Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Victor Wembanyama vs. Nikola Jokic: The key stats you need to know in 2026 NBA MVP debate
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Victor Wembanyama vs. Nikola Jokic: The key stats you need to know in 2026 NBA MVP debate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Back-to-back MVPs has been a common occurrence in the NBA over the last 15 years, but Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would still be joining an elite club if he won the league's top individual honor for the second consecutive season.
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Only 15 players in NBA history have earned multiple MVP awards, with 13 of them winning the award in back-to-back seasons. Recent repeats by Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo indicate it takes longer than just a year for voter fatigue to set in, if it exists at all, so Gilgeous-Alexander could claim MVP No. 2 in the spring.
There is some room to doubt whether it will happen. A handful of other players have turned in stellar seasons, though late injuries by Doncic and Cade Cunningham likely shrunk the field of candidates.
With Jokic and Victor Wembanyama finishing strong, do they have a case to dethrone Gilgeous-Alexander?
Here's a complete breakdown of the MVP cases for Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama and Jokic.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Victor Wembanyama vs. Nikola Jokic: Offensive stats
StatShai Gilgeous-AlexanderVictor WembanyamaNikola JokicGames played666262PPG31.424.927.9RPG4.411.612.9APG6.53.110.9FG%55.2%50.9%57.1%3-pt%38.3%35.0%38.3%FT%88.0%82.8%82.7%eFG%59.5%56.5%62.2%Gilgeous-Alexander has a major advantage on the offensive end, as the Thunder star is averaging 31.4 points per game and has a higher field goal percentage and effective field goal percentage as a guard than the 7-4 Wembanyama.
Jokic's offensive prowess shouldn't be ignored, either. The three-time MVP is once again averaging a triple-double, posting close to 28 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists per game. He leads the trio in effective field goal percentage even while averaging more 3-point attempts per game than Gilgeous-Alexander.
Wembanyama doesn't score quite at the level of his counterparts, but he still put together a terrific offensive season that stacks up well next to his defensive excellence.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Victor Wembanyama vs. Nikola Jokic: Defensive metrics
StatShai Gilgeous-AlexanderVictor WembanyamaNikola JokicDefensive win shares4.14.93.3Blocks per game0.83.10.8Steals per game1.41.01.4Defensive rating105.5103.3125.8Wembanyama predictably has the advantage on the defensive end, where he has an NBA-best 4.9 defensive win shares. A lower defensive rating is better than a higher defensive rating, so Wembanyama's mark of 103.3 also leads the trio.
Wembanyama averages 3.1 blocks per game; the next-highest mark from a qualified player is 2.0. While his offensive numbers don't necessarily line up with Gilgeous-Alexander or Jokic, his defense puts him in the MVP discussion.
Gilgeous-Alexander isn't far behind in terms of defensive metrics, but there is a sizable gap between the two and Jokic, whose defensive rating is dramatically worse at 125.8.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Victor Wembanyama vs. Nikola Jokic: Team success
Whether fair or not, team success is often a factor in NBA MVP debates because a star can have such an impact on his team's record. In that category, Gilgeous-Alexander has the advantage with the Thunder at the top of the Western Conference again. Here is each team's record:
- Thunder: 62-16 (.795)
- Spurs: 59-19 (.756)
- Nuggets: 50-28 (.641)
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are 3-0 against Jokic and the Nuggets, which could be a pretty important result to remember in this year's race.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Victor Wembanyama vs. Nikola Jokic: Who's better?
If you're looking for the best all-around player this season, the answer is probably Gilgeous-Alexander once again.
The Thunder star has been even more efficient than he was on the offensive end last season, shooting a career-high 55.2 percent from the field and getting to the free-throw line more than he did in either of the last two years. Gilgeous-Alexander has Oklahoma City right at the top of the West yet again and beat Jokic head-to-head three times.
Jokic has been unbelievable at times offensively, but there is a gap between his defense and Gilgeous-Alexander's. That gap could have certainly been made up on the offensive end, but with Gilgeous-Alexander so effective on both ends of the floor and the Nuggets lagging far behind the Thunder in the West, it's hard to imagine Jokic did enough. All three candidates have missed time this season, so it's possible an 80-game season from Jokic could have forced more of a debate.
Wembanyama looks like he will be an MVP one day, but a terrific close to the season might not be enough. He hasn't been as effective on the offensive end as Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic, and his defense, while excellent, is unlikely to close the gap with Gilgeous-Alexander given the Thunder star is still strong on that end as well.
Recent history tells us voter fatigue doesn't set in quickly enough to deny Gilgeous-Alexander a second consecutive MVP; LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jokic have all won back-to-back MVPs over the last 15 years, and there is a strong chance they are joined by Gilgeous-Alexander this spring.