Since we have entered the final stretch of the regular season, where all teams have less than 10 games left to play, the NBA MVP race is boiling down to its top three candidates.
Some might argue who among Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic is the third on that list. However, the top two for most voters are expected to be Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander since their respective franchises have the best records in the league.
The Thunder lead the West with the best record in the NBA (60-16) so far, and the Spurs are a close second (57-18). The Pistons (54-21), who are the first seed in the East, are behind the Spurs in terms of their regular season record.
While Wembanyama has made a strong case for the award and even topped the recent MVP ladder, the NBA legend Carmelo Anthony believes Gilgeous-Alexander has this award locked up.
“I love Wemby. I love what he’s doing. I love the fact that he’s bringing so much to the game, to his team, the energy. He’s going to be leading in every statistical category in the years to come. But right now, Shai has this thing on lock,” said Anthony in his recent appearance on NBA Showtime during Prime’s NBA coverage.
“135 games with 20 or more, he broke Wilt’s record. He’s shooting 55% from the field. He is having a better MVP season this year than he did last year, leads the league in clutch scoring, carrying the defending champs, maybe again to the best record in the NBA. If that’s not the MVP, I really don’t know what is.”
“If he wins it this year, he’s up there with LeBron, MJ, and Bill Russell,” concluded Anthony with a bold statement.
The Canadian superstar is currently averaging 31.6 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 55.3% from the field and 38.3% from the three-point line. Although these look like MVP numbers, there’s nothing exceptional that we haven’t seen before.
Even if Gilgeous-Alexander wins the MVP award, it would be only his second one. Meanwhile, all the players that Carmelo Anthony mentioned have four or more. Michael Jordan and Bill Russell have five each, and LeBron James has four.
It is understandable if he says Gilgeous-Alexander is having a historic season, but going as far as to say he will be at par with those three legends seems a bit of a stretch.
If he said players like Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo in their prime, both of whom won back-to-back MVPs, I would still agree to some level. But Gilgeous-Alexander has not done enough to leapfrog all these future Hall of Famers to make it to that elite list.
While Gilgeous-Alexander refused to argue his own case and said his game would speak more than him, several analysts feel that Wembanyama is also starting from a disadvantage, especially when it comes to being accepted as the best player and the face of the league.
Therefore, the MVP award this season could signify a lot more than just the best player of the season. It could redefine each of these players’ positions in the league. But it certainly won’t mean as much as Anthony says it would.
