3 reasons why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserves MVP award over Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo continue to lead the pack in the race for the 2024-25 NBA MVP award. With roughly two months left in the regular season, the battle for the top individual honor could get more interesting. A win by Jokic or Antetokounmpo would add to their respective hauls, while a victory by "SGA" would give him his first.

NBA.com has Gilgeous-Alexander holding pole position in the MVP ladder in the last few months. Jokic (second) and Antetokounmpo (third) have also kept their places in the exciting race. If the positioning holds, the Oklahoma City Thunder star could be the first Thunder to earn the award since Kevin Durant won it in 2014.

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Here's a closer look at three reasons why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserves to win the NBA MVP award over Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

3 reasons why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could pip Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo for MVP award

#3. Thunder will likely end with a better record than Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks

The OKC Thunder improved their record to 47-11 after pulling a come-from-behind 129-121 win against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. Oklahoma is nine games ahead of the Denver Nuggets (38-20) in the Western Conference. The Milwaukee Bucks (32-25) are over 15 games adrift of Gilgeous-Alexander’s team.

The record is indicative of how "SGA", Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo have led their teams this season to success. With a little over 20 games left to play, the Thunder will likely end with better records than the Nuggets and the Bucks.

The final team record will likely help Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to emerge out of the shadows of The Joker.

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#2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads his team with the best net rating in the NBA

Analysts have lauded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s impressive work on offense. The Canadian leads the NBA in scoring with 32.4 points per game and runs the OKC Thunder offense with precision. The scoring and playmaking "SGA" brings are big reasons the Thunder rank fifth in offensive rating.

"SGA" has stood out not only on offense. He has been a key part of the Thunder’s 105.3 defensive rating, the best in the NBA by a wide margin. OKC allows opponents to hit 43.1%, another league-best figure, with help from last year’s MVP runner-up.

Oklahoma tops the NBA in net rating (12.6) because of their impressive two-way play.

In contrast, Nikola Jokic and Co. rank second in offensive rating but fall to 17th in defensive rating. The Nuggets’ 5.5 net rating put them fifth in that category this season.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks are 14th in net rating with a 1.4 mark. The Giannis Antetokounmpo-led team is 15th in offensive rating (113.4) and 10th in defensive rating (112.0).

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#1. SGA is having his best season in the NBA

Last season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander placed second behind Nikola Jokic for the MVP award. The superstar point guard averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. This season, "SGA" is putting up an NBA-best 32.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 6.2 apg, 1.9 bpg and 1.1 spg.

Gilgeous-Alexander also improved his true shooting percentage from 63.6% last season to 64.0%. He has improved his game, which has led the OKC Thunder to the best net rating in the NBA. The Canadian could pip Jokic and Antetokounmpo for the MVP award at the end of the season.

Do you think Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserves to win the NBA MVP award this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.