'What exactly does he have to do to actually move in first?' - Antonio Daniels is shocked by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's rank on latest MVP ladder

Originally posted on Basketball Network
By Shane Garry Acedera | Last updated Dec 28, 2024 3:48 AM ET

The NBA has released its latest Kia MVP Ladder, and there isn't any change, at least in the Top 5, with Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo still sitting in the first two spots.

However, retired NBA guard Antonio Daniels wonders why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains in the third spot when he continues to have a career season, and his Oklahoma City Thunder are still at the top of the Western Conference team standings.

"He is a culture-builder. And there's a big difference between good players and culture builders. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is not just an elite player. He's also someone that you can build your culture around. If you look at the MVP ladder today, where is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?" he said.

“What else does he have to do to move into [first place in the MVP race]?”@adaniels33 tells @WorldWideWob Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserves to be leading the MVP conversation right now. pic.twitter.com/kEhP0OX3SI
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) December 27, 2024

SGA is still third in the Kia MVP Ladder

The Thunder played two games this past week and went 2-0 against the Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers. In those contests, SGA scored 41 and 45 points, respectively, while shooting a combined 29-47 from the field or 61.7 percent.

Meanwhile, Jokic had a busy four-game week and went 2-2 while putting up four double-digit points and rebounds games, including two triple-doubles. On the other hand, the Milwaukee Bucks have gone 1-1 since winning the NBA Cup, with Antetokounmpo averaging 29.5 points and 16.5 rebounds per game.

"Think of the fact that he's third right now," added Daniels. "Oklahoma City is first in the West, and he is having a career year. In the past couple of games, he put up 45 and 41, and he's still third. So what exactly does he have to do to actually surpass Giannis and Nikola Jokic to actually move in first?"

The top 5 stay strong through another week of play

Full MVP Ladder: https://t.co/pGZtHDKqE7 pic.twitter.com/LF0RcIp1s3
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 27, 2024

MVP Ladder is subjective, though

The Kia MVP Ladder is a weekly ranking of the league's best players by NBA.com and is written by Shaun Powell. That means what's on the ladder reflects only Powell's opinion and not the league's.

For Jokic, Powell talked about his two-assist game versus Phoenix and blamed it on his teammates, saying, "That's more due to his teammates' inability to translate his passes to buckets." Meanwhile, he justified putting Giannis at two by saying, "He is still breathing the healthy fumes of the Emirates NBA Cup title, and that should be enough to keep him elevated in the ladder."

Overall, SGA deserves more credit for what he's been doing this season, especially given how consistent the Thunder have been. Maybe future MVP ladders will reflect that. The last one, however, hasn't.

This article first appeared on Basketball Network and was syndicated with permission.

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