Who do you think wins MVP this season? (2025-26 NBA MVP Discussion Thread)

[zero rings]

You can't even compare their injuries. Lakers missed 4 games from Luka, 3 games from Reeves, 1 game from Ayton, 8 games from Vincent, 2 games from Smart, and 11 games from Lebron. That's a total of 18 games from All Star level players including 2 all NBA players, and 12 total games from rotational players. Their net diff is absolutely a result of these injuries, the fact that they are still winning games they had no business winning with these injuries is a huge break for them.

Compare that talent disparity to what OKC has missed. SGA hasn't missed a single game. You are comparing apples to oranges. If SGA missed 4 of 11 games with SGA and their net rating wasn't too high, you would definitely not use that against them, just be honest with yourself.

Also nobody is saying Lakers will catch up or win as much as OKC. Only as much as the other teams in the west. If you have to use OKC as a barometer of why the Lakers aren't good at all, its meaningless. Every other team in the west would lose that comparison too. Nobody is saying the Lakers will end up with a better record than the Thunder. It's like saying Player X is good and your rebuttal is that his averages aren't as good as Michael Jordan.

Chet has missed 4 games, Dort has missed 4 games, Caruso has missed 4 games, and Williams has missed the entire season. I'd say that's pretty comparable to the Lakers' injury woes.

And yes, if Shai had missed 4 out of 11 games, I would absolutely hold that against his MVP case. Why wouldn't I? Especially if the team went 3-1 without him.

I'm not a Shai stan or a Luka hater. I'm rooting for Jokic to get his 4th. I just think Shai has a had a more complete season than Luka so far, as he has for the past couple years.

Not to mention 3 games missed by Wiggins, 5 games missed by Joe, 1 game missed by Cason, Dort missing his 5th game tonight, and Kenrich out all season. OKC have had injuries all over the place.

Indeed. Obviously, all of those guys are more important players than Gabe Vincent lmao

[MaliBrah]

Another day another SGA 4th quarter skipped

[Cubbies2120]

Another day another SGA 4th quarter skipped

Yet he's still above other MVP candidates in MPG, so he's got plenty of time to rack up the stats.

[Cubbies2120]

Luka is clearly in the lead with 37.1 ppg / 9.4 rpg / 9.1 apg, the only question is whois in second.

Not to mention a 8-3 record without LeBron since the beginning of season

Wait, why does Luka get credit for the 3-1 record the Lakers have without him?

MVP candidate is judged on games he played in, not the ones he was in a suit on a bench for. Luka is 5-2.

[BigGargamel]

Luka is clearly in the lead with 37.1 ppg / 9.4 rpg / 9.1 apg, the only question is whois in second.

Not to mention a 8-3 record without LeBron since the beginning of season

Wait, why does Luka get credit for the 3-1 record the Lakers have without him?

MVP candidate is judged on games he played in, not the ones he was in a suit on a bench for. Luka is 5-2.

Some people do the absolute bare minimum of research before spouting their opinion on the internet.

[Handlez]

Jokic 16-19.

This **** is ridiculous.

[AleksandarN]

Jokic 16-19.

This **** is ridiculous.

And only got 3 fts while getting hacked all game

[TheProfessor]

SGA is the closest thing to Jordan since Jordan and I dont even think he is the best player in the nba. The Nba is wild.

[Wolfgang630]

Jokic is fking insane. How is he Even more efficient

[HotRocks34]

Jokic is just on another level

[DrModesty]

My top ten right now is as follows:

1 - Victor Wembanyama
2 - Giannis Antetokounmpo
3 - Tyrese Maxey
4 - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
5 - Austin Reaves
6 - Nikola Jokic
7 - Steph Curry
8 - Lauri Markkanen
9 - Luka Doncic (Lack of Games and 1-1 in them)
10 - Jalen Brunson

But of course it is highly changeable at even a night to night basis right now.

So two weeks since I made this post and things have changed a good bit imo.

Now I have it:

1 - Nikola Jokic
2 - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
3 - Victor Wembanyama
4 - Giannis Antetokounmpo
5 - Luka Doncic (Still being hurt by games missed, but clearly climbing)
6 - Cade Cunningham
7 - Alperen Sengun
8 - Tyrese Maxey
9 - Donovan Mitchell
10 - Austin Reaves

I do think you can make some degree of argument for any of the top 5 being the MVP right now, but I would find it a bit hard to take the Luka one seriously until he has made his way in to double digit games played.

[AleksandarN]

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[TheProfessor]

My top ten right now is as follows:

1 - Victor Wembanyama
2 - Giannis Antetokounmpo
3 - Tyrese Maxey
4 - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
5 - Austin Reaves
6 - Nikola Jokic
7 - Steph Curry
8 - Lauri Markkanen
9 - Luka Doncic (Lack of Games and 1-1 in them)
10 - Jalen Brunson

But of course it is highly changeable at even a night to night basis right now.

So two weeks since I made this post and things have changed a good bit imo.

Now I have it:

1 - Nikola Jokic
2 - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
3 - Victor Wembanyama
4 - Giannis Antetokounmpo
5 - Luka Doncic (Still being hurt by games missed, but clearly climbing)
6 - Cade Cunningham
7 - Alperen Sengun
8 - Tyrese Maxey
9 - Donovan Mitchell
10 - Austin Reaves

I do think you can make some degree of argument for any of the top 5 being the MVP right now, but I would find it a bit hard to take the Luka one seriously until he has made his way in to double digit games played.

Dont see Wemby over Giannis, but everything else fits.

[Castle Black]

Yea Jokic is just nuts. We're running out of superlatives. The efficiency is just unreal. Will likely never see another player like him again.

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[Castle Black]

Jokic since Denver lost their first game to GS:

FG's: 95/131 (72.5%)
2PT FG's: 82/102 (80.4%)
3PT FG's: 13/29 (44.8%)
FT's: 38/44 (86.4%)

Averaging 26.8/13.2/11.6 with 2 Stls/1 Blk per game on 73/45/86 Shooting Splits (!!) in only 33.1 MPG on an absurd 80.1% TS%… This dude isn't real.

[Exp0sed]

Jokic since Denver lost their first game to GS:

FG's: 95/131 (72.5%)
2PT FG's: 82/102 (80.4%)
3PT FG's: 13/29 (44.8%)
FT's: 38/44 (86.4%)

Averaging 26.8/13.2/11.6 with 2 Stls/1 Blk per game on 73/45/86 Shooting Splits in only 33.1 MPG on an absurd 80.1% TS%… This dude isn't real.

he isn't real, but in all fairness this was a particularly easy part of the schedule

@ Wolves w\o Ant, Pelicans, @ Blazers (Nuggets lost), Kings, Heat, GSW w\o Curry, Pacers, @ Kings

Blazers and Heat are the only two playoff (likely play-in teams) in that stretch and they lost the PDX game.

[zero rings]

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That's pretty good, but he still has some work to do if he wants to crack Optms' top 5.

[Peregrine01]

Jokic is the most coordinated athlete ive ever seen. Crazy cause hes also 7 ft tall.

[Manimal]

Jokic in November is averaging 32/12/12 on 70% shooting and the Nuggets are 5-0.

[OverAndOut]

How is this guy getting even better?