OKC Thunder Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Case for the MVP Award

Last year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shocked the NBA community when he took a huge leap to become one of the top players in the league.

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 24.5 points per game while shooting 45.3% from the field in 2021-22. In the 2022-23 season, however, SGA rocketed up to 31.4 points, 5.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and one block per game while somehow becoming much more efficient, shooting 51% from the field.

Gilgeous-Alexander's drastic rise in production earned him the first All-Star and All-NBA berth of his career in addition to landing the former Kentucky Wildcat in the top five of the MVP ballot.

While Gilgeous-Alexander clearly put up incredible stats last season, he was held back by the fact that the Thunder were not yet a true playoff contender. Despite Gilgeous-Alexander's impressive season, voters tend to favor players who are on teams with a better record.

This was one reason that Russell Westbrook's MVP victory was so unprecedented, due to the fact that Oklahoma City was only sixth place in the Western Conference that season.

Last year, Joel Embiid took home the MVP trophy after averaging more than 33 points and 10 rebounds per game and helping lead the 76ers to a third-place finish in the East.

This season, Gilgeous-Alexander has continued to produce at a high level on offense while taking another step forward as a defender.

In addition to being able to beat nearly any one-on-one matchup with the ball in his hands, the Thunder's 25-year-old star has also developed into a lockdown defender, making him one of the best two-way players in the NBA this year.

Through 24 games, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.7 points, 6.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per contest while shooting 53.8% from the field and 91.4% from the free throw line.

What truly makes SGA an MVP candidate, however, is OKC's record. Led by their star Canadian guard, the Thunder sit at 17-8, good enough for second place in the West.

If Oklahoma City is able to stay near the top of the conference with Gilgeous-Alexander producing similar statistics, it would not be surprising to see SGA receive MVP votes this season.

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