The NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) race has been one of the closest in recent memory. Usually, by this time in the season, the MVP award is pretty much decided. However, this season, two candidates are neck and neck, both having historical seasons. Maddox will be making his case for why Shai Gilgious-Alexander (SGA) deserves to win MVP, and Cooper will be defending Nikola Jokic’s (Joker) case for the award.
Shaivonte Gilgious-Alexander is the clear-cut MVP and there is no debate. SGA is the catalyst for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s success, averaging 32.6 points, 6.2 assists and 5.2 rebounds as the Thunder hold the first seed in the Western Conference, two spots above the Denver Nuggets. While Gilgious-Alexander has a better supporting cast than Jokic, SGA is leading the league in scoring. Jokic is a better all-around offensive player averaging more assists and rebounds than Gilgeous-Alexander, however, SGA is a better defender with more blocks, the same amount of steals and turns the ball over less than Jokic. Not only is SGA the overall better pick for the most valuable player, I can see voter fatigue playing a large role in this year’s MVP race. Jokic has won three out of the last four MVP awards, meaning MVP voters are tired of voting for the same player each year, making Gilgious-Alexander the favorite for MVP.
Nikola Jokic is without a doubt the best basketball player in the world and has been for the past three seasons. Despite having won the MVP award three times already, Jokic is having arguably the best season of his career, totaling 28.9 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists. SGA has also shot 541 free-throws this year, leading the league by far, and 210 more than Jokic. Some people may even say he is a “free-throw merchant,” someone who baits fouls to score more points. The Denver Nuggets are currently the third seed in the Western Conference, and very close to passing the Los Angeles Lakers for the second seed. Despite the Thunder having the first seed locked up, their success is due to the great team basketball they play, not Gilgeous-Alexander putting the team on his back. Nikola Jokic is the engine that runs the Nuggets’ offense. When Jokic is on the court, his team has a net rating of 11.9. When he is off the court, the Nuggets have a net rating of -10.1, a difference of 22.0! Nobody else in the league is above 17. SGA is getting much-deserved attention this season, but the MVP award belongs to Nikola Jokic.
