The Association crew goes over the significance of Nikola Jokić clinching his 2nd straight triple-double season.
The NBA regular season ends a week from Sunday, and yet there’s still drama surrounding the league’s most coveted individual award. Actually, drama in two parts.
The first part: Who’ll win MVP?
Also: Who’s finishing outside of the top three finalists that the league will announce after the regular season ends?
That last question is almost as curiously suspenseful as the first, if only because it explains the magnitude and intensity of the 2026 Kia Race to the MVP. Five contenders bring the strongest cases to win MVP, and those same five contenders seem unworthy of finishing outside the top three after the votes are counted.
Because:
Can you imagine one of the finalists not being a player who becomes the first to lead the league in rebounding and assists averages in the same season and finishing top-seven in scoring? That would be Nikola Jokić.
Or how about the league’s scoring leader who’s nearly posting a triple-double for the season and just delivered a scorching March where he averaged 37.5 points per game on nearly 50% shooting and elevated his team to third in the West? That would be Luka Dončić.
What about the most efficient 30-point scoring guard in NBA history and the record-holder for consecutive games of 20 or more points — a record wrestled away from the great Wilt Chamberlain — and whose team has the league’s best record? That would be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
And how about a player who steered a team seemingly headed for a gap year to 50 wins and a potential No. 2 seed in the East while delivering a career year? That would be Jaylen Brown.
Finally, is it possible that the league’s most impactful player at both ends of the floor with a swollen plus-minus mark despite playing less than 30 minutes a night and whose team has sizzled the last two months will tumble that low? That would be Victor Wembanyama.
Yes, incredibly, one of those players will finish outside the top three finalists.
All of the above have sat on the edge of the top-five at one point during the course of this season’s MVP Ladder — other than Gilgeous-Alexander. And each time, the teammates, fan base and coach of that player screamed how it was an injustice. And all had a legitimate beef.
But if not their player, then who?
For historical reference, it was 20 years ago when Kobe Bryant led the league in scoring at 35.4 points, carried the Lakers post-Shaquille O’Neal to a very respectable 45 wins … and finished fourth in the MVP voting.
The order that year was Steve Nash, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki and then Kobe. Just FYI, the next season, the fourth-place finisher in the MVP vote was … Tim Duncan, who helped the eventual-champion Spurs to 58 wins! Fourth! For Timmy!
Also: In 1963, when he averaged 44.8 points and 24.3 rebounds, Chamberlain finished not fourth but seventh, behind Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, Bob Petit, Jerry West, all legends … and Johnny “Red” Kerr?
Anyway: Much like ’63, this is a very deep and competitive and down-to-the-wire MVP race, certainly one of the best of all time.
The good news is all five are well aware of the tightness of the MVP race and have delivered amazing performances here in the stretch run, hoping to sway the judges and leaving a lasting final impression. So, the ultimate winner in this epic race is … all of us.
Setting the stage this week: The league’s two premier centers meet Saturday when Wembanyama and Jokić tip off in Denver (3 p.m. ET, Prime Video). This game not only provides a chance for the Spurs and Nuggets to bolster their seedings for the upcoming playoffs, but also allows these two players to fuel their MVP cases here in the next-to-last week of the season. They also meet in the season finale. Maybe the third time they meet will be in the playoffs? Hoop fans can only hope.
The stat to know: The Atlanta Hawks are the hottest team in the East and Jalen Johnson (No. 7 on this week’s Ladder) is enjoying a breakout star turn. Johnson is second only to Jokić in both double-doubles and triple-doubles, with 46 and 13, respectively. His passing in particular has been impressive as he’s increased his assists per game by 3.1. That increase shows how Johnson, the Kia Eastern Player of the Month for March, has embraced a playmaking role since Trae Young was dealt.
What they are saying: “He’s got unbelievable confidence now. He looks like he knows exactly what to do on both ends. His first couple years, he looked young at times. He doesn’t look young anymore. He just looks like he knows exactly what he’s doing … there’s plays you can’t do anything.” — Warriors coach Steve Kerr, on Wembanyama.
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Last week’s ranking: No. 1 ↔️
Season stats: 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 blocks
His case: He rested and missed Thursday’s game against the Clippers, but before that, the Spurs won 15 straight games in which Wembanyama appeared. During that hot streak, he averaged 28 points and 12.3 rebounds, including five straight games with at least 15 rebounds.
His case is bolstered by his ability to dominate without requiring ample minutes. Wembanyama averages just 29.2 per game yet continues to make a significant impact and piles up the stats in those minutes. He played 60 combined minutes in his last two games, yet scored 82 points (back-to-back 41 points). He also had 18 rebounds and three blocks against the Warriors in the second of those two games.
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Last week’s ranking: No. 2 ↔️
Season stats: 31.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists
His case: Gilgeous-Alexander had five games of 30-plus points and three of 40-plus during March as he once again showcased his trademark consistency and efficiency — which puts him in a class by himself. He had shooting games of 12-for-19 vs. the Pistons, 10-for-12 against the Celtics, 8-for-9 against Brooklyn and 14-for-21 against the Nuggets, among others, in March. Against Denver, he played 39 minutes without a turnover.
Then he opened April by leading a demolition of the Lakers on Thursday. Essentially, Gilgeous-Alexander has remained on a high level since opening night. Shai is the league’s No. 2 scorer behind Dončić and this is on 55% shooting.
3. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
Last week’s ranking: No. 3 ↔️
Season stats: 27.7 points, 13 rebounds, 10.8 assists
His case: He has secured a triple-double average for the season, the second straight time for Jokić, who continues to dominate in a manner that’s unmatched in the league right now. Jokić will also most likely finish as the league leader in rebounding and assist averages, which would be a first in NBA history.
His seasonal averages this season are all higher than his most recent MVP season, which suggests 2025-26 could be the best version of Jokić. Clearly, from an offensive standpoint, it’s hard to make a case for any other player having a larger impact on his team than Jokić. Also, he leads all centers in steals, plus only Dončić and Gilgeous-Alexander (both guards) average more steals among the top five on the Ladder.
4. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers
Last week’s ranking: No. 4 ↔️
Season stats: 33.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists
His case: He suffered an apparent hamstring injury late in the Lakers’ loss Thursday to OKC. This is only meaningful if Dončić subsequently misses the rest of the season; he would be ineligible for the MVP award, falling one game short. Before this, the Kia NBA Western Conference Player of the Month went next-level in March with a sizzling 37.5 ppg, 8 rpg and 7.4 apg while also dropping scoring games of 60, 50 and multiple 40-pointers to outpace everyone else over that stretch. Dončić continues to be the league’s scoring leader and often flirts with triple-doubles on a nightly basis.
Even better, his defense has improved (sixth in steals) and also the Lakers’ standing in the West. There are nights when Dončić is simply unstoppable because of his ability to either score or find the open man.
5. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Last week’s ranking: No. 5 ↔️
Season stats: 28.8 points, 7 rebounds, 5.3 assists
His case: The fifth leading scorer in the league, Brown continues to be the lead singer of the Celtics while Jayson Tatum gets his groove back. Brown has upgraded his skills on both ends and is easily enjoying his best season.
He has scored at least 29 points in his last seven games and is coming off a 43-point performance against Miami, where he scored 20 in the first quarter. Brown is unquestionably the biggest reason the Celtics have held the No. 2 seed in the East for the last several weeks and are already 50-game winners.
The next 5:
6. Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers ⬆️
7. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks ↔️
8. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers ⬆️
9. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks ⬆️
10. Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets ⬆️
And five more (in alphabetical order): Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons; Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers; Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets; Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets; Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
