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

[AleksandarN]

Subpar game by Jokic hurt or not.
36 18 13 shot poorly from 3.

[AleksandarN]

Jokic just lost MVP tonight.

Unbelievable.

I agree because of this one game they should remove his name from the voting list. You are definitely on to something.

[Castle Black]

Jokic just lost MVP tonight.

Unbelievable.

You're so absurdly dramatic and hyperbolic that it's actually comical

[MMyhre]

Is Chet Holmgren the real MVP all along? My goodness, people forget how much development he lost to injuries.

Or is it Daniss Jenkins?

Didn't watch Jokic yet, stats look good, poor shooting but he has a wrist issue, might be due to that. I will cut him some slack, he should take some games off so he doesn't end up overplaying like Giannis.

Shai had 9 shots registered, that has to be the lowest in a long time. Cruise control activated.

[_NoMas]

The game last night is the main reason why I think Shai will end up winning this at a canter. OKC just don’t drop games like that, and Denver will drop another 4-5 of those minimum.

[Sgt Major]

Bulls bench vs Nuggets bench
66 - 9

[Archx]

Bulls bench vs Nuggets bench
66 - 9

Welcome to the THJ prime time experience. Mavs fans will understand

[MoneyTalks41890]

The game last night is the main reason why I think Shai will end up winning this at a canter. OKC just don’t drop games like that, and Denver will drop another 4-5 of those minimum.

Yeah but SGA is going to rest a number of 4th quarters, and Jokic and going to continue to fill up the stat sheet and carry the load. If they both stay healthy, and the players continue on this pace, as long as the Nuggets are a top 3 seed I think it’s Joker. I rejected that argument last year because the two were so close statistically. And while Shai is a step above everyone else, Jokic is clearly a step above Shai at the moment.

Long season still. But I think games played is going to narrow the field unfortunately.

[Cubbies2120]

The game last night is the main reason why I think Shai will end up winning this at a canter. OKC just don’t drop games like that, and Denver will drop another 4-5 of those minimum.

Yeah but SGA is going to rest a number of 4th quarters, and Jokic and going to continue to fill up the stat sheet and carry the load. If they both stay healthy, and the players continue on this pace, as long as the Nuggets are a top 3 seed I think it’s Joker. I rejected that argument last year because the two were so close statistically. And while Shai is a step above everyone else, Jokic is clearly a step above Shai at the moment.

Long season still. But I think games played is going to narrow the field unfortunately.

Isn't that just a product of coach rotations though (SGA sitting the 4th)?

Up until two games ago they were both averaging exactly 33.9 minutes, both having 33.9 minutes to 'fill up the stat sheet and carry the load'.

I'd be shocked if they are more than 1.5 mpg apart by the end of the season. Would mean Jokic wasn't getting as much rest as hoped for. He's down 2.2 MPG from last season, ideally he's playing 32-33 MPG.

[AleksandarN]

Bulls bench vs Nuggets bench
66 - 9

Welcome to the THJ prime time experience. Mavs fans will understand

For a vet minimum you can’t complain.

[hagredionis]

People were critizing Luka for missing a couple of games but now Wemby and Giannis are out. When will people learn that an injury is just bad luck and can happen to everybody at any time.

[CobraCommander]

The game last night is the main reason why I think Shai will end up winning this at a canter. OKC just don’t drop games like that, and Denver will drop another 4-5 of those minimum.

Yeah but SGA is going to rest a number of 4th quarters, and Jokic and going to continue to fill up the stat sheet and carry the load. If they both stay healthy, and the players continue on this pace, as long as the Nuggets are a top 3 seed I think it’s Joker. I rejected that argument last year because the two were so close statistically. And while Shai is a step above everyone else, Jokic is clearly a step above Shai at the moment.

Long season still. But I think games played is going to narrow the field unfortunately.

Isn't that just a product of coach rotations though (SGA sitting the 4th)?

Up until two games ago they were both averaging exactly 33.9 minutes, both having 33.9 minutes to 'fill up the stat sheet and carry the load'.

I'd be shocked if they are more than 1.5 mpg apart by the end of the season. Would mean Jokic wasn't getting as much rest as hoped for. He's down 2.2 MPG from last season, ideally he's playing 32-33 MPG.

Sga putting up 9 shots is indicative of him not stat padding in a win. The voters won’t remember, they will
Just look at the raw numbers and give the nod to the person with the best numbers and narrative.

[CobraCommander]

Giannis injury = I need to chill out until yall trade me…

Wembys injury = lower body on a large man and the type of injury quick players get before the dreaded acl… hmmm this is not good

[Cubbies2120]

Yeah but SGA is going to rest a number of 4th quarters, and Jokic and going to continue to fill up the stat sheet and carry the load. If they both stay healthy, and the players continue on this pace, as long as the Nuggets are a top 3 seed I think it’s Joker. I rejected that argument last year because the two were so close statistically. And while Shai is a step above everyone else, Jokic is clearly a step above Shai at the moment.

Long season still. But I think games played is going to narrow the field unfortunately.

