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Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Surges on Latest NBA MVP Ladder, Where Does He Rank?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Nathaniel Holloway | Last updated Jan 4, 2025 11:20 AM ET

As the NBA season approaches the halfway point, the MVP race has begun to heat up.

The NBA released their latest MVP Ladder on Friday, and the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić maintained his spot on top. Surging up to second on the list was the Oklahoma City Thunder’s star guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

While Jokić has had an unbelievable season once again, Shai is also putting together an incredible season. The 26-year-old is averaging 31.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 52.5% from the field and 35.6% from three.

Shai has not only been Oklahoma City’s best offensive player this season, but he has also been one of their best defenders. The Thunder have a top five offense and defense, mainly due to Shai’s continued development.

He has also led the Thunder to a 29-5 record, which is the best record in the Western Conference and trails the Cleveland Cavaliers by one game for the best record in the entire NBA. Shai has done this without the help of one of Oklahoma City’s best young stars in Chet Holmgren, who has been out since early November with a hip injury.

While Shai is putting together an MVP-like season, he will still need to continue to dominate games to beat out Jokić for the award. Jokić is currently averaging 30.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 56.1% from the field and 49.2% from three.

This MVP race is reminiscent of last season’s, which also saw a great battle down the stretch between Shai and Jokić. Of course, Jokić was named MVP for the third time last season, but Shai hopes that he can continue to dominate down the stretch this season to win his first MVP award.

Either way, both players are deserving of the award and it may come down to the final games of the season to know exactly who will take home MVP this season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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