The 2025-2026 MVP race within the NBA is heating up because the season enters its closing stretch.
Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) have delivered spectacular seasons. However celebrity Luka Doncic — who scored 32 factors in a 113-110 loss to Detroit on Monday — has been enjoying terrifically and effectively because the driving pressure for the Los Angeles Lakers (46-26), presently the third seed within the West.
He needs to be the frontrunner for MVP.
Why Luka Doncic needs to be MVP frontrunner
You already know the Doncic story. The 27-year-old celebrity has earned 5 first-team All-NBA nods and led the Dallas Mavericks to an NBA Finals look in 2024, however was surprisingly traded to the Lakers in February 2025 in maybe the worst commerce in NBA historical past. The Mavericks (23-49 this season) have cratered whereas the Lakers have soared with Doncic.
Doncic is having top-of-the-line statistical seasons of his profession, averaging an NBA-high 33.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 8.4 assists and shooting 47.4% from the field.
Doncic, who thrives on using pick-and-roll schemes and being a supreme playmaker, led the Lakers on a nine-game winning streak that was snapped Monday. In the past 10 games, he is averaging 39.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 2.6 steals.
Doncic’s impact is even being felt on defense, where he has struggled in the past.
“He’s been more active with rotations and being physical with our switching groups,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said recently, per Yahoo, including: “When he’s absolutely on defensively, he can guard the basketball. We’ve seen him do it in opposition to everyone on this league. We belief him.”
A deep and aggressive MVP pool
Wembanyama, Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic have reputable instances to win the award.
Wembanyama, 22, has emerged as one of many league’s prime superstars. The Spurs (54-18) sit on the second spot within the Western Convention standings largely due to Wembanyama’s dominance.
The 2023 first total decide is averaging 24.3 factors, 11.2 rebounds and three blocks and is an immense pressure on protection. If the Spurs can one way or the other earn the No. 1 total seed, it might be exhausting to argue in opposition to Wembanyama successful the MVP.
“I believe proper now, there’s a debate,” he said Monday about the MVP award. “My objective is to verify there is no such thing as a debate on the finish of the season.”
Gilgeous-Alexander goals to seize his second consecutive MVP award. He’s averaging 31.6 factors and taking pictures a extremely environment friendly 55.3% from the sphere.
The reigning NBA Finals MVP has powered the Thunder to 12 straight wins, delivering quite a few clutch moments and breaking awe-inspiring records this season. If the Thunder can safe the No. 1 total seed within the Western Convention, the 27-year-old may change into the one participant for the Thunder (57-15) to have a number of MVP awards.
Jokic missed 16 video games due to damage for Denver (44-28), however since returning, he has continued to provide at an elite degree. Over the past 11 games, Jokic is averaging 24.7 factors, 12.5 rebounds, 11 assists and 1.2 blocks.
If three-time MVP Jokic wins one other award, he’ll be a part of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Michael Jordan (5), Invoice Russell (5), Wilt Chamberlain (4) and LeBron James (4) as the one gamers to win 4 or extra MVP awards.
However faucet the brakes on the MVP instances for Wemby, SGA and The Joker for now. They’ve higher supporting casts than Doncic does. This award needs to be the Los Angeles celebrity’s to lose.
