If you thought Luka Doncic’s MVP chances had dimmed, hold up… Reigning champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had delivered consistent performances, cementing himself as the popular choice in this year’s race ahead of Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokić. However, a late surge from the Los Angeles Lakers superstar since the end of February has put him back in the MVP conversation.

Despite the optimistic MVP chants in recent wins, there are still those who believe it’s already too late. One of them is former Lakers great and 5x NBA champion Derek Fisher. While on live commentary duty for the Lakers vs. Washington Wizards game, the 51-year-old made a quick comment regarding this year’s MVP debacle.

“The best players on the top teams are already kind of baked into the voters’ minds. And so Luka’s run-in, in March and coming out of All-Star break, has been an added conversation. But not part of the main conversation of SGA, Wemby, Joker, Jaylen Brown type guys.”

Fisher, who spent 13 years in LA, makes a pragmatic argument that will not go down well with the Lakers fanbase. The Slovenian is averaging 37.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in 15 games this month. In comparison, SGA is averaging 30.7 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 14 games.

The 27-year-old may have elevated his defensive game in March, but he has been driving the Lakers’ offense on an MVP-caliber level throughout the season. However, lack of defensive prowess remained the only drawback in his NBA career, especially the scenes from the 2024 NBA Finals with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum driving past him.

But things seemed to have improved a lot.

Luka Magic became the first Laker since Kobe Bryant in 2012-13 to average 30+ ppg and 100 steals in a season. To top that, he was only the 11th player this season to make 100 steals. Then there are also his 15 games in which he scored 40+ points.

In the last 11 games, he has averaged 2.5 steals per game. And when it comes to isolation battles, he allowed only 0.844 points in 109 one-on-ones. Compared to his defensive reports as of early February, something has definitely changed. Before March, Luka allowed blow-bys 41% of his drives, which was fourth-worst among the eligible players in the league and ranked 109th in effective FG% on contests.

Wemby, on the other hand, is putting in sensational displays week in and week out. His stock has risen in recent weeks, overtaking SGA as a potential MVP favorite in a few prediction listings. In 59 games, the Frenchman is averaging 24.2 points, 11.3 total rebounds, and three assists this campaign.

All this goes to assert that maybe Fisher and other like-minded analysts are right about Doncic. Maybe his late-season explosion is not enough to see him get over the line.

SGA, Wemby, or Luka Doncic – Who will be crowned 2026 NBA MVP?

While a lot is being said about SGA, Doncic, and Wemby, fans are forgetting about the impressive displays from Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown and Nikola Jokic. Brown has quietly shouldered the load for a Jayson Tatum‑less Celtics team that’s still sitting near the top of the East.

His playmaking is explosive, and he’s taking tougher defensive assignments while delivering in late‑game situations that used to be Tatum’s department. In 65 games so far, he is averaging 28.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.

Jokic, meanwhile, remains the league’s ultimate floor‑raiser. Fans often forget his absurdly efficient triple‑double lines despite injury niggles throughout the campaign. And in the 60 games he has played thus far, he is averaging 27.9 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.8 assists per game.

If the MVP is supposed to account for sustained excellence and overall impact on winning, the likes of Jokic and Brown deserve to be far more central in the conversation than they currently are.

All of this context makes the Luka Doncic MVP narrative even more complicated. On raw production and usage, he still looks every bit like a candidate, putting up insane numbers in JJ Redick’s new-look offense. But when voters zoom out and compare his season to the other contenders, there is a big question mark when it comes to consistency.

Either way, fans will enjoy this year’s MVP saga that is bound to go down to the wire.