One would think that the two-time defending NBA MVP would be residing comfortably at the top of the proverbial hierarchy. Unfortunately, Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesn't have that luxury—nor does he seem to have the distinction of the second-best player in the Association.
As ESPN's NBA Rank revealed, Gilgeous-Alexander is currently rated as third-best player in the NBA behind Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama.
The race between the three was admittedly close. Per ESPN, the voting amounted to 694 points for Jokic, 693 for Wembanyama, and 691 for Gilgeous-Alexander. That razor-thin margin would thus imply that this isn't actually disrespectful, but a product of the competition at the top of the NBA.
One simply can't help but wonder how a player who has won consecutive MVP awards, a championship, and made two Conference Finals between the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons could be ranked No. 3.
Keep in mind: Gilgeous-Alexander was ranked No. 2 in 2025 despite winning an MVP, a Finals MVP, a championship, and a scoring title during the 2024-25 season. They project ahead in the NBA Rank series, but he then won another MVP and reached the Conference Finals despite his best teammate, Jalen Williams, playing just 33 regular season and five playoff games.
Unfortunately, it's clear that there really isn't anything Gilgeous-Alexander can do to pass the ifs and should-bes that define Jokic and Wembanyama.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander falls to No. 3 in NBA Rank
If Gilgeous-Alexander wasn't going to rank No. 1 after winning just about everything a No. 1 player can win, perhaps there was never going to be any hope. One could argue that he fell because the Thunder lost to Wembanyama and the Spurs, but Jokic lost in the first round of the playoffs to an injury-plagued team.
Fair as it may be to project Wembanyama's continued dominance considering what he's already capable of at 22, Gilgeous-Alexander seems to be held to a different standard than Jokic.
Yes, Jokic is a three-time MVP who ranks among the most complete offensive players in the history of the sport. Gilgeous-Alexander does everything the Thunder could dream of, however, and simply manifests those contributions in a different way.
It may not be quite as flashy as a triple-double or translate as seamlessly to analytics debates, but Gilgeous-Alexander not at least being in the top two is difficult to justify.
Yes, the top three players are all generational talents who will moonwalk into the Hall of Fame if health permits—and perhaps even if not. It's simply difficiult to imagine Gilgeous-Alexander doing anything more than he has with the tools at his disposal.
At this point, one can't help but wonder if a third MVP, a second Finals MVP, or a second championship would even be enough for him to be accepted as the best in the NBA.
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