OKC Thunder Superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Continues to Make MVP Case

It came as a shock to many NBA fans to see Oklahoma City frontman Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the same social media graphic as Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, but for Thunder fans specifically, it had been a long time coming. 

Embiid currently holds the No. 1 spot in the KIA MVP Ladder — as it's universally known — followed by the Serbian superstar, while Gilgeous-Alexander rounds out the leaderboard. He brings a strong style of play at a unique position, considering the stark contrast between him and the previous five winners, and is beginning to make his case to be a real contender for the award. 

In other words, Gilgeous-Alexander has entered the race, and he's far from out of it.

"Most take note of Gilgeous-Alexander’s gaudy offensive numbers," NBA.com wrote in its recent MVP Ladder. "Which is understandable after watching the 25-year-old tally his 13th game with 30-plus points [this season]. He’s connected on 61.3% from the field in his last two games."

In his sixth season in the league, Gilgeous-Alexander has only continued to grow in consistency, skill and maturity. Not only is he turning heads whenever he's on the floor — finding ways to score with a grace that only he could — but he's also doing so in the locker room. He's making himself a true leader for his teammates, especially considering they make up the league's second-youngest squad. 

Maturity and leadership might not make the criteria for an on-court award, but it does help to paint a better picture for how important — or valuable, I should say — he is to the Thunder. He's averaging 30.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists on over 50 percent shooting, and it'd be naive to not consider how having his teammates' respect helps him to run the floor and make an in-game impact. 

"The sixth-year vet is making a major impact defensively, too, having notched back-to-back outings with five-plus steals for the first time in his career going into Friday’s matchup against Golden State," NBA.com added. 

So, Gilgeous-Alexander has the offense, the defense and the off-court impact. He's setting himself apart as one of the premiere scorers, defenders and leaders, and for all of those reasons, it's no surprise to see him on a ranking featuring Jokic and Embiid. 

The Thunder are contenders this season — currently sitting at the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference — and he is the reason why. That's the mark of an MVP. 

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