ClutchPoints’ NBA MVP Mondays: Who is left after Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham injuries?

Are there actually enough players left to have a real, legitimate top five in the NBA MVP rankings? With Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham, and Anthony Edwards all suffering injuries that will prevent them from reaching the 65-game minimum for awards and accolades, the 2025-26 NBA season has done a number on the MVP race.

With one week left in the season, it’s hard to definitively say anything will change in the MVP race other than those who have been ranked all year falling out of the running, since they won’t meet the minimum game requirement. Doncic is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury, Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung, and Edwards has been doing with on-and-off again knee pain.

As a result of these injuries to Doncic, Cunningham, and Edwards, we are left with three all too familiar names who have been at the top of the MVP rankings throughout the NBA season: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic.

No matter how you want to break down each player’s resume, there is no denying that all three are worthy of being named the MVP.

Gilgeous-Alexander has once again proven to be the best player in the league on the best team in the league, and his numbers in the fourth quarter and in crunch time will likely lead to him being named the Clutch Player of the Year. No player has more 20-point-plus games than SGA this season, and he’s one 30-point game shy of tying Doncic for the league lead in this category.

Wembanyama is by far the best two-way player in the NBA, and what he’s done, taking the San Antonio Spurs from the NBA Draft lottery to a real championship threat right behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, can’t be ignored. No player in the league has more blocks than him, and very few have more double-doubles than Wemby, one of which is Jokic.

When he was out with his hyperextended knee, many thought Jokic would be out of the running for MVP. However, he can still miss one more game and remain eligible, which is why he is still in contention for the award.

Not to mention, Jokic will finish this season averaging a triple-double, and he’s recorded 32 of them in his 62 games. If you are looking for video-game-like performances this year, just look at what the Denver Nuggets’ three-time MVP has done.

And that’s the MVP race at this point. Doncic leading the league in scoring and Cunningham’s dominance in the East will now become a forgotten thought because of the 65-game rule, which basically ruins what would have been a historic finish to the NBA MVP race.

Nonetheless, we are left with three very worthy candidates, and one of them will be taking home this season’s illustrious hardware.

Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 23 | Week 22 | Week 21 | Week 20 | Week 19 | Week 18 | Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder

Previous ranking: #1

2025-26 season stats: 66 games, 31.4 points, 6.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 55.2 FG%, 38.3 3P%

After averaging 31.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game en route to a 3-0 week for the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander earned his fourth Western Conference Player of the Week honors, tied with Doncic for the most in the league this season (4).

All the Thunder continue to do is win, and Gilgeous-Alexander has had his fingerprints on each of these victories, leading the team in scoring for 11 of their last 14 wins.

Gilgeous-Alexander only trails Doncic for the scoring title, and his heroics to once again lead the Thunder to the best record in the league is the reason why many view the reigning MVP as this season’s MVP favorite.

2. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs*

Previous ranking: #2

2025-26 season stats: 62 games, 24.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.1 blocks, 50.9 FG%, 35.0 3P%

*Can only miss a maximum of 2 more games to remain eligible.

Missing a game against the LA Clippers, which the San Antonio Spurs won, and then losing in overtime to Jokic and the Denver Nuggets definitely has a minor negative impact on Wembanyama’s MVP resume. Then again, he’s been on an absolute tear during the back half of the season.

Since Feb. 1, a span in which the Spurs have gone 27-3, Wembanyama has averaged 25.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 51.4 percent from the floor in 28 games. No other player in the league has come close to putting up these numbers, not just during this span, but also the whole season.

Even when Wembanyama isn’t scoring, which has been a rare sight down the stretch run of the season, he is making an equal or sometimes larger impact on defense. That can’t go unnoticed, and that shouldn’t only count toward his resume for Defensive Player of the Year, which he has wrapped up at this point.

Although he probably won’t win the MVP award. Wembanyama’s resume on both ends of the court proves he is one of the most impactful talents in the entire NBA.

3. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets*

Previous ranking: #3

2025-26 season stats: 62 games, 27.9 points, 12.9 rebounds, 10.9 assists, 1.4 steals, 57.1 FG%, 38.3 3P%

*Can only miss a maximum of 1 more game to remain eligible.

There really isn’t much else to say about Jokic at this point, as his numbers speak for themselves. No matter the opponent, including Wembanyama, Jokic continues to dominate and put the Denver Nuggets on his back. We saw this late in the season once before, and it led to a Nuggets championship in 2023.

One could argue that this is the best season of Jokic’s career, despite missing 16 games, and that’s saying something since he’s already won the MVP award three different times.

No player in the league carries more weight offensively for his team than Jokic does in Denver, and that is reflected by his production, single-handedly being responsible for the Nuggets being back in contention for the 3-seed in the West after winning eight straight games.

4. Jaylen Brown – Boston Celtics

Previous ranking: #5

2025-26 season stats: 69 games, 28.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.0 steals, 47.6 FG%, 34.5 3P%

As a result of Doncic and Cunningham dropping out of the MVP debate, Jaylen Brown finds himself firmly inside the top five.

This has been a remarkable year for Brown, not just because he ranks fifth in the league in scoring, but because he is the main reason why the Boston Celtics find themselves in a championship position.

Without Jayson Tatum, many expected the Celtics to take a step back and do what the Indiana Pacers did this season. Well, Brown and head coach Joe Mazzulla weren’t about to let that happen, and the product on the court shows.

Even with Tatum back, Brown has continued playing at an All-NBA First Team level, scoring at least 20 points in 12 of his last 14 games, including 43 points on Wednesday against the Miami Heat. There is no doubt that Brown will finish inside the top five this season in MVP voting.

5. Jalen Johnson – Atlanta Hawks

Previous ranking: #7

2025-26 season stats: 69 games, 22.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 49.3 FG%, 35.1 3P%

Welcome to the top five of the MVP rankings, Jalen Johnson!

Around the time of the All-Star break, the Atlanta Hawks appeared to be a lock for the East play-in tournament… again. But the organization made some changes, they adjusted their style of play, and first-time All-Star Jalen Johnson elevated his play to new heights.

Only two players in the league have averaged at least 20 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists per game since the All-Star break: Jokic and Johnson. That certainly means something, and to be the leader of this young Hawks team that has won 18 of its last 20 games is notable.

This has been a fantastic year for the 24-year-old forward, and he has the Hawks in a prime position to claim an actual playoff spot for the first time since 2023.

Just missing the cut

6. Kawhi Leonard – Los Angeles Clippers [Ranked No. 8 last week]

7. Kevin Durant – Houston Rockets [Ranked No. 9 last week]

8. Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers [Unranked last week]

9. Tyrese Maxey – Philadelphia 76ers [Unranked last week]

10. Jalen Brunson – New York Knicks [Ranked No. 10 last week]

*Signals player is in danger of meeting 65-game minimum threshold for awards/accolades.

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