The NBA’s Most Valuable Player award is more competitive than ever, so much so that at this stage there are four players who could perfectly well win it. However, there are only a few weeks left before the 2025/26 season ends and with it, the MVP award
Shai, the big favorite
The truth is that these four players are in great form, but there is one with more possibilities than the rest: with his 47 points and his victory against the Detroit Pistons this past Tuesday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander faces the final stretch of the season with some optimism in order to retain the award.
In addition, the record he broke less than a month ago gives him a slight edge over the rest of his competitors: he is the player with the most consecutive games scoring 20 or more points after surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s 126. The Oklahoma star is currently averaging 31.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game
Wembanyama, a candidate of height
Even so, the Canadian is not the leader, according to the league’s official ranking, in the fight for the award. Since last Thursday, Victor Wembanyama, who averages 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and 3 assists per game, is the best placed to win it according to the NBA website. His performances since then have reaffirmed why this move was made
If last Monday he managed to be the fastest player to make a double-double (it took him 8:32′ to do so) and he finished with 41 points and 16 rebounds in his team’s victory against the Bulls, this morning he has equaled his scoring record and captured 18 rebounds, thus increasing the streak of the San Antonio Spurs, who have 10 wins in a row
Jokic on track to average better numbers than in 2024
In third place, we find a three-time league MVP (2021, 2022 and 2024). It is none other than Serbian Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets center continues to show why he is considered one of the best European players of all time and is once again having a season to remember
Despite this, he is behind SGA and Wemby. And that’s despite the fact that he is performing better (27.7 points, 13 rebounds and 18.8 assists) this season than when he was last named the best player in the championship (26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9 assists), which indicates how tight the competition is for the trophy
After achieving his 196th triple-double, the Balkan player is on his way to breaking all records and becoming the first player to lead the rebounding and assists per game rankings at the same time
Doncic, the top scorer… and the most criticised
To complete this top four, we have Luka Doncic, point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Real Madrid youth player leads the scoring charts with an average of 33.8 points per game, something he complements with 7.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists, as well as 1.6 steals
It is in this last section where they criticize the Slovenian the most. Despite being in the top 10 in steals, the defense by the Ljubljana native is being excessively criticized by some former players and journalists who vote for the award, claiming that there are people ahead of him because “he only plays half-court.”
Some have even gone further and wonder why he is even in the debate. Despite having a March to remember with 600 points, it seems that the Los Angeles Lakers star has some players ahead of him. The former Mavs player will face Shai’s Thunder twice this week in duels that, in addition to being important collectively, will be very decisive to see who can win the MVP of the 25/26 season.
These players’ teams are in great form
The fact that proves this analysis is that Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets have completed an almost impeccable month of March. In addition, these teams complete, in that order, the top positions in the Western Conference. The reigning champions have only lost two of their last 20 games
The Rockets, second in the conference, have also done so, but in the last 28. The Lakers, meanwhile, have won all their games in the last 30 days except those played in Detroit against the Pistons and in Denver against the Nuggets, who have now won seven in a row
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