Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to win Most Valuable Player honors for the second straight season. He’s battling the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama and the Lakers’ Luka Doncic — the league’s top scorer — for that distinction.
However, SGA declined to argue his case following an overtime win over Detroit on Monday, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The Thunder star is the league’s second-leading scorer at 31.6 points per game while averaging a career-high 6.5 assists as well.
“No, I’m good. Thanks for asking, though,” he said. “Yeah, I’m good. I let my game do the talking.”
[RELATED: Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama Argues MVP Case]
Gilgeous-Alexander does believe the MVP talk is a benefit to the NBA.
“I think it’s good for the league. I think it’s good chatter,” he said. “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 because of that.”
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Isaiah Hartenstein‘s decision to bolt the Knicks in free agency during the summer of 2024 has proven to be a wise one, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes. Hartenstein collected a three-year, $87MM payday and he’s become the Thunder‘s defensive anchor while also getting more offensive opportunities. “I think [the play-making] has always been there,” Hartenstein said. “I think before I got to the Knicks, it was one of the main things I was doing with the Clippers. But I think as an NBA player you just have to put your ego aside and kind of do what’s best for the team. I think when I was with the Knicks, I kind of had to change the role I was playing. And so, again, I’m just here to help the team whatever way I can, and I think with the Knicks it was more doing stuff differently.” He’s averaging 9.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 24.8 minutes per game this season.
- Timberwolves two-way player Zyon Pullin has been named the NBA G League Player of the Week, the league announced (via Twitter). The award covers games played from March 23-28. In two games, Pullin averaged 37.5 points and 5.5 assists while making 75 percent of his three-point attempts. The undrafted 25-year-old has appeared in just two games for Minnesota this season.
- The Nuggets got some good news on the injury front, Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette reports. After missing Sunday’s win over the Warriors due to a calf issue, starting power forward Aaron Gordon returned to practice Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s game in Utah. “’AG’ looked good today. His comfort level seemed like it was in a good place with the calf. I’m hoping he’ll play (Wednesday),” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. Cameron Johnson, who left Sunday’s game with back spasms, also practiced. “They just kind of popped up on me, maybe after a little bit of contact or something,” Johnson said. “I’m fine now, though. It goes away.”
SGA is the MVP plain and simple. Nice try Wemby maybe next year.
I agree on SGA, but Joker deserves some consideration imo
Is there ever a play that he doesn’t push off defenders to create space? Guy commits 10 offensive fouls per game.
It’s part of the game. He just does it better than others.
It’s awful basketball, and disgusting to watch.
That’s the league’s job to adjust not the players. The players job is to win games. If there is an exploit in the rules or how the game is officiated players are incentivized to use it.
Apparently the refs think their job is to favor OKC, by rewarding the top flopper in the league on one end to 25-26 ftas and ignoring constant fouling on the other.
Clay Bennet has had a magical run as owner since stealing the team from Seattle…
@ NBA is OK…yeah, I can’t stand watching him play either.
The narrative could change quickly if the Spurs get the 1 seed.
How is SGA valuable when his team wins without him? They are 8-4 without their “most valuable” guy. It’s not “best stats” award. It’s VALUE, and GSW is 13-23 without Steph.
Believe it or not the world does not revolve around Steph and the 10 seed warriors. Punishing SGA because the thunder organization built a well run good team that can survive when he doesn’t play is silly.
No, what is silly is saying “We refuse to vote for KD or Steph for MVP because the Warriors organization built a well run good team.” – NBA voters already have done what you claim I am doing here – you cant have this argument both ways, my man.
The word is “VALUABLE”. SGA isn’t valuable to the Thunder if the Thunder are already a 54 win team without him. GSW literally cannot win without Steph, but are a 48 win with him alone replacing Podz/Spencer/GP2. GSW are a 29 win team without Steph and Jimmy. Going from 29 to 48 is VALUABLE, 54 wins already makes you #1 seed, SGA is actually kind of redundant on OKC. But don’t let big gambling hear you say this!
How the F did we get here Davey, lols. You honestly think Steph deserves MVP? Bat s**t crazy or trolling.
I was going to respond to him how 4 of those wins came against Utah, Bulls, Nets, and Grizzlies. Bad teams that are trying to lose and they beat the lakers when Luka didn’t play and the suns when Booker and Green didn’t play which account for 6 of those 8 wins but it’s like arguing with a screaming toddler.
Got San Antonio today. That won’t be pretty.
SGA is the softest MVP of all-time. He is the refs+mafia’s MVP of corruption. The least ethical hooper in the game.
Joker better, Steph better, Giannis better, Wemby better.
James Harden is probably offended! Lol If ever there was a flop artist MVP who used to live on the charity stripe it was Harden..back before he had even learned to assist; at least now he goes for assists and I’d say plays better team ball than he did when he won MVP with Houston..his Brooklyn days were rough to watch too imo
Not a Harden fan but he averaged like 9 assists a game and lead the league in assists one of those years around then too
Oh you’re right! My bad..He did lead the league in assists the season before wining MVP (17-18), and averaged around 8.5 his MVP year; that also capped a run of leading the NBA in FTs attempted for like five out of six years running, and that was more my point..peak Harden was the flopping GOAT was my main point, and SGA hasn’t touched those numbers yet to deserve all the hate imo
@AMF yeah, Harden created the kickout on his step back which hacked the game aka the least-ethical hooping imaginable. Meanwhile Curry gets thrown to the ground and no foul. Curry has a 60 point game with 6 FTs, 51 with 1, 51 with 3, 50 with 4, 48 with 3, etc etc. Out of his top 20 highest point total games, only 11 had more than 9 FTs. Just more insane Steph stats that SGA would never:
link to sports-reference.com.
Meanwhile, in SGA’s top 20 highest points games, all 20 have over 9 FTs. Just a different, lamer, more boring, more corrupt game. Steph better:
link to sports-reference.com.
Harden had 18 out of 20 of his highest points games having more than 9 FTs:
link to sports-reference.com.
All 20 of Westbrook’s top 20 highest point scoring games have more than 9 FTs:
link to sports-reference.com.
Steph Curry deserved better from the NBA. The whistles on him are different to everyone else. Period.
@ Davey J
Yeah, Curry never adopted the flopper habits and that definitely means he probably hasn’t gotten as many whistles as he deserves, and his shot (and reputation) are way cleaner than Hardens or SGA because of it; SGA pushes off a lot sure, but I think that’s just part of the game that Silver can fix lol
FTA is the current flopping leader, just like Harden was.
Embiid says hold my beer.
I do agree Harden stole Curry’s MVP and Russ stole KD’s MVP and both of them lived at the line while KD and Steph simply had the audacity to play on a team with Klay, Dray and Iggy on it – three guys who all go from “HOFers” to “not HOFers” depending on the day.
Steph Curry to return on Sunday vs the Rockets…hahaha yes, yes, yessssss
SGA’s game tells us that he is an extraordinary player, but like last year, this year he is very faraway from being the MVP, as simple as!
Jokic should be winning his 6th in a row to be fair!
Rooting for SGA to win his 2nd MVP. I had Cade as my preseason favorite but SGA or Jokic I would not be upset with.
I hope the voters have watched the last 2 OKC games and understand that the flopping is disqualifying.
A new award – MVF = Most Valuable Flopper.