The Denver Nuggets have developed an unfortunate losing habit recently, dropping five of their last seven games, and getting leapfrogged for third place in the Western Conference is not the only negative about their recent play.
Superstar center Nikola Jokic has not been himself lately, and it is becoming more apparent that something is bothering him. Granted, Jokic did just return from a month-long injury absence, but his 22 turnovers over the last three games are the most he has ever had in a three-game span.
Even with Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sidelined with an injury of his own, Jokic is falling well behind in the MVP race. ESPN recently released a new NBA MVP straw poll, and Gilgeous-Alexander raked in 78 first-place votes, compared to Jokic’s 18.
SGA had 78 of 100 1st place votes and is #1 in ESPN’s latest MVP straw poll.
Nikola Jokic is #2 with 18 1st place votes.
Cade Cunningham is #3 with 1 1st place vote.
Wemby is #4 with 3 1st place votes.
Luka is #5 with 0 1st place votes.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) February 20, 2026
Only two other players earned a first-place vote from the 100-person panel, with three for Victor Wembanyama and one for Cade Cunningham.
Jokic is falling behind in the MVP race
By the numbers, there is no reason why Jokic should not be near the top of the MVP race. This season, the three-time MVP center is averaging 28.5 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 10.6 assists per game, shooting 58.4% from the field, 40.6% from three-point range, and 83.4% from the free-throw line.
However, Jokic missed 16 consecutive games with a knee injury. He can only afford to miss one more game before he is ruled ineligible for MVP altogether, so regardless of the incredible season he is putting together, it might not even matter by the end.
Jokic is the clear favorite to finish in second place in the MVP race, though, as he earned 65 second-place votes, 12 third-place votes, one fourth-place vote, and two fifth-place votes. In fact, two voters left Jokic off their ballots completely.
Jokic’s dip in the MVP ladder is certainly more attributed to his month-long absence in the middle of the season rather than his play since returning from the injury. Regardless, things are trending in favor of Gilgeous-Alexander.
“Jokic kept his second-place spot (18 first-place votes), but the bone bruise he suffered in late December that knocked him out for nearly a month has clearly stalled his MVP candidacy,” ESPN‘s Tim Bontemps wrote.
“It certainly doesn’t mean Jokic has no chance of winning. His stat line … certainly helps, though his margin for error has shrunk. If Jokic misses two more games, he will be ineligible for MVP and all end-of-season awards. That would end a streak of five consecutive top-two finishes in MVP voting, one short of Boston Celtics legends Bill Russell and Larry Bird for the most all time.”
The first two months of Jokic’s season were incredible, and with the injury and his recent decline, it is completely fair for Gilgeous-Alexander’s lead in the MVP race to grow. In fact, this could open the door for a new candidate to rise to the top. Gilgeous-Alexander has already missed five straight games and will be out for another week. If he stays out for long enough, could Cade Cunningham or Victor Wembanyama ultimately leapfrog to the top?
