Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning holder of the Michael Jordan regular-season MVP award. Some experts believe he’s not just the incumbent holder of the trophy but has also invoked a playing style that puts him in the same status as Jordan would’ve been in today’s NBA.
According to the former two-time MVP Steve Nash, Gilgeous-Alexander is playing this season with the same efficiency as Jordan would have in the NBA today. Nash appeared on Amazon Prime’s pregame coverage of the Thunder’s matchup against the Suns in the NBA Cup and spoke about the reigning MVP’s incredible efficiency statistics this season.
“Offensively, this guy is getting into the heir statistically of people like Michael Jordan. I know that is sacrilegious to say, but look at some of these numbers,” Nash boldly said.
“Among all-time 30 points per game scorers, he has the highest true shooting percentage. He is second in three-point field goal percentage, and two-pointers, he’s sixth at 60%. We’ve seen how many fouls [he draws], leads the league in fouls, and all this while the fewest turnovers among anyone who has ever scored 30 points per game for a season,” Nash further explained.
“I mean, that is excellence and unbelievable to watch. I do not get bored with this guy,” said Nash in conclusion.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is currently averaging 32.8 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 55.6% from the field. He leads all 30-point scorers of all-time in true shooting percentage for a season (69.0%), he has the second-highest in three-point percentage (44.0%), and is sixth all-time in the field goal percentage from inside the three-point line (60%).
The Canadian superstar boldly claimed at the end of last season that he’s currently the best player in the world. He joined Jordan as the only guard in NBA history to win the Finals MVP, the regular season MVP, and the scoring champion in the same year.
In 2024-25, the Thunder were so close to winning the NBA Cup but fell short in the championship game against the Bucks. Gilgeous-Alexander will have to channel the competitive side of Michael Jordan to make sure that history does not repeat itself this season.
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder seem to be cruising to a win against the Suns (26-point difference at the half, 74-48). If they beat them tonight, then they will secure a spot in the semi-finals of the NBA Cup and will face the winner of the Lakers vs. the Spurs later today.
