NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) 2025-26 Season: Can Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Catch Nikola Jokic?

As November wraps up, the true query in everybody’s thoughts is, will Nikola Jokic run away along with his fourth MVP award in 5 years? Right now, on our 2025-26 NBA Most Valuable Player energy rankings, it’s trying good. Sure, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is enjoying like a person possessed and wrapping up video games in three quarters. Sure, Luka Doncic is main the league in scoring and having his best-ever begin to an NBA season. Sure, Cade Cunningham is displaying why the league’s future belongs to him.

However, it’s onerous to disclaim greatness. The Nuggets are overly reliant on Jokic’s excellence and have appeared slightly out of form once in a while. They’re nonetheless second within the west, with a 13-4 file, a file that Jokic feels shouldn’t be worthy of how they’re enjoying. That’s the usual of excellence the Serbian places himself and his workforce to.

Enough waxing round, Jokic, let’s recap and see what the very best gamers within the league have been as much as.

Starting from the East, the Detroit Pistons are sitting on a file 13-game win streak. The final two instances they strung this many wins collectively, they gained the title. Cunningham has been a celebrity for the Pistons, and the East gauntlet has been first taken up by Motor City. Up north, the winds are chilly, however the gamers are colder. Brandon Ingram has led the Toronto Raptors to a superb six-game win streak. The Raptors sit second in a crowded discipline. Donovan Mitchell continues to point out some wonderful scoring and is the only cause why the Cavs are scorching on the heels of the highest three.

Turning our consideration west, the Oklahoma City Thunder have strung collectively one other eight-game win streak. They’re now 16-1 and in the previous couple of years, solely the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors have had a greater begin. Gilegous-Alexander remains to be scoring at an absurd effectivity and can absolutely be hoping to take dwelling a second MVP award. Not far behind are the Los Angeles Lakers, who’re having fun with LeBron James’ return with a four-game win streak. Doncic, nevertheless, is having an terrible capturing marketing campaign.

Who simply missed out?

6. Tyrese Maxey (Last Week’s Rank: seventh)

7. Brandon Ingram (Last Week’s Rank: NA) (NEW)

8. Alperen Sengun: (Last Week’s Rank: tenth)

9. Austin Reaves: (Last Week’s Rank: NA)

10. Giannis Antetokounmpo: (Last Week’s Rank: sixth)

Sportskeeda NBA MVP Power Rankings 2025-26 Season: Latest Top 5 After Week 3

5. Donovan Mitchell

Previous Ranking: — fifth

PER: 25.12 | 64.3 TS% | Team file: 12-7 | 29.9 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.8 RPG, 1.4 SPG, & 0.4 BPG

Donovan Mitchell continues to mild up the scoring charts. He has scored 30 factors thrice within the final 5 video games. Cleveland gained all three video games. It is evident that the Cavs are closely reliant on Mitchell’s firepower. He can be having a career-best 12 months in co-star Darius Garland’s absence.

Mitchell is capturing over 50% from the ground and almost 40% from three-point land. He was additionally named participant of the week alongside Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That, nevertheless, could be the one factor that retains him on this ladder. Mitchell scored a measly 17 factors in a vital matchup towards the Toronto Raptors. With his scoring regressing in that sport, the Cavs misplaced and now slip to fourth within the East.

One particular stat that backs his MVP case

Donovan Mitchell scored 31.8 factors, grabbed 6.3 rebounds, and likewise dished out 5 assists per sport en path to his first participant of the week award for the 2025-26 NBA season.

4. Cade Cunningham

Previous Ranking: — 4th

PER: 21.38 | 54.5 TS% | Team file: 15-2 | 27.1 PPG, 9.6 APG, 6.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG, & 0.7 BPG

The Detroit Pistons’ story is particular. Just two seasons in the past, they misplaced 28 video games and solely had a paltry 14 wins. Right now, they’ve completed a full 180. They’re now on a franchise-best 13-game win streak, and so they’ve already eclipsed the win complete from that dismal season. Leading the road is the league’s latest celebrity, Cade Cunningham.

So far, of their flawless November, Cunningham is placing up 30-6-10, with two shares per sport!

Pistons followers will love this one, regardless of getting the thirteenth win, he was not glad.

