Upset Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drops eye-opening take on MVP polling
OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has continued from where he left off last season. He is among the frontrunners for this season's MVP award, but he had other ideas about the award when he spoke to reporters on Monday before the loss against the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander believes that individual awards are meaningless if they don't turn into team success. He went further to add that winning should be a key factor when players are being evaluated for the prestigious award.
"Nothing matters in this game if you don't win," Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN. "And the award is finished being selected before the playoffs are finished, so those games don't go into it. So I think it should matter a lot."
ESPN's MVP straw poll has the Canadian in second place, behind reigning MVP and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Rounding up the top five include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum and Dallas Mavericks leader Luka Doncic.
SGA's season so far with the Thunder has been phenomenal. Despite the shocking loss to the Bucks, they are still the team to beat in the West, as they lead the conference after 26 games with a 21-5 record.
He is averaging 30.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 1.0 blocks and 6.3 assists per game. Additionally, he is shooting at 51.3% from the field and 33.5% from the 3-point line.
What's next for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the OKC Thunder to a 105-99 victory on the road against the Orlando Magic Thursday night. Shai ended the game with a game-high 35 points, alongside four rebounds and six assists.
The win was a bounce-back for the team after losing out on the $500K NBA Cup prize money. Against the Magic, they recorded 57.7% shooting from the field and 32.3% from beyond the arc.
The win kept the Thunder's 6-game winning streak in the league intact. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once again showed that he has what it takes to keep the Thunder competitive in the hotly contested Western Conference.
Next for the Thunder is another road trip on Friday to Miami to face the Eastern Conference's number six seed, the Miami Heat. Tip-off is 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CT) and fans can watch the game via Bally Sports Oklahoma and NBA League Pass.