While the NBA season has started with a brutal run of injuries — with Anthony Edwards, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren among those sidelined for indefinite periods — there's quality basketball on TV every night and several players putting up stellar performances.

It's far too early to predict the MVP award with any real certainty — especially when questions of durability loom ever large — but we can recognize the most impactful players through two weeks.

Honorable mentions: Ty Jerome, Giannis Antetokounmpo

6. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

• 5 games | 35.8 MIN | 27.6 PTS | 6.4 REB | 7.6 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.2 BLK | 55.0 TS%

The Boston Celtics swapped Jaylen Brown for Paul George in the offseason, a move geared toward salary cap flexibility — and spotlighting Jayson Tatum. Now fully back from his Achilles tear, Tatum has not missed a beat. His opening day stinker in Detroit aside, Tatum has steamrolled opponents in the clutch, pairing his usual mid-range pyrotechnics with career-best assist numbers (37.5 AST%) on career-high usage (34.7%).

He's the total package on the wing. Like Jaylen Brown last season, he's the leader of an explosive Celtics offense. Brown finished sixth in MVP voting. Tatum is a far more well-rounded player. He understands how to leverage his scoring gravity to set up teammates. There will be times when Tatum (and the Celtics' offense as a whole) devolves into hero ball, but he's good enough to turn ugly possessions into productive ones.

5. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

• 6 games | 37.5 MIN | 28.2 PTS | 4.2 REB | 4.5 AST | 1.7 STL | 0.8 BLK | 58.5 TS%

The Philadelphia 76ers are still in the "figuring it out" stage with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. It has been a seamless adjustment, however, for Tyrese Maxey; he knows the system and he knows the two-man dance with Joel Embiid, which definitely helps. Maxey has also benefited from moving off the ball more, attacking a tilted defense off the catch or sprinting up the floor in transition, where James consistently hits him in stride.

Maxey is a truly marvelous scorer. He's the fastest player in the NBA, but somehow also an elite volume shooter with an infinitely deep bag of tricks below the rim. He has subtly improved his isolation bag, too, so it's hard to figure out exactly what defenses are supposed to do. Pay Maxey too much mind, and Philadelphia's other stars will work their own mismatches. Collapse on Embiid in the middle, or send too much pressure at LeBron, and Maxey's slipping into open space and attacking with a head of steam.

4. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

• 5 games | 32.2 MIN | 25.0 PTS | 11.4 REB | 2.8 AST | 1.4 STL | 3.8 BLK | 56.2 TS%

The San Antonio Spurs got off to a slow start, as did Victor Wembanyama. He shot 1-of-13 in San Antonio's opening night loss to OKC. It did not take long, however, for the French phenom to right the ship. He leads the NBA in blocks (again) and continues to exert incomparable influence over the geometry and execution of every opposing offense. There is simply no productive way to attack the paint with Wemby hovering on the back line. He's on track to become the greatest defender in NBA history.

Offensively, Wemby still has stretches where he's too reliant on tough jumpers. That said, a career-high 49 percent of his shot attempts have come at the rim. If there's a benefit to the Spurs' three-guard starting lineup, it's the constant paint pressure, which can lead to easy lobs and dump-offs. Wembanyama has converted 70-plus percent of his rim attempts for his entire career. If the Spurs can continue to make his life easier, putting Wemby in positions to exploit his sheer physical dominance, an MVP trophy is very much within reach.

3. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks

• 5 games | 32.2 MIN | 26.8 PTS | 6.0 REB | 6.6 AST | 2.6 STL | 1.2 BLK | 65.1 TS%

Cooper Flagg's Year 2 leap is off to a rollicking start. He leads the NBA in defensive box plus-minus (4.4). If ever there was a challenger to Wemby in the DPOY race, it might be Flagg. His size and agility are matched only by his relentless effort. It's rare to see a blossoming superstar who tries this hard on every possession. Flagg's motor, combined with preternatural instincts and a strong defensive backbone behind him, has the Dallas Mavericks on track for a rapid ascent.

He's matching that energy on the offensive end, too. Jason Kidd was lampooned for starting Flagg at point guard as a rookie, but in hindsight, it was the perfect decision. Flagg has always thrived under trial by fire. He learns and adapts quickly. He is driving the car, so to speak, breaking opponents in transition and bullying mismatches at every opportunity. Flagg hasn't even turned 20 yet, but it feels like he has his finger on the pulse, both mentally and physically. There aren't many more fearsome two-way forces in the NBA right now.

2. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

• 5 games | 28.0 MIN | 29.2 PTS | 3.8 REB | 4.0 AST | 1.4 STL | 0.2 BLK | 69.1 TS%

The Golden State Warriors are smart to limit Stephen Curry's minutes after a preseason ankle injury; at 38 years old, Curry can't run full-throttle like he did in the halcyon days of Golden State's dynasty. Even playing in shorter bursts, however, Curry leads the NBA in most of the popular catch-all analytics. His gravitational pull on the perimeter remains unmatched. The Warriors began the season on an 0-3 skid, but the Warriors are now winners of three straight — over three Western Conference heavyweights in Denver, Minnesota and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Curry is averaging more than a point per minute. He dropped 44 points, eight rebounds and six assists in just 32 minutes against Minnesota earlier this week, a real throwback performance. It's hard to overstate the attention Curry demands, even in the twilight of his career. Defenses sell out before he even touches the basketball. In the MVP conversation, the notion of "help" is brought up incessantly. Curry has very little of it, with Golden State hamstrung by injuries to Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis.

1. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers

• 5 games | 35.8 MIN | 36.2 PTS | 6.8 REB | 7.6 AST | 1.2 STL | 0.8 BLK | 65.1 TS%

Luka Doncic has been a preseason MVP favorite for years. Maybe this is his moment. There will be ample competition from the usual crowd, plus newcomers like Wemby and even old-heads, like Steph. But Doncic is so clearly the captain of the Los Angeles Lakers' offense, pairing absurdly high usage (44.2%) with his typically efficient blend of pull-up 3s, power drives and free throws.

With LeBron James out of the way, L.A. has reoriented its entire roster around Doncic. Walker Kessler was brought in to set screens and finish lobs, a job he has executed to maximum effect. Austin Reaves will drop his share of buckets, but it's Doncic who sets the table, using his gravity to manipulate the defense and exploit the waves of pressure sent in his direction. Doncic operates in the vintage James Harden mold; we don't get a lot of modern superstars who so thoroughly dominate the basketball. It works because Doncic has every answer to the test. He's an elite problem-solver, with a counter to every defensive strategy. There is no more prolific or dynamic perimeter engine in the NBA.