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Three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic isn't getting MVP love as in years past, and perhaps rightfully so, but he does surprisingly have some factors working in his favor. However, those are more in the statistical sense, which a lot of fans are tired of hearing about when it comes to the Serbian superstar.
Even so, we can't just ignore the advanced metrics, especially not in 2026, when it comes to deciding end-of-year award winners. Plus, it's not like Jokic is putting up good numbers on a bad team; he's putting up historical numbers yet again on a potential contender to come out of the West.
As such, below, we break down the case that can be made for and against Jokic to win MVP in 2025-26.
As has often been the case in years past, Jokic's MVP candidacy centers on his numbers, which, yet again, are ridiculous.
Jokic is first in the league in BPM, OBPM and VORP by a wide margin. The 31-year-old leads reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander +14.1 to +11.8 in the former metric, and +8.6 to +7.5 in the latter. On top of that, Jokic’s raw numbers are hard to believe, too, as not only is he putting up 27.7 points per contest (on 57.2 percent shooting from the floor and 82.6 percent from the foul stripe), but he also leads the entire NBA in nightly rebounds (13.0) and assists (10.8) per contest.
Jokic is actually in line to become the first player in NBA history to lead the league in nightly boards and dimes for an entire season. Hall-of-Fame center Wilt Chamberlain almost pulled off the feat in 1967-68, leading the league in nightly rebounds and total assists, but triple-double machine Oscar Robertson beat Chamberlain in assists per game that year (9.7 to 6.8).
In reality, Jokic has put up such absurd numbers for so long that we’ve become numb to his statistical output, but to boast the highest assists and rebounds average in the league in any given season is a feat that should be celebrated, and that’s precisely what Jokic has done in 2025-26. Despite all his statistical accomplishments already in his career, 2025-26 will be a first for Jokic, as he has never surprisingly never won a scoring, rebounding or assist championship in his career.
That will change this season.
And he's doing all of this for a strong Denver Nuggets team that is rounding into form heading into the playoffs, with the team winning its last seven games in a row. The team sits at 49-28 in the West and has the league's No. 7 net rating. Jokic contributes to that in a massive way, as the big man has made Denver 13.4 points per 100 possessions better this year.
All in all, it's unlikely Jokic will win MVP this season, but his numbers do make a solid case on his behalf.
Denver has also heated up at the right time. Though that might be a case of too little, too late, as far as MVP voting, which does so heavily factor in team success. And with the Nuggets merely sitting fourth in the West, that pretty much takes Jokic out of the running for MVP in 2025-26, despite his individual brilliance.
Jokic could also be facing some voter fatigue, which is nothing new, as it’s always going to be tough for a player who already has three league MVP awards to keep winning them. Even the likes of Michael Jordan and LeBron James have had to go up against that, so why would Jokic be any different? Players with multiple MVPs under their belt are going to have to be so clearly the best player in the league that year to keep getting those votes, and we can’t say Jokic has done enough to warrant getting those shouts this season.
Of course, people are going to gloss over the fact that the Nuggets have had some terrible injury luck this season (veteran forward Aaron Gordon, a key piece to Denver’s operation on both ends, has played just 33 games all year), which isn’t all that fair to Jokic.
But even then, the Nuggets’ record just isn’t good enough to give Jokic a fair shot at his fourth MVP, even if he remains in the conversation of being the best player in the world.
What's more, Jokic hasn't been forced to do as much of a carry job as in previous seasons, as former Kentucky standout Jamal Murray has finally consistently hit a higher level as a player this campaign, receiving All-Star honors for the first time (making it the first time Jokic has ever had an All-Star teammate), and playing well enough to earn serious All-NBA consideration at year's end. Murray is putting up 25.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists this season on 48.4 percent shooting from the floor, and 43.4 percent shooting from three, fantastic marks across the board.
Murray is by far the best teammate any of this year's MVP candidates have, better than anyone on the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers or San Antonio Spurs who is not named Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic or Victor Wembanyama, which is something that does hurt Jokic's MVP case.
So, voter fatigue, a potential All-NBA teammate and a lack of elite team success are all factors going against Jokic's MVP candidacy, and that's without discussing his lackluster defense, which anchors a Nuggets squad that ranks 21st league-wide in defensive efficiency. In essence, we're pretty confident MVP No. 4 isn't coming for Jokic, at least not this season.
