Shaquille O’Neal shocked NBA fans on Tuesday night when he tapped OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the MVP this season. The self-proclaimed big man guru picked the young point guard over Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo this season, going against his typical allegiances…
“The MVP is SGA,” said Shaq on TNT. “He meets my criteria and everybody else’s criteria. He’s the baddest player in the game and their team is 49-21.”
“The MVP is SGA. Period. … He’s the baddest player in the game and their team is 49-21.”@SHAQ has his pick for MVP 👀 pic.twitter.com/nPbCZGouob
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 26, 2024
The MVP is always a matter up for debate and this season is no exception. So far, Denver’s Nikola Jokic is leading the way and he’s already got an NBA championship to validate it. Before he went down with injury, Joel Embiid was an early front-runner as he was making history with the 76ers.
For most of the season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been at least part of the conversation and one look at his game will explain why. He’s been unstoppable scoring this season and has the look of a true superstar. Plus, as the best player on the second-best team in the West, he gets an automatic advantage for his individual and team-wide success.
While Shai isn’t currently the favorite to win the award, there has been a growing push to get his name into the mix. This season, through 69 games, he’s averaging 30.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game on 49% shooting. He’s been virtually unstoppable with the ball and his ascension is the primary reason why the Thunder have so far outpaced other young teams.
This spring, the Thunder will enter the postseason still relatively unproven and they will have to show they belong before anyone is ready to take them seriously. But with Shai, all is possible for the Thunder and they can beat any team on any given night. If he continues his dominance when the pressure is highest, the Thunder will have shown all they need to prove themselves as a true Western Conference elite.
The Thunder Are Still Underdogs In The West
The Western Conference is so deep right now that it’s almost impossible to tell how everything will shake up. While some teams like the Lakers and Warriors are already locked into place, other placements are not yet finalized.
Depending on the final stretch of games, the Thunder could end up anywhere in the top three, with matchups against either the Lakers, Warriors, or Sacramento Kings in the first round.
Despite their talent, and good play this season, not everyone likes the Thunder in a matchup against those teams if for nothing else than their inexperience compared to the field.
Not even Shaq is fully in on the Thunder and claimed not too long ago that the Lakers or Warriors could knock them out early in an upset.
Whether true or not, it goes to show the lack of confidence in the Thunder right now. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may be MVP material he still has to prove himself in the playoffs and his very legacy is riding on what happens between now and June.
Fortunately for OKC, Shai seems more than up for the task and he will pose a major challenge to any team who stands in his way.
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