Isn't that just a product of coach rotations though (SGA sitting the 4th)?

Up until two games ago they were both averaging exactly 33.9 minutes, both having 33.9 minutes to 'fill up the stat sheet and carry the load'.

I'd be shocked if they are more than 1.5 mpg apart by the end of the season. Would mean Jokic wasn't getting as much rest as hoped for. He's down 2.2 MPG from last season, ideally he's playing 32-33 MPG.

Sga putting up 9 shots is indicative of him not stat padding in a win. The voters won’t remember, they will
Just look at the raw numbers and give the nod to the person with the best numbers and narrative.

Despite only taking 9 shots last game (not stat padding), SGA has attempted 84 more FG's than Jokic, despite playing only 47 more minutes so far.

[Optms]

Back to Shai vs Jokic 3.0.

Giannis and Wemby going down just killed the excitement. Its gonna be a rehash of last year all over again now. Same debate. Hopefully Cade and Luka can blow up.

[hagredionis]

Kind of weird some people have SGA ahead of Luka:

Luka 34.4 ppg / 8.9 rpg / 8.9 apg

SGA 31.9 ppg / 4.9 rpg / 7.7 apg

Sure OKC is the best team in the league but the MVP is an individual award not a team award so it's kind of weird playing on a more stacked team should give you the lead in the MVP race.

[Optms]

Bulls bench vs Nuggets bench
66 - 9

Bulls starting 5 - 64 points

Nuggets starting 5 - 118 points

Chicago doesn't even have half the talent of the Nuggets. Bulls scored 67 in the second half. On the road no less. Where was Denver's defense? Allowing scrubs to go off all night. This is why comparing them to OKC and Jokic to Shai is a joke in the long run. Thunder/Shai don't lose these type of games. Beating Shai is an accomplishment at this point. The 2020's version of Warriors/Curry.

[Special_Puppy]

Bulls bench vs Nuggets bench
66 - 9

Bulls starting 5 - 64 points

Nuggets starting 5 - 118 points

Chicago doesn't even have half the talent of the Nuggets. Bulls scored 67 in the second half. On the road no less. Where was Denver's defense? Allowing scrubs to go off all night. This is why comparing them to OKC and Jokic to Shai is a joke in the long run. Thunder/Shai don't lose these type of games. Beating Shai is an accomplishment at this point. The 2020's version of Warriors/Curry.

Denver's bench undeniably cost them the game. And yeah OKC has absolutely incredible depth so they won't lose games because of their bench

Read on Twitter

?s=20

[Optms]

Bulls bench vs Nuggets bench
66 - 9

Bulls starting 5 - 64 points

Nuggets starting 5 - 118 points

Chicago doesn't even have half the talent of the Nuggets. Bulls scored 67 in the second half. On the road no less. Where was Denver's defense? Allowing scrubs to go off all night. This is why comparing them to OKC and Jokic to Shai is a joke in the long run. Thunder/Shai don't lose these type of games. Beating Shai is an accomplishment at this point. The 2020's version of Warriors/Curry.

Denver's bench undeniably cost them the game. And yeah OKC has absolutely incredible depth so they won't lose games because of their bench

Read on Twitter

?s=20

Correction - Denver's defense cost them the game.

Bulls scored 40 points in the 3rd and 67 in the second half. They had the best player at home and fumbled it because lack of defense. They scored 127. So deflecting blame due to lack of offense is odd. Nuggets could literately score 150 and the Jokic crowd would blame someone for not showing up on offense but say nothing about how the other team scored 151. This is the same old story of Denver/OKC and Shai vs Jokic. You never see OKC giving up 40 point quarter to players off the bench. Or Shai being the last guy to get back on defense.

[Special_Puppy]

Bulls starting 5 - 64 points

Nuggets starting 5 - 118 points

Chicago doesn't even have half the talent of the Nuggets. Bulls scored 67 in the second half. On the road no less. Where was Denver's defense? Allowing scrubs to go off all night. This is why comparing them to OKC and Jokic to Shai is a joke in the long run. Thunder/Shai don't lose these type of games. Beating Shai is an accomplishment at this point. The 2020's version of Warriors/Curry.

Denver's bench undeniably cost them the game. And yeah OKC has absolutely incredible depth so they won't lose games because of their bench

Read on Twitter

?s=20

Correction - Denver's defense cost them the game.

Bulls scored 40 points in the 3rd and 67 in the second half. They had the best player at home and fumbled it because lack of defense. They scored 127. So deflecting blame due to lack of offense is odd. Nuggets could literately score 150 and the Jokic crowd would blame someone for not showing up on offense but say nothing about how the other team scored 151. This is the same old story of Denver/OKC and Shai vs Jokic. You never see OKC giving up 40 point quarter to players off the bench. Or Shai being the last guy to get back on defense.

66-9 is just one way to illustrate how Denver’s bench insanely underperformed while Chicago’s bench greatly overpeformed. And yeah OKC has is unbelievably talented on D and has awesome depth so opposing bench players won’t go off for this much against them. I’m not even sure what you are disagreeing with me on