Shai’s Struggles Can Cost Him the MVP

What’s Wrong With SGA?

While SGA continues to thrive on the court with consistent 20-point games, his usual performances aren’t at the same level. He’s been able to score with ease and come up with strong outings, but sometimes not enough to lift OKC to win. For starters, he had a rough stretch against the Toronto Raptors and the New Orleans Pelicans. He shot a combined 16-33 from the field in those two games.

Known for his consistent work ethic, Shai’s MVP case has been built on that regard. We’ve seen how he is grinding night in and night out while leading OKC with his best. There’s just been a few hiccups this season. What makes it even worse is that it is coming in a stretch where he should be exploding for bigger games.

With Jokic out, this timeframe is the best for Gilgeous-Alexander to build his MVP case. At the age of 27, he is seeking to be the first guard to win the award on back-to-back seasons since Stephen Curry in 2015 and 2016. So far, SGA has been somewhat stagnant, and the Thunder arguably need more from him.

Playmaking Has Been An Issue

Not typically a pass-first player, we’ve seen how good OKC can be when SGA creates for everyone. It’s not just about drawing doubles or passing up when he’s struggling. It’s about getting his teammates more involved instead of pushing for his iso plays. In the last 10 games, Shai has five games where he’s recorded fewer than five assists. The Thunder ended up losing two of those, which were in tight fashion as well. OKC is boasting a 7-4 record whenever Gilgeous-Alexander is finishing with fewer than five assists.

In contrast, SGA finishing with at least five assists has seen OKC with a 29-6 record. That’s a winning number. In fact, it has been evident even in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, too. Understandably Shai is focused on scoring first. However, he has to set plays for his teammates – especially Chet Holmgren.

Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell are missing some time due to injuries. This means that the bulk of the playmaking assignment rests on SGA. Sure, he’s a scorer, but he needs to find ways to generate assists and create plays for his teammates.

The MVP Race is Fragile

For most of the season, the MVP race has been focused on Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and Jaylen Brown happen to be outliers, but the first two are the constants. With Jokic missing time that may end up affecting his case for the MVP, Shai has to step up. In fact, Jokic would have a lot of catching up to do if SGA was putting up historic numbers during the stretch where the Denver center was out.

To begin the season, bookmakers were putting Shai as the frontrunner in the race for the MVP. While some incredible games from Jokic are influencing the odds, the Thunder star’s consistency has been unreal. However, we’ve seen Gilgeous-Alexander enduring struggles, rough nights, and poor shooting games.

SGA’s MVP Chances Are Slimmer

Per reports, Jokic may be returning anytime soon. This means that the race for the MVP is going nuclear, with two of its top candidates going back and forth. Right now, there are only two ways that SGA can finish with the MVP. One is for him to continue his level of play while putting up even better games. Another way is for Jokic to actually miss more games and not qualify for individual awards.

Regardless, OKC needs SGA to step up. Sure, he’s playing consistently and is even sitting out fourth quarters. However, he’s going to need more shining games while he leads an injured Thunder squad back to the top of the NBA world by June.