Of the five finalists for last season’s NBA 2K League MVP Award, two played for the same team. That would be Mama Im Dat Man and OneWildWalnut, who would go on to capture the inaugural hardware.

Flash forward to 2019 and the Blazer5 Gaming duo has again positioned themselves among the early contenders for the award. Is this the year we see the other Portland star capture top honors?

Outside of 76ers GC’s Radiant, one would be hard-press to find a point guard whose been on top of his game as Mama has to this point. His hot play, not coincidentally, has coincided with his team’s four-game win streak.

As a result, Mama is the biggest riser on the list, while Walnut makes his debut in our latest bi-weekly Race to the MVP Rankings.

1. Radiant, 76ers GC
Regular-season stats: 21.3 PPG, 10.3 APG, 1.3 SPG
Previous rank: 1

Like his team, Radiant had somewhat of a mixed bag in Week 3. He went for 20 points and 16 assists in a runaway win over Celtics Crossover Gaming before following up with 16 points and 6 assists as 76ers GC looked out of sorts in a surprising loss to Kings Guard Gaming. Still, Radiant is fourth in the league in scoring and third in assists. Call him Mr. Steady.

2. Mama Im Dat Man, Blazer5 Gaming
Regular-season stats: 21.8 PPG, 12.6 APG, 1.6 SPG
Previous rank: 8

If Radiant is 1A among point guards right now, Mama is definitely 1B. His overall numbers are actually a tick better across than board than his Philadelphia counterpart, and Blazer5 is suddenly humming along after an inauspicious start. Mama is coming off recent performances of 22 points, 8 assists and 24 points, 9 assists over a two-game sweep.

3. Arooks, Bucks Gaming
Regular-season stats: 27.3 PPG, 5.3 APG, 1.5 SPG
Previous rank: 2

The league’s leading scorer was on a bye in Week 3 after coming back down to Earth a bit one week earlier. Arooks scored 19 points in a loss to Pistons GT, followed by 17 points in a win against Heat Check Gaming. But based on his track record, it’s hard not to think more huge scoring outbursts are in his future.

4. Hotshot, Heat Check Gaming
Regular-season stats: 14.6 PPG, 14.4 RPG, 5.4 APG, 2.2 SPG, 1.2 BPG
Previous rank: 3

No one stuffs a stat sheet quite like Hotshot does. He currently leads his squad in points, rebounds, assists and blocks. Heat Check is fresh off a split of their Week 3 doubleheader, with Hotshot averaging 14.5 PPG, 16.5 RPG and 4.5 assists in those games. He gets a week off before THE TURN.

5. oFAB, Celtics Crossover Gaming
Regular-season stats: 21.0 PPG, 13.9 APG
Previous rank: 5

Sometimes value can be measured by one’s absence. That was the case last week. With Fab serving a one-game suspension, Celtics Crossover struggled mightily getting into an offensive flow in an ugly loss to 76ers GC. He returned to the lineup with a strong outing of 19 points and 16 assists the following day in a close two-point loss to Kings Guard Gaming.

6. Ramo, Pacers Gaming
Regular-season stats: 14.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 6.7 APG, 2.7 SPG
Previous rank: 6

A bye week was about the only thing that could slow down Ramo and Pacers Gaming, who are off to a 3-0 regular-season start. Ramo has played a key part, averaging a double-double while dishing out 6.7 assists (!) from the frontcourt, which is better than some point guards. His on-stage energy has given this team a whole new identity.

7. Dimez, Mavs Gaming
Regular-season stats: 12.4 PPG, 8.4 APG, 1.6 SPG
Previous rank: Unranked

While the numbers aren’t eye-popping on the surface, his ascension on the list is tied with his team’s success. It’s hard to deny what Mavs Gaming has done to this point, rattling off five straight wins to open the regular season. Dimez, the lone holdover from last year’s squad, has been the catalyst behind Dallas’ resurgence.

8. OneWildWalnut, Blazer5 Gaming
Regular-season stats: 17.4 PPG, 14.4 RPG, 1.4 SPG
Previous rank: Unranked

Here comes the reigning MVP. It’s not that he got off to a slow start as much as Mama grabbed much of the shine early on. Make no mistake, the Walnut of last year is alive and well. He’s tied for fifth in the league in rebounding and put together the season’s first 20-20 game in Week 3 with 22 points and 21 rebounds vs Cavs Legion GC.

9. Reizey, Magic Gaming
Regular-season stats: 14.8 PPG, 9.3 APG
Previous rank: Unranked

Trying to find a better rookie point guard than Reizey over the past few weeks is a tough task. In the four games since THE TIPOFF, he’s doubled his scoring average while also upping his assists by over 2 per game (of which he currently ranks fifth in the league). His surge has helped Magic Gaming to four straight strong showings, including a sweep in Week 3.

10. G O O F Y 7 5 7, Knicks Gaming
Regular-season stats: 14.0 PPG, 16.7 RPG, 6.3 APG, 2.0 BPG
Previous rank: Unranked

Goofy’s been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing campaign for the defending champs. His presence simply is hard to ignore, as he leads the league in rebounds and is fourth in blocks while shooting 82.6%, which is the second-best mark right now. He’s coming off a week in which he averaged 14.0 PPG, 16.5 RPG and 6.9 APG in Knicks Gaming’s two-game split.

This article represents the opinion of the writer and not of the league.