The Oklahoma City Thunder gave Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a new narrative to boost his chances of winning a historic third consecutive Most Valuable Player award. They traded Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins this offseason to dodge the second apron. OKC didn’t want the roster-building penalties that come with exceeding that spending limit, but it cost the Thunder valuable depth. They are still among the favorites to win it all, but the experts believe the Thunder have taken a small step back. That is all SGA needs.
No player has won three straight NBA MVPs since Larry Bird from 1984-1986. Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell are the only people to do it since the NBA handed out its first MVP award in 1956. It has been 40 years since anyone did it, and Thunder fans know how important the narrative is in winning the award.
Oklahoma City feels like they are being slept on slightly. ESPN just predicted the Thunder would win four fewer regular season games than last season and finish second in the Western Conference. The door is open for SGA to keep up his dominance and snag a third consecutive MVP.
Thunder gave SGA a needed narrative in race for 3rd straight MVP
Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t want the Thunder to trade Dort. They lost a longtime starter and key 3-and-D wing. Joe and Wiggins were not in the nightly rotation, but produced when their numbers were called. The Thunder will miss that depth, but they are still the deepest team in the NBA.
Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, and Nikola Topic are ready to step up in the wake of the departures. The Thunder also made one of the best signings of the offseason and drafted two future pieces to help them win in Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz.
SGA is the best player on the planet. He will make sure OKC wins 60 games and will battle the Spurs for the top spot in the West. If the Thunder can finish first with Gilgeous-Alexander continuing to put up his incredible numbers, it is his MVP to lose. It will be an impressive feat, and voters love to push a narrative.
The Nuggets have gotten worse this offseason, and the Heat are no lock to finish in the top six in the East. Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo aren't winning MVP. That means SGA will be battling potential first-time winners Victor Wembanyama and Luka Doncic for this award. The Thunder must dominate the West behind more incredible play from Gilgeous-Alexander to make his case stand out.
If the Thunder ran it back, the narrative would be difficult to create. The incredible production and wins were becoming expected.
Media members vote on MVP. Having the counting stats and team success is important, but the narrative is a key piece. They want to have a story to tell. SGA making history the NBA hasn’t seen in 40 years after the Thunder got worse is a compelling argument for this historic award.
The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t dodge the second apron to help Shai Gilgeous-Alexander win a third straight MVP. They wanted to avoid the spending and roster-building restrictions. The Most Valuable Player narrative was a small perk nobody was thinking about. SGA has his narrative, and Thunder fans know he dominates on the court.
It is all shaping up for a historic third consecutive win. At least something positive came out of dodging the second apron and saving money.
Add us as a preferred source on Google