Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
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NBA legend Carmelo Anthony believes that Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the clear cut NBA MVP.
As the defending NBA MVP, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is making a case to become the 14th back-to-back MVP in league history.
Gilgeous-Alexander, 27, is averaging 31.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.6 assists while shooting a career-high 55.3% from the field this season. He’s among an elite level of MVP candidates that includes the San Antonio Spurs‘ Victor Wembanyama, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic, and the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.
First-ballot NBA Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony revealed that he strongly believes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the clear runner for the MVP award this season.
Carmelo Anthony Says Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the ‘Clear Cut’ NBA MVP This Season
“To me, I think it’s clear cut. I think it’s Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander),” Carmelo Anthony said on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast. “It’s the best team in the NBA. Best player on the team. That’s hard to argue.”
“When you see an MVP, you know it.”
Although Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is set to miss the most games in a season since 2022-23, his presence on both sides of the court makes him an obvious MVP in Anthony’s eyes.
Gilgeous-Alexander suffered a right abdominal strain in early February. With the injury taking place right before the All-Star break, the Thunder superstar missed just nine games due to the setback.
He returned impressively, dropping 36 points, nine assists, and three rebounds in an overtime win over the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 27. Since then, Gilgeous-Alexander has shown no signs of slowing down in Oklahoma City’s push for back-to-back NBA titles.
Earlier in March, Gilgeous-Alexander broke one of Wilt Chamberlain’s records. On March 12, the Thunder superstar recorded his 127th straight 20-point performance in a 104-102 win over the Boston Celtics.
Gilgeous-Alexander has since boosted that record to 131-straight 20-point performances as of March 23.
The Thunder have a 48-11 record in games Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played in this season.
Thunder Push for Second Straight NBA Championship
Gilgeous-Alexander, alongside teammates like Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and others, has positioned themselves to the most ideal spot for a playoff push.
Oklahoma City has an NBA-leading 56-15 record so far this season. The Thunder are currently riding an 11-game win streak heading into a matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
The MVP candidate’s counterpart, Jalen Williams, is set to return to the Thunder lineup on Monday after being out since Feb. 11 with a nagging hamstring strain. His return will put Oklahoma City’s starting lineup back to full form right in time for the final stretch of the regular season.
Although the Thunder are as impressive as ever, the San Antonio Spurs are just three games behind them in the Western Conference standings. While being led by Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, the Spurs are still very much so in the running for the No. 1 seed in the West.
The race between the Thunder and Spurs is expected to go down to the wire. While the Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as a strong contender with their nine-game win streak, it’s difficult to see the Thunder surrendering a 10-game lead with just 11 games remaining.