Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been otherworldly this season.
For the expert guard, scoring 30-plus factors seems as simple as chewing gum, and he is already compiled fairly a formidable spotlight reel halfway by means of the season.
Given his very good particular person stats and Oklahoma Metropolis’s standing atop the Western Convention, Gilgeous-Alexander needs to be the front-runner for the Most Precious Participant award.
“To me, he is unguardable,” Anthony Edwards mentioned, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “So far as any one-on-one matchup, yeah, you possibly can go on and provides it up. Simply give him two factors more often than not. So I believe you bought to entice him. Possibly that do not work, however you bought to attempt it. For certain you bought to ship a second physique, particularly if he bought a positive matchup. Anytime he bought any individual that he is aware of cannot guard him, he’ll rating each time.”
“[He’s] the NBA MVP,” Edwards mentioned.
To this point this season, Gilgeous-Alexander is tied for first within the NBA in factors per recreation (31.4) and leads the league in complete factors (1,192). He’s additionally one among simply two players with 20-plus video games with 30-plus factors, doing so a league-high 22 occasions this season.
“I really feel like I am flowing,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned, per MacMahon. “The sport is simply coming [naturally]. I am not urgent. I am not considering. I am simply on the market hooping.”
In opposition to all opponents, Gilgeous-Alexander has scored in bunches and located methods to win. Spearheaded by his MVP-caliber play, the Thunder rattled off a franchise-record 15-game successful streak this season. Throughout that span, the Thunder collected wins over the Celtics, Knicks and Rockets, who’re all top-three seeds of their respective conferences.
With the potential to clinch this yr’s scoring title and his group on tempo to safe the No. 1 seed, Gilgeous-Alexander needs to be the clear front-runner for MVP this season.
Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo should be within the dialog, too, however the Thunder guard has even outpaced his All-NBA friends. This season nonetheless has loads left to provide, however by the top, it ought to shock nobody if Gilgeous-Alexander is called the NBA MVP.
Regardless of the standout particular person brilliance from final season’s All-NBA first-team guard, the Thunder celebrity doesn’t imagine himself to be the NBA MVP simply but. Ought to he proceed his torrid tempo this season, although, Gilgeous-Alexander would not be against receiving the distinguished award.
“MVPs are by no means gained after 40 video games. 40 extra of those and yeah, certain,” the Thunder guard mentioned, by way of Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman.
