Jalen Williams' Return Could Boost Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP Case

Oklahoma City’s second star made his return, and the MVP might be able to bolster his case to go back-to-back because of it.

On Friday night, the Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns 123-119 to secure a 4-0 record in the NBA Cup group stage and advance to the quarterfinals. While it marked the Thunder’s 11th straight win and a second straight NBA Cup quarterfinals appearance, the biggest story of the night was the return of Jalen Williams.

After missing the first 19 games of the year recovering from wrist surgery, Williams finished his first night back with 11 points, eight assists and two steals. While it wasn’t the most polished performance, it gave a glimpse into how he might be able to take some of the pressure off Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Although the reigning MVP still needed to rank up 37 points and some clutch buckets to get the Thunder a win, it’s clear that his job should get much easier as Williams gets back to his usual form, which should also help him in the MVP race. Already making a great case thus far, Williams’ return will allow Gilgeous-Alexander to carry a lesser load and put him in a better position to keep up this level of play throughout the 82-game schedule.

Nov 26, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrates after scoring against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

While Gilgeous-Alexander’s counting stats might take a slight dip when Williams truly gets back into a groove and takes on more responsibility offensively, having another star on the floor will only help the Thunder in the standings. Sure, the MVP is more than simply being the best player on the best team, but history shows that when the best team wins 70+ games, that might be the only relevant criteria.

In the Chicago Bulls 72-win season in 1995-96, Michael Jordan ran away with the MVP and Stephen Curry’s 2015-16 season landed him the league’s only unanimous MVP after leading his team to 73 wins. While it’s still a bit too early to talk about the Thunder’s chances of breaking that record just 20 games into the season, their 19-1 mark makes those conversations at least reasonable.

Even if the Thunder come up a bit short of the 70-win mark like they did a season ago, Gilgeous-Alexander’s hot start to the season might have already given him the momentum needed to secure the MVP trophy again. With such an elite defense surrounding him, Gilgeous-Alexander has already proven he is the offensive engine that carries the Thunder, but with Williams back in action, his job is only getting easier.