OKC Thunder 30 for 30 round table: MVP candidates

Question eight of the OKC Thunder 30 for 30 roundtable finds the T.I. writing team diving into MVP candidates and who occupies that role in OKC.

The Thunderous Intentions writing team begins week two of the OKC Thunder 30 for 30 roundtable. Question eight considers MVP candidates as well as who has earned that honor on the OKC roster.

With that, I give you question seven from the series…

Q8: Top three MVP candidates and OKC Thunder MVP:

Rylan Stiles:

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a runaway winner for the MVP award, and it is not as close as the national media would like it to be. Of Course, LeBron James is great, and having a great season, but Giannis has simply been not only better but more valuable to his team in 2019-20.

I do not feel like there is a particularly close third, so I am just going to shoutout Luka Doncic. Especially his early-season campaign before the injuries piled upon him. Doncic will be an MVP sooner rather than later.

Matthew Hallett:

3. Pascal Siakam is the third in line for MVP honors.  He is averaging 23.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.9 blocks p[er game.  It is not just his numbers but it is his impact on the team and the game. He is helping the team win.

2. LeBron James is leading the league in assists in his 17th year in the league. That is simply incredible. He is averaging 25.7 points, 10.6 assists, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. ON top of that he has the Los Angeles Lakers in the top spot in the West

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in the world right now. The Greek Freak is averaging 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks in just 30.9 minutes. He is so crucial to the Milwaukee Bucks and is the runaway MVP

The OKC Thunder MVP is certainly Chris Paul. CP3 has shown leadership, mentorship, and gamesmanship so far and above anything seen before for the OKC Thunder and as a result, has them winning where no one expected them to.

Dustin McGowen:

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo

He’s a game-changer. His team is the best player in the league. He dominates almost every game he plays in. He does all this averaging about 30 MPG. I know the question asked for three candidates, but I just can’t make an argument for anyone else. This is the first of many MVP awards for the Greek Freak.

Thunder MVP – Chris Paul

CP3 has been the most clutch player in the NBA this season. He has pulled the Thunder out of many big holes this season and helped young Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to fully realize into an elite NBA player. I know his contract looks over the franchise, but it’s not my money, so I hope he stays in OKC forever.

Shontelle Matano:

My three MVP candidates are Lebron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic. My OKC Thunder MVP is Chris Paul.

King James is truly a phenomenon who has gone to a new level in his 17th year, helping the Lakers clinch a spot in the playoffs for the first time since the 2012/13 season. He continues to dominate in every facet of the game.

The Greek Freak can do anything on the court. He has led his Bucks to a history-making season and to the peak of the entire NBA, being the first team to win 50 games.

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In only his second year in the league, Doncic, in my opinion, is one of the top five players right now. He’s averaging 28.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists and is a key part of the Mavericks’ success.

Paul is not only the best player on OKC but he is the most valuable. In this new era, there would be no OKC without CP3. He’s made those around him better while having a remarkable season.

Tamberlyn Richardson:

Much like the CoY – there is an upcoming article on the top MVP candidates so I’ll keep this relatively brief.

It’s impossible to ignore what Antetokounmpo has delivered in fewer minutes than any of his challengers.

In his 17th season, LeBron is one of this season’s feel-good stories. His narrative is building steam after wins over the Bucks and Clippers on the same weekend. However, it’s equally likely those teams who already had a victory versus the Lakers (two in the case of the Clippers) weren’t going to show all their cards.

Two specific keys factor when assessing these superstars. Antetokounmpo leads the Bucks in points, assists, rebounds and free throw attempts (and is second in steals and blocks). Conversely, LeBron leads one major category for the Lakers — assists. It’s teammate Anthony Davis who tops points, rebounds, steals, blocks and free throw attempts. This speaks to the other glaring difference – Khris Middleton is NOT Anthony Davis who quite frankly has his own MVP argument and is a better defender than James.

Other players will be covered in the upcoming MVP candidate article including the unanimous TI writing team pick for Thunder MVP- Chris Paul.

Tuesday offers up question nine and the team’s leading candidates for Sixth Man with arguably the top candidate a certain German guard from the OKC Thunder.

Please let us know your thoughts on the MVP in the comments section. Wishing everyone a safe and healthy day.