Where does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rank in the NBA MVP race?
The halfway point of the 2023-24NBA regular season has arrived, offering the perfect opportunity toanalyze this year's Most-Valuable-Player race.
The favorites includePhiladelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, Denver Nuggets center NikolaJokic and Oklahoma City Thunder guard ShaiGilgeous-Alexander.
The OKC superstar is the loneplayer in the group who has not received the accolade, making himthe most exciting to discuss.
Gilgeous-Alexander is leadingthe Thunder to one of their most impressive seasons in recentmemory. The 25-year-old has Oklahoma City sitting as the No. 2 seedin the Western Conference with a 27-13 record. He is having hisbest statistical season yet, averaging 31 points, 6.3 assists and2.3 steals on 55.2% shooting from the field and 32.6% from beyondthe arc.
His ability to score at allthree levels at 6-foot-6 is what separates him from the superstarbig men. While Embiid and Jokic can knock down a three-pointer on aconsistent basis, they lack the ability to create their own shotfrom beyond the arc. Gilgeous-Alexander uses his speed to createfor himself inside the paint, which leads to opportunities awayfrom the rim due to expectations of an attack.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal believes that SGA has surpassedDallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic.
“I’m gonna have to take [SGA].Luka is a fabulous player, but this kid? He plays the right way[and] gets his teammates involved,” O’Neal said on TNT. “I’m takinghim right now. He’s a hell of a player right now.”
Shaq says he'd take SGA over Luka right now👀“I’m gonna have to take [SGA]. Luka is a fabulous player but thiskid? He plays the right way [and] gets his teammates involved. …I’m taking him right now. He’s a hell of a player right now.”pic.twitter.com/apYBmLT5Am
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 17, 2024There’s no denying that SGA isleading his team to a more successful year on paper. It remains tobe seen if Gilgeous-Alexander can emerge as the MVP frontrunnerover his 7-foot competitors.
Embiid’s downfall may be thenewly implemented 65-game rule, where a player must take part in aminimum of 65 games to be eligible for major awards. He has missed10 of Philadelphia’s 39 games this season. Not to mention, thesix-time All-Star may have to deal with voter fatigue.
Expectations for Jokic arehigher due to the fact that he consistently posts phenomenal boxscores. Not to mention, he’s already a two-time winner of the award(so voter fatigue is also a factor with him). His situation issimilar to that of LeBron James. The 19-time All-Star has receivedMVP four times in his career, but the Los Angeles Lakers superstarhas arguably been the NBA's top player for more than a decadethroughout his career.
The second half of the seasonwill act as the determining factor, but right now, SGA isperforming on par with the other MVP favorites.
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