midrange and putbacks; Kon Knueppel leading rookies in three-point shooting and rebounding; and LeBron James, now 41, placing third in transition offense.
The Net Points leaderboards are available on ESPN.com, where fans can sort totals by game, possessions or season aggregate.
Source: ESPN
