Right now, many feel that Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets deserves to win this season’s NBA MVP, and it’s no wonder why, as he’s averaging 26.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.0 assists a game while putting the Nuggets into first place in the Western Conference.
But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder is second in the betting odds to win the award, and he is having an excellent year in his own right.
In fact, Shaquille O’Neal, who won the MVP for the 1999-2000 campaign, said on Tuesday that Gilgeous-Alexander is his MVP pick for 2024, via NBA on TNT.
“The MVP is SGA. Period. … He’s the baddest player in the game and their team is 49-21.”@SHAQ has his pick for MVP 👀 pic.twitter.com/nPbCZGouob
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 26, 2024
Gilgeous-Alexander has steadily improved over the last few years since entering the NBA for the 2018-19 season, and this year, he’s putting up 30.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game.
Despite his thin stature, he’s a free-throw magnet — he’s fourth in free-throw attempts per game, and when he gets there, he usually converts thanks to his 87.2 percent accuracy at the charity stripe.
Gilgeous-Alexander has also improved defensively, and he’s leading the NBA in steals per game.
Thanks to his all-around excellence, the Thunder have a 49-21 record, which is the second-best record in the West, and they’re well ahead of schedule.
Last year, they were only able to snag 10th place in the conference, and their future is very bright, regardless of how this season plays out.
The trade that sent out Paul George and brought in Gilgeous-Alexander, plus seven first-round draft picks, is looking better and better every day for Oklahoma City.
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