OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has his sights set on his second consecutive MVP award this year, and it won't come without outworking the stiff competition strewn across the league.
Fortunately, now nearly halfway through the season, Shai has asserted himself as the odds-on favorite for the honor by a generous margin.
It's true that the point guard's season averages are up there with the best in the league, and his offensive efficiency has been unmatched, but he has pulled ahead of the pack through a means that has gone virtually unnoticed.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the best defenders in the league.
At 42.2 percent, his defensive field goal percentage ranks first among players who are scoring over 29 points per game.
He has been particularly stingy away from the Paycom center. On the road, he currently has the second-lowest defensive field goal percentage in the NBA among those who have defended at least 150 shots at 39.4 percent.
His defensive rating is also at an elite 105.2. Of the top five favorites to win the MVP this year, the next best defender has a defensive rating 4.3 points higher than Shai's.
Shai GIlgeous-Alexander's ability to defend has been severely overlooked
The Thunder guard's defensive skillset isn't a new trend. Last season, his defensive field goal percentage was a respectable 44.1 percent. This year, he has just taken his defensive prowess to another level.
This skill set of his often seems to go unnoticed as a result of his wizardry on the offensive side of the ball. As an MVP, scoring champion, and working to break the record for the most consecutive 20-point games in history, it's difficult to have fans appreciate other parts of your game.
In reality, trying to buy a bucket on Shai is just as frustrating as trying to prevent him from scoring himself.
His defensive field goal percentage is just 0.8 higher than the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner, Chet Holmgren, and he is currently 13th in the league in steals per game among players who have seen more than 26 games of action.
With so many factors working in Gilgeous-Alexander's favor, it's hard to see anyone holding him back from winning his second straight MVP award. He is such a shoo-in, in fact, that FanDuel currently has his odds at -450 to walk away with the honor.
The next closest is Luka Doncic, who's odds are set at +450 on the same platform.
Granted, in sports, nothing is ever set and stone, so Shai will have no choice but to continue his elite level of two-way play until the final game of the season if he wants to achieve this lofty goal.