The Oklahoma City Thunder came away with a clutch 114-110 victory over the shorthanded Detroit Pistons behind an MVP-caliber performance by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. With the superstar posting a game-high 47 points along with five rebounds and three assists, the Thunder notched their 60th win of the season.
Monday night’s performance adds to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s list of impressive outings this season, strengthening his case as an MVP candidate. While the competition this year is expected to be stiff, Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t seem too preoccupied with it during his postgame media availability.
“I think it’s good for the league [the MVP race]. I think it’s good chatter,” he stated. “It gives people something to talk about. There’s a lot of good players in this league and a lot of guys in the conversation.”
When asked whether he was actively making his case for being considered a viable candidate, however, the Thunder superstar responded:
“Nah, I’m good. Thanks for asking, though. I’m okay. I’ll let my game do the talking.”
As the reigning MVP and one of the best players in the league, he is already a frontrunner to win the award. Still, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s answer oozes confidence, stemming from his faith in his own abilities. Given his averages of 31.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game, this faith is also rooted in results.
With an incandescent performance to help his team secure the win, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander maintains his position among the favorites to win the MVP award. In light of the kind of night Victor Wembanyama had, it seems appropriate that Gilgeous-Alexander responded in kind.
Mark Daigneault Doesn’t Campaign For Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
A significant aspect of a player’s MVP candidacy depends on the support they receive from the fans and the attention they generate from the media. Hence, one of the drivers of such narratives is the head coaches.
While players such as Luka Doncic have received considerable support from their respective head coaches, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has taken a more hands-off approach.
“The voters understand that they are documenting history and player legacies,” Daigneault stated. “In some cases, their contracts are impacted by these decisions. I think voters take that really seriously and look at it really hard.”
“They watch all the players more than I do. I watch one player,” he continued. “I, obviously, have spoken many times about how I feel about him. But it’s out of our control, who goes out there, who plays. He [Gilgeous-Alexander] focuses on what he can control and stays inside the team, and then the chips fall where they may.”
While Daigneault has spoken out in favor of Gilgeous-Alexander on multiple occasions, he hasn’t necessarily “campaigned” for him the way most coaches do. In many ways, the player and the head coach seem aligned on this front, as they let the game speak for itself.
Needless to say, this approach has yielded success. With OKC outlasting the top-ranked Pistons (54-21) at home, extending their home winning streak to 10 games, the Thunder continue to assert themselves as favorites to win it all.