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Even so, we can't just ignore the advanced metrics, especially not in 2026, when it comes to deciding end-of-year award winners. Plus, it's not like Jokic is putting up good numbers on a bad team; he's putting up historical numbers yet again on a potential contender to come out of the West.
As such, below, we break down the case that can be made for and against Jokic to win MVP in 2025-26.
The case for Jokic
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As has often been the case in years past, Jokic's MVP candidacy centers on his numbers, which, yet again, are ridiculous.
Jokic is first in the league in BPM, OBPM and VORP by a wide margin. The 31-year-old leads reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander +14.1 to +11.8 in the former metric, and +8.6 to +7.5 in the latter. On top of that, Jokic’s raw numbers are hard to believe, too, as not only is he putting up 27.7 points per contest (on 57.2 percent shooting from the floor and 82.6 percent from the foul stripe), but he also leads the entire NBA in nightly rebounds (13.0) and assists (10.8) per contest.
Jokic is actually in line to become the first player in NBA history to lead the league in nightly boards and dimes for an entire season. Hall-of-Fame center Wilt Chamberlain almost pulled off the feat in 1967-68, leading the league in nightly rebounds and total assists, but triple-double machine Oscar Robertson beat Chamberlain in assists per game that year (9.7 to 6.8).
In reality, Jokic has put up such absurd numbers for so long that we’ve become numb to his statistical output, but to boast the highest assists and rebounds average in the league in any given season is a feat that should be celebrated, and that’s precisely what Jokic has done in 2025-26. Despite all his statistical accomplishments already in his career, 2025-26 will be a first for Jokic, as he has never surprisingly never won a scoring, rebounding or assist championship in his career.
That will change this season.
And he's doing all of this for a strong Denver Nuggets team that is rounding into form heading into the playoffs, with the team winning its last seven games in a row. The team sits at 49-28 in the West and has the league's No. 7 net rating. Jokic contributes to that in a massive way, as the big man has made Denver 13.4 points per 100 possessions better this year.
All in all, it's unlikely Jokic will win MVP this season, but his numbers do make a solid case on his behalf.
The case against Jokic
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Denver has also heated up at the right time. Though that might be a case of too little, too late, as far as MVP voting, which does so heavily factor in team success. And with the Nuggets merely sitting fourth in the West, that pretty much takes Jokic out of the running for MVP in 2025-26, despite his individual brilliance.
Jokic could also be facing some voter fatigue, which is nothing new, as it’s always going to be tough for a player who already has three league MVP awards to keep winning them. Even the likes of Michael Jordan and LeBron James have had to go up against that, so why would Jokic be any different? Players with multiple MVPs under their belt are going to have to be so clearly the best player in the league that year to keep getting those votes, and we can’t say Jokic has done enough to warrant getting those shouts this season.
Of course, people are going to gloss over the fact that the Nuggets have had some terrible injury luck this season (veteran forward Aaron Gordon, a key piece to Denver’s operation on both ends, has played just 33 games all year), which isn’t all that fair to Jokic.
But even then, the Nuggets’ record just isn’t good enough to give Jokic a fair shot at his fourth MVP, even if he remains in the conversation of being the best player in the world.
What's more, Jokic hasn't been forced to do as much of a carry job as in previous seasons, as former Kentucky standout Jamal Murray has finally consistently hit a higher level as a player this campaign, receiving All-Star honors for the first time (making it the first time Jokic has ever had an All-Star teammate), and playing well enough to earn serious All-NBA consideration at year's end. Murray is putting up 25.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists this season on 48.4 percent shooting from the floor, and 43.4 percent shooting from three, fantastic marks across the board.
Murray is by far the best teammate any of this year's MVP candidates have, better than anyone on the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers or San Antonio Spurs who is not named Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic or Victor Wembanyama, which is something that does hurt Jokic's MVP case.
So, voter fatigue, a potential All-NBA teammate and a lack of elite team success are all factors going against Jokic's MVP candidacy, and that's without discussing his lackluster defense, which anchors a Nuggets squad that ranks 21st league-wide in defensive efficiency. In essence, we're pretty confident MVP No. 4 isn't coming for Jokic, at least not this season.
This content may be blocked in parts of Europe due to GDPR. To use it, connect your VPN to a non-EU country and try again.
We highly recommend you add HoopsHype as a preferred source on Google. You just have to click here.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The cases for and against Nikola Jokic as 2025-26 NBA MVP
Continue reading...
