NBC Sports’ NBA writers are spending the week on postseason awards, and the MVP debate has narrowed to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic. One writer put Jokic third on the ballot despite the center averaging a triple-double, then said the real race comes down to Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama.
That matters because Gilgeous-Alexander’s case is built on volume, efficiency and wins. As of Monday, he had logged 353 more total minutes than Wembanyama, while averaging 33.5 minutes per game and playing the equivalent of 10 more total games this season. The Thunder guard is putting up 31.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and he is shooting 55.1/38.0/88.1. One writer described those numbers as close to a 50/40/90 profile and called his marks “preposterous” for a self-creating scoring guard.
The Thunder’s record is part of the argument, too. They are about to become only the third team to post 65 or more wins in back-to-back seasons, joining the Jordan-era Bulls and the Curry/Durant Warriors. They are on track for another mid-60s finish even though Jalen Williams missed much of the season and Isaiah Hartenstein also was out for extended stretches. One writer said Gilgeous-Alexander “delivers time after time,” and another framed the surge as leadership from SGA.
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Wembanyama’s supporters have their own case. He is the better defender, and he returned from injury on a minutes limit in order to reach the league’s 65-games threshold. But one writer said the defensive gap is not wide enough to push him over the top, especially with Gilgeous-Alexander putting together what was described as his best defensive season and earning All-Defense consideration of his own.
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Jokic still sits in the field, but the writers’ breakdown leaves him as the outsider in a race that has tightened around the Thunder star and the Spurs center. One writer said Jokic was probably the favorite before a knee injury, but has not looked like the same player since returning and has been even less impactful on defense. Based on this week’s split, the path to the 2026 NBA MVP appears to be Gilgeous-Alexander’s to lose.
