Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Win NBA's Coveted MVP Award?
The Oklahoma City Thunder has been spoiled with success in its relatively short, 16-year tenure.
An NBA Finals appearance, an envious winning percentage, numerous All-Stars and, of course, a pair of MVPs in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the franchise’s newest leader acquired in the Paul George trade some five years ago, is now hunting for the organizations third award.
Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander finished No. 5 in MVP voting with six fourth place votes and 28 fifth place votes. Only winner Joel Embiid, former two-time winners Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, as well as Boston’s Jayson Tatum finished above him.
This season, Gilgeous-Alexander has leveled up yet again. He’s scoring 31.2 points per game — good for third in the league — and leads the league in steals at 2.1 per game. He’s hitting on 54% of his shots overall and cashing in on 38% of his threes, which is being bolstered by a strong February.
With gaudy numbers and Oklahoma City tied for first in the Western Conference, Gilgeous-Alexander has again planted himself in the MVP race. But his biggest competition this season is again Jokic, Antetokounmpo and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic.
In order for Gilgeous-Alexander to bring home the hardware, a few things will likely have to happen.
Firstly, Gilgeous-Alexander is going to have to keep his pace, which shouldn’t be hard given his innate consistency and OKC’s upcoming easier schedule. A small boost to a number of key stats likely wouldn’t be the worst thing for his campaign.
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, Oklahoma City is going to have to lock down a top-two seed in the West, if not No. 1. The team has already proven its arrival with fiery, consistent play and signature wins. But Gilgeous-Alexander’s case is largely built around leading this young squad to unprecedented heights. Without finishing over Denver and Dallas, a case might not be there.
Luckily for SGA and OKC, they’ve long fastened themselves to the top of the standings, and have a great chance at pushing for No. 1 in the coming weeks.
Finally, Gilgeous-Alexander is going to have to string together moments capable of taking the basketball world by storm and holding the attention of voters.
Jokic has recently done so with his stretch of 15-15-15 games, and Doncic has already poured on a 73-point performance this season. OKC’s suave point guard is the picture of consistency — and that’s helped OKC win ballgames — but it doesn’t always lend itself to virality, which can be the biggest factor in races such as these.
Regardless, Gilgeous-Alexander and co. likely aren’t worried about MVP’s, Coach of the Year, the Most Improved Award, Rookie of the Year or anything else. Right now, they’re undoubtedly prepping for a 9 p.m. bout versus the Houston Rockets in Paycom Center with a "0-0" mentality.
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