The first two months of the NBA season rarely deliver two runaway winners this clear, but Nikola Jokic and Cade Cunningham stand alone. The league’s October/November Players of the Month weren’t just great… they authored two of the strongest openings in modern NBA history.
Nikola Jokic: The NEW Triple Double King Of The Month
For Denver, Jokic was unstoppable. He led the Nuggets to a 14–5 start, all while averaging a near-effortless 28.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 10.9 assists, numbers that would make even Oscar Robertson blush.
He began the season with four straight triple-doubles, tying Robertson’s record and extending a theme from his career: steady dominance, delivered at his own pace.
Jokić’s leadership was necessary. Denver battled inconsistency and injuries early, yet every night he was the stabilizer, a three-time MVP reminding the league he has no intention of giving up his seat at the top.
Cade Cunningham: The Star Detroit Has Waited For This Month
The Detroit Pistons’ start shocked the league: 16–4, the best record in the East. And at the center of that rise was Cade Cunningham playing the best basketball of his life.
He averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 assists, and 6.4 rebounds while controlling games with poise, pace, and superstar-level maturity. His career-high 46 points in an OT win vs. Washington became the official moment the NBA realized Detroit is real, and so is Cade.
Detroit’s offense runs entirely through him, and despite being only 24, he’s already the team’s emotional anchor, lead scorer, and late-game engine.
What These Awards Mean
For Denver:
Jokic remains the most dependable player in world basketball. This version of him, aggressive, efficient, and in complete control, could push him toward a fourth MVP.
For Detroit:
The rebuilding years are over. The Pistons finally have an elite guard capable of lifting a franchise, and Cade’s playmaking and decision-making are turning promise into results.
Bottom Line
Two stars. Two leaders. Two teams trending upward. And two months of basketball that stretched the league’s expectations for what early-season dominance can look like.