His numbers may look slightly complicated at instances, however within the fourth quarter, Cunningham is a distinct beast. He is scoring almost 11 factors within the fourth, whereas capturing over 45% from behind the arc. Clutch monster.

One particular stat that backs his MVP case

Cunningham’s six-game streak of scoring 25 and dispensing 10 assists is the third-longest such streak because the NBA-ABA Merger.

T2. Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Previous Ranking: — third

PER: 34.55 | 67.1 TS% | Team file: 16-1 | 32.2 PPG, 6.6 APG, 4.9 RPG, 1.5 SPG, & 0.8 BPG

Western Conference participant of the week Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is doing one thing we’ve not seen earlier than. He is scoring at will and is sitting out the fourth quarter of video games. The Thunder have gained all their contests within the final week when he has completed that. What’s additionally curious is his scoring streak. Gilgeous-Alexander is on target to interrupt Wilt Chamberlain’s 92-game streak for scoring 20 factors or extra. Doing so, he could be second on the record, trailing, properly, Wilt Chamberlain.

What’s scary is how good he’s beginning to shoot from deep. In October, the reigning MVP was making solely 27.8% of his pictures from behind the arc. This month, he has improved that to a staggering 48.3%. He is on tempo for a 50-40-90 season because of the development in his stroke. He has performed all 18 video games for the Thunder, and in 9 of these video games, he has scored 30+ in lower than half-hour. The single-season file belongs to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who did it 11 instances.

One particular stat that backs his MVP case

The factors complete chief this season can be third on the record if you happen to solely rely his totals by means of 3 quarters. Efficient pour.

T2. Luka Doncic

Previous Ranking: — 2nd

PER: 30.14 | 61.6 TS% | Team file: 13-4 | 35.2 PPG, 9.2 APG, 8.8 RPG, 1.9 SPG, & 0.5 BPG

Luka Doncic is the present scoring chief and is fourth within the assists chart. Operating at his highest effectivity, the Slovenian has discovered a rhythm to his sport that not a whole lot of others can match at this level within the season. He grew to become the quickest participant in NBA historical past to achieve 400 factors and 100 assists.

This is the quickest, most deadly begin to a marketing campaign by the 2024 scoring champ. What’s extra is that that is his best-ever begin to an NBA season. Oh, and within the final sport, he handed Anthony Davis for many 40-10 video games in league historical past. In the identical sport, he cracked the highest 10 for 40-point video games in Lakers historical past, passing a sure Magic Johnson. He additionally has probably the most 30-point halves within the season presently.

While each SGA and Luka have a case to be 2, they don’t have a case to be No. 1.

One particular stat that backs his MVP case

Defensively, too, he’s not the match-up that different groups used to hunt and relish. He’s presently fourth in steals per sport.

1. Nikola Jokic

Previous Ranking: — 1st

PER: 36.80 | 72.9 TS% | Team file: 13-4 | 29.6 PPG, 11.1 APG, 12.8 RPG, 1.6 SPG, & 0.8 BPG

Nikola Jokic is sixth in factors, second in rebounds, and first in assists common for the season. He has ten triple-doubles in 17 video games this season. The single-season file is 42 by Russell Westbrook. He can be 31 triple-doubles away from passing the 2017 MVP for many all-time.

He is scoring the ball at career-best numbers whereas placing up probably the most assists in his profession. Oh, did we point out how he’s capturing the ball at an otherworldly 72.1% TS? Yep. Jokic is capturing 62.6% from the sector, 43.4% from three, and is clipping 85.3% of his free throws. There are fairly merely no superlatives left for us to explain the Serbian. And when you learn and digest the absurdity of the stat line, check out this cross he dished this week.

Only one participant since 2020 has had extra video games with 15+ assists than Nikola Jokic. Among all facilities in NBA historical past, they’ve put up 14 such video games between them. The three-time MVP has 33 of these.

One particular stat that backs his MVP case

With his newest triple-double, Nikola Jokic has now tied Magic Johnson for probably the most seasons with at the least 10 triple-doubles. Mythical beast.

The numbers inform a giant story up to now, and it’s that it could take one thing historic from our contenders to dethrone Nikola Jokic.