Though there may be a number of players who legitimately warrant consideration for the 2026 NBA MVP award, ultimately, with how ridiculous OKC Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's play has been this year, should he remain healthy, there's no question that he's the most deserving candidate.
It seems that with every passing day, the league's reigning recipient does something new to remind the masses that the illustrious honor is, in fact, his to lose.
The most recent example of this came during Tuesday's revenge win over San Antonio, where Gilgeous-Alexander officially became the only player in the league to block Spurs wunderkind Victor Wembanyama twice in the same season.
Thunder star only player to block Victor Wembanyama twice in one year
The Thunder star is overwhelmingly known for being one of the most effective scoring weapons in the game today, and his averages of 31.9 points per game this season (second-best mark in the league), 31.5 over the last four seasons, and the fact that he holds the record for the second-most consecutive 20-plus point games in NBA history only further highlight this narrative.
Of course, as Oklahoma City fans are well aware, he's far more than a mere one-way player.
In this modern era of play that's primarily focused on the offensive end of the ball, some may overlook the stupendous defensive efforts that are being put forth by Gilgeous-Alexander on a daily basis.
Through 35 games played this year, the point guard ranks within the top-25 in defensive rating (minimum 25 games played), the top-15 in total steals and deflections, the top-four in defensive win-shares, and the top-six in total blocks among backcourt talents.
Unfortunately for him, however, due to the widely perceived "unsexy" nature of defensive play, his production on this end often gets overlooked.
Hopefully, the fact that he, at 6-foot-6, is the only player to swat the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama's shot twice in one campaign will start to draw people's attention, especially those with voting power.
Among the current top five candidates who are in play to take home the MVP award, Gilgeous-Alexander is the only one who ranks within the top 100 in the association in defensive rating, while simultaneously also being the only one of the bunch to rank within the top 25 in offensive rating.
From both the eye test and the advanced metrics, it should come as no surprise that the Thunder cornerstone is viewed as the odds-on favorite to take home the honor for the second consecutive season.
His latest feat at the expense of Wemby only makes his case stronger.