By The Numbers: SGA emerging as frontrunner for NBA MVP
Published
Following back-to-back seasons of top-five finishes for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played his way into pole position for the honour at the half-way point of the regular season.
The 26-year-old Canadian has been the catalyst for the Western Conference-leading Thunder all season long.
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.5 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.3 rebounds in 34.1 minutes per game, while also ranking second in steals at 2.1, and third among guards with 1.1 blocks.
Oklahoma City has outscored their opponents by 568 points with the Kentucky product on the floor, the best mark in the Association by over 100 points, with New York Knicks wing Mikal Bridges coming in at plus-440 for second place.
Following a 40-point performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this month, Anthony Edwards lauded the superstar’s performance this season, declaring him as “the MVP of the NBA” to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
"He's consistent every night. His team going to give him the ball and just let him rock out every night. It's nothing to think about. 'Hey, get Shai the ball and he going to get busy, and then we're going to figure it out after that.' I love watching that.
“It's incredible, man. If he is keeping him like that, I hope they give [the MVP] to him this year, for sure. I feel like he should have won it last year, but he's playing out his mind right now.”
Gilgeous-Alexander was appreciative of the praise heaped on him by on one of the league’s brightest young stars.
"No offence to you guys in the media, but the best satisfaction is when your peers and the guys that do the same thing for a living at a very high level that you do recognize and respect your craft and your talent," he said.
Edwards isn’t alone in thinking Gilgeous-Alexander deserves the MVP. The 6-foot-6 guard is the odds-on favourite to win the award at -330 on FanDuel Sportsbook as of Jan. 20.
Denver Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic has the next shortest odds at +260, while Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo rounds out the top three at a distant +4000.
FanDuel also offers Gilgeous-Alexander's Thunder at +250 to win the NBA Championship, the second-best odds behind the defending-champion Boston Celtics at +220.