The second week of March may have been a key point in the 2024-2025 NBA MVP race.
While the matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets was billed as a heavyweight fight in itself, the other looming storyline was the battle between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic. Both Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic were at the forefront of their respective squads, scoring in a variety of ways and making plays for their teammates and it was the former who had a virtuoso performance.
Gilgeous-Alexander has never been the type to operate in just one pace, and his deliberate approach to the game allows us to see this in full display. Call it shifty or think of it as nifty, but the three-time NBA All-Star has a game that can be both sublime and divisive.
The 26-year old has been averaging career-highs on offense while exceeding expectations with his defense. The latter is particularly noteworthy considering the huge load he is carrying on the offensive end. His penchant for getting to the line, though, has drawn the ire of some.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s free throw attempts per game this season of 8.9 attempts per game are not a career-high (that would be the 10.9 free throw attempts per game he averaged in 2022-2023). However, there are those that feel his free throw hunting has gotten too blatant.
Should that discount Gilgeous-Alexander from being the MVP frontrunner? Of course not. He’s still the best player on the best team in the Western Conference. Gilgeous-Alexander is also the league’s leading scorer and has been in the top five in the last three seasons. The Canadian is the only guard that is currently averaging at least one steal and one block per game.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s case may be boosted by what many call as voter fatigue for Jokic, but MVPs should not be awarded because of last season or next season. It can be said that Gilgeous-Alexander is having the best 2024-2025 so far and that’s why he’s the provisional MVP race leader.
Recent events by no means dictate that Gilgeous-Alexander will be this season’s MVP, as Jokic still has a chance to snatch the MVP award. but their In their second matchup in as many days, the Nuggets relied on their stellar 3-point shooting and Jokic’s steady presence to exact vengeance on Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder, who on any other day would have won against your average NBA team.
Nineteen games is a ton of basketball so a lot can happen between now and the start of the NBA Playoffs. MVP voters may slowly be making up their minds, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can still convince them that without a shadow of a doubt, he should be this year’s winner.
His matchup with Nikola Jokic was the first step, but with other teams looking to control their own postseason fortunes, Gilgeous-Alexander can control his own destiny by putting an end to theirs.
It also helps that Gilgeous-Alexander has now also helped the Thunder clinch a playoff seed in the second week of March, which fittingly happened after defeating the defending champion Boston Celtics. This is the first time that the Thunder have made back-to-back playoff appearances this decade.
