Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is inching closer to being recognized as the best player in the NBA. It's crowded at the top, and postseason success will play an unavoidable factor, but the 26-year-old's ascension is nearly complete.
The polarizing reality of whether or not Gilgeous-Alexander wins MVP, however, is that voters will need to overlook the statistics that are screaming in another player's favor.
Make no mistake about it: Gilgeous-Alexander is producing one of the most outrageous stat lines in NBA history. He's currently averaging 31.2 points, 5.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 1.1 blocks, and 2.1 three-point field goals made per game on .522/.356/.896 shooting.
The only players in NBA history who have averaged at least 30.0 points, 5.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 block per game with a minimum of 60 appearances are Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Dwyane Wade.
That alone should have Gilgeous-Alexander squarely in the MVP conversation. Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, however, continues to rewrite the record books in his own way, posting 31.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.2 three-point field goals made on .556/.471/.803 shooting.
For as tempting as it is to hand Jokic another well-deserved MVP award, the polarizing truth about Gilgeous-Alexander's candidacy is that voters must look past the box score to realize he deserves it.
Voters must allow MVP conversation to evolve beyond traditional formula
There's no possible way to circumvent how impressive Jokic has been in 2024-25. If he wins the MVP award, it wouldn't be a robbery or a deception of what viewers have seen, but a difficult decision made during one of the tightest races to date.
Gilgeous-Alexander is simply checking too many boxes for voters to boil the conversation down to Jokic producing in the way he has.
For one, Gilgeous-Alexander deserves immense credit for the role he's played in helping the Thunder secure the best record in the Western Conference. They're just 1.0 game back of having the No. 1 winning percentage in the NBA, and are 6.5 games clear of the No. 2 seed in the West.
MVP shouldn't be simplified to the point of simply handing it to the best player on the best team, but Gilgeous-Alexander has played a direct role in Oklahoma City's nearly unrivaled success.
He's 14th in the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring, which is qualified by the fact that the Thunder are No. 1 in the NBA in point differential at plus-12.7. In other words: He's dominating late in games when it's necessary, but he's also playing at a level that enables his team to create enough distance that he often doesn't need to be on the court by that time.
For evidence: Oklahoma City is outscoring opponents by a team-best 17.5 points per 100 possessions when Gilgeous-Alexander is on the court and a team-worst 1.0 when he isn't.
That 16.5-point swing reveals a great deal about how Gilgeous-Alexander has set the tone for his team on both ends of the floor. Jokic has been undeniably great, but there's something to be said for a player who's posting generational numbers despite the fact that he's led his team to such resounding success that he can close out games before the fourth quarter begins.
No one should be trying to take away from what Jokic is doing in 2024-25, but if Gilgeous-Alexander is going to win the MVP he deserves, voters will need to contextualize statistics and value the latter's role in a dominant team's success.