NBA Media Personality Makes Strong Case For Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as MVP
It feels like SGA is on the outside looking in, but he should have a strong case for MVP this season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been terrific all season long. The addition of Chet Holmgren and the ascension of Jalen Williams has helped the Thunder turn the corner and rise to the No. 1 seed, but none of that happens without Gilgeous-Alexander playing superstar-level basketball. His rapid rise sped up Oklahoma City's rebuild tremendously and now has the team back into contention.
He just wrapped up his second season in a row of averaging 30+ points per game and provided two-way stability making a difference on the defensive end too. He averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 53.5% from the floor. He was tied for the league leader in steals, too, at 2.0 per game.
NBA analyst Chris Mannix joined other media members in making a convincing argument for Gilgeous-Alexander to be the league's MVP.
“This was a player that last year, was on a team that was a lottery team," Mannix said. "Takes them all the way to the No. 1 seed, put up the kind of statistics, offensively, that we have not seen since Michael Jordan’s beat seasons, since Steph Curry’s MVP seasons. And one of the more important differentiators that I use for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is that he is a two-way player. He’s top-10, top-12 in defensive win shares, you’ve gotta go a little further down to find Nikola Jokic, and way further down to find Luka Doncic — who is not a better-than-average defensive player.
Heading into the playoffs, it appears Jokic has the upper hand. SGA looks to be in second place, but leading the Thunder to the top seed could change a few voters' minds. Doncic has had an unbelievable statistical season, but his team isn't near the top-three and he played with an otherworldly talent in Kyrie Irving.
Even if Jokic takes home the honor, it was a special season for Gilgeous-Alexander that should land him a second straight First Team All-NBA honor.
"All three of these guys put up great numbers but Shai’s team success on a team that was nowhere last year, and the fact that he’s the best two-way player of the bunch," Mannix explained. That gave him a slight edge on my ballot."
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