With their record of 56-12 and a 13-win advantage over the second-seeded Houston Rockets, the OKC Thunder are unequivocally the best team in the Western Conference and, just a half-game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, quite possibly the entire league.
Simultaneously, they are spearheaded by perhaps the best two-way talent the game currently has to offer in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who, amid his third-straight All-Star season and en route to his third-straight All-NBA nod, is putting forth a career-best campaign.
With his all-around dominance, coupled with the sheer notion that he's the best player on the best team, it should come as no surprise that the guard is widely considered a front-runner to win the 2025 MVP award.
That said, as of late, there has been growing buzz regarding Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic's candidacy, as his per-game averages of 29.1 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.3 assists along with his team's 43-25, third-seeded record have some now pegging him as the favorite to take home the Michael Jordan Trophy.
And while it goes without saying that the big man is more than deserving of recognition for his sensational production on the year, putting the excitement of triple-double averages aside, it's quite evident that Gilgeous-Alexander is the more deserving candidate for the illustrious moniker.
Recent findings strengthen Thunder star's claim for MVP over Jokic
Every passing day, it seems that a new statistic or milestone strengthens the Thunder star's case for MVP. From his league-leading points-per-game average of 33.0 to his top-billed net rating of 16.6, be it in the form of surface-level stats to advanced metrics, the numbers regularly prove Gilgeous-Alexander is worthy of winning the end-of-season hardware.
However, a recent finding by Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar could be used to widen the gap even more between the 26-year-old and his direct MVP-threat in Jokic.
Shared via his personal X account, the Franchise Sports staffer pointed out that, following their Sunday night win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City now boasts a ridiculous 24-1 record on the year when facing off against Eastern Conference teams.
Their lone loss came via a January 8 bout against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a time where they had just played five top-billed contenders in a span of 11 nights and were found playing without key contributors in the lineup, such as Chet Holmgren.
Comparatively, Jokic and the Nuggets hold a record of 17-10 when squaring off against teams in the opposing conference, though this is not the part that most stands out to Rahbar, for, with Denver's 126-123 loss to Washington Saturday night, they have now been downed by the cellar dweller Wizards more times than SGA and the Thunder have against all East teams in 2024-25.
Now, though wins are often the result of an overall team effort, this fun factoid could serve as yet another talking point that could help set the tone for the OKC star's MVP bid during this final stretch of the regular season.
After all, team success has often been cited as a crucial factor considered in the voting process.