With the NBA season nearing its end, the Oklahoma City Thunder are in the driver’s seat for the top spot in the Western Conference standings. With a 52-22 record, OKC holds a narrow half-game lead on last year’s NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves also have 51 wins on the season.
The Thunder’s megastar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a six-year pro from the University of Kentucky, is leading the way. With the calendar flipped to April, Gilgeous-Alexander, also known as SGA, sits third in MVP odds according to DraftKings Sportsbook, well behind The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic and the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic. However, one former NBA standout turned media personality believes Gilgeous-Alexander should take home the MVP for his all-around impact on the Thunder.
Former NBA Star Gilbert Arenas Backs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for MVP
Gilbert Arenas, an 11-year NBA vet and three-time All-Star with the Washington Wizards, took to his show ‘Gil’s Arena’ on Tuesday, making a case for Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win the 2023-24 MVP.
“Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] is the MVP… There is not a veteran on that team that has any experience of winning. This is him pushing his 22, 23, 24-year-old teammates. He has them in a position to be the number 1, 2, 3 seed,” said Arenas during a segment of his show on Tuesday.
“Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] is the MVP… There is not a veteran on that team that has any experience of winning. This is him pushing his 22, 23, 24-year-old teammates.”
Gilbert Arenas makes the case for SGA’s MVP candidacy 👀
(via @GilsArenaShow) pic.twitter.com/38fo4ZPvAV
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 2, 2024
Arenas emphasized Oklahoma City’s lack of established stars as a reason for Gilgeous-Alexander to be the front-runner for the MVP. Unlike his main competition, Dallas’ Luka Doncic and Denver’s Nikola Jokic, the Thunder’s leading scorer operates on the court with less established professionals.
Arenas continued, “The ‘young fella’ is carrying and having these other young players playing like veterans, that is (expletive) MVP.”
Arenas points at Doncic having veterans like Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr., while Jokic plays with a team that won last season’s NBA Finals. Meanwhile, SGA is leading the Thunder with rookie Chet Holmgren and 22-year-old Jalen Williams as the next leading scorers.
Oklahoma City Thunder PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Stellar 2023-24 Season
Two-time All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having a fantastic age 25 campaign. The Ontario native averages 30.3 points per game on a ludicrous 54/37/87 shooting slash line. He also leads the NBA with 2.1 steals per game while averaging north of five rebounds and assists per contest.
Alexander finished fifth in NBA MVP voting last season but is in a solid position to finish in the top three this season, with the Oklahoma City Thunder at the top of the Western Conference Standings. However, per most sportsbooks, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is the heavy favorite to win the award.
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