Two seasons have gone by with the NBA utilizing its new Player Participation Policy, which includes a 65-game minimum for awards and accolades at the end of the season, like the MVP award. Not even halfway through this season, the 65-game minimum is being challenged by media members and fans of all 30 teams, especially given how much it could impact talents like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, and others.
Jokic has never played fewer than 69 games in any season during his career and has always been viewed as one of the most durable superstars in the NBA. Well, the Denver Nuggets’ three-time MVP recently suffered a hyperextended left knee injury, and his early injury timeline revealed by the team was a minimum of four weeks.
Essentially, that means Jokic would not qualify for end-of-season honors and awards, including the MVP award, even though he has been the clear frontrunner over the last few weeks.
Should the NBA seriously consider changing or revamping its 65-game minimum rule for players who have no choice but to miss games because of significant injuries? This is certainly a debate worth having, but the main focus right now is on the MVP race and whether Jokic will return in time and not miss more than 17 games.
The good news surrounding Jokic is that this isn’t a season-ending injury, and it looked much worse than it turned out to be. Jokic never really takes time off during the season, so there is still a chance he could return and remain eligible for the MVP award.
That is why the Serbian star still finds himself at the top of the MVP rankings entering 2026, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains right there with him in this race and will overtake Jokic should he miss four or more weeks with this knee injury.
Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
Previous ranking: #1
2025-26 season stats: 32 games, 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 11.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 60.5 FG%, 43.5 3P%
Before suffering his knee injury, Jokic had recorded three triple-doubles in his last four games, and he had single-handedly been keeping the Nuggets afloat amid injuries to Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson. Even in the 19 minutes he played in the first half against the Miami Heat on Dec. 29, the game Jokic got hurt in, he still recorded 21 points, eight assists, and five rebounds.
It is not crazy to think Jokic would have added another triple-double to his resume this season if he hadn’t gotten injured in Miami.
As of right now, Jokic has missed three games, and he will miss Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers. After Monday, he will only be allowed to miss 13 more games in order to remain eligible for the MVP award.
Although the timing of being re-evaluated and possibly cleared earlier than expected will be close, there is still a chance Jokic can remain in good standing with the 65-game minimum rule. That is why he remains in the top spot of the NBA MVP rankings.
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Previous ranking: #2
2025-26 season stats: 35 games, 31.9 points, 6.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 55.4 FG%, 41.9 3P%
If Devin Booker had not hit a game-winning triple on Sunday night with 1.6 seconds left and the Phoenix Suns had not taken down the Oklahoma City Thunder, then Shai Gilgeous-Alexander very likely would’ve been named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the third time this season.
This past week, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game while shooting 54.3 percent from the floor. He led the Thunder to blowout wins over the Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, and Atlanta Hawks, lifting Oklahoma City to a league-best 30-6 overall.
Gilgeous-Alexander also recorded four more 20-point games, taking his streak of consecutive games with at least 20 points to 107 games. As he continues to close in on Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 126 consecutive games with 20-plus points, the Thunder MVP’s resume will grow.
3. Luka Doncic – Los Angeles Lakers
Previous ranking: #3
2025-26 season stats: 26 games, 33.7 points, 8.7 assists, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 46.0 FG%, 32.0 3P%
Now that Jokic may not qualify for the MVP award, there is a clear path for Luka Doncic to compete with Gilgeous-Alexander at the top of the rankings. Doncic continues to do his thing, as he has recorded four straight 30-point games and has led the Los Angeles Lakers to three wins in their last four games.
Like Jokic and many others, Doncic’s eligibility for end-of-season honors remains up in the air.
Doncic has played in 26 of the Lakers’ 33 games this season, meaning he can only miss 10 more games to qualify for MVP and All-NBA. Given his track record of injuries over the last couple of seasons, Doncic is riding a fine line in terms of his eligibility on this list.
However, he continues to lead the league in scoring at 33.7 points per game and has been heating up as of late when it comes to consistently scoring over 25 points.
4. Jaylen Brown – Boston Celtics
Previous ranking: #7
2025-26 season stats: 32 games, 30.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.1 steals, 51.0 FG%, 37.0 3P%
The one MVP candidate nobody is talking about and continues to disrespect is Jaylen Brown. Even after winning the 2024 NBA Finals MVP and certifying himself as arguably the best two-way wing in the league, with Jayson Tatum being the Boston Celtics’ clear No. 1 option, many continue to overlook Brown’s skills.
Well, they may not be able to much longer, as the Celtics’ star has been on a heater as of late and has the Celtics right near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Boston is only a half-game behind the New York Knicks for the 2-seed and 3.5 games back of the 1-seed Detroit Pistons in what was thought to be a retooling season for the Celtics.
That is no longer the case in Boston, as this team looks like a true contending threat in the East because of Brown.
The Celtics star is one of four players this season averaging at least 30 points per game, joining Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Tyrese Maxey.
5. Jalen Brunson – New York Knicks
Previous ranking: #4
2025-26 season stats: 32 games, 29.3 points, 6.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 47.5 FG%, 38.0 3P%
Although the Knicks have been struggling as of late, that is not because of Jalen Brunson.
Last week, while the Knicks went 1-3, Brunson averaged 28.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 44 percent from the floor. Between his scoring and shot creation in New York, Brunson is firmly inside the top five of the NBA MVP race, and that likely won’t change.
Then again, he is a tier below Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Doncic, as he is competing with Cade Cunningham and Brown in the rankings. Where the Knicks finish the season in the standings will play a role in where Brunson finishes in the MVP race as well.
Just missing the cut
6. Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons [Ranked No. 5 last week]
7. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs [Ranked No. 6 last week]*
8. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks [Unranked last week]*
9. Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves [Ranked No. 8 last week]
10. Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers [Unranked last week]
*Signals player is not expected to meet 65-game minimum threshold for awards/accolades.
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