Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the frontrunner for MVP in most conversations for the better part of the 2025-26 season. Between his generational efficiency as a scorer, underrated playmaking, elite late-game heroics, and overwhelming impact on winning, a second consecutive MVP award seemed inevitable.
Unfortunately, Victor Wembanyama making a case for himself as MVP appears to have changed the mainstream narrative in ways that prove one critical point: Gilgeous-Alexander is already being taken for granted. In a sense, it's the one true mark of an all-time great.
Wembanyama's case for himself revolved around [three critical points](https://x.com/JaredWeissNBA/status/2036277719088988542?s=20). One is properly valuing defense, the second is understanding that offensive value encapsulates more than scoring, and the third was the head-to-head record between the Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
While the third point can't be truly picked apart, the first two speak to both Wembanyama's greatness and a misunderstanding of what Gilgeous-Alexander brings to the table.
Unfortunately, the mainstream media is taking Wembanyama's comments and running with them on their gigantic platforms. Stephen A. Smith of ESPN's _First Take_, for instance, [has changed his tune](https://thunderousintentions.com/okc-thunder-shai-gilgeous-alexander-loses-prominent-backing-mvp-race-tightens) and backed Wembanyama over Gilgeous-Alexander for MVP.
Though Wembanyama is by no means an invalid choice for MVP, it appears as though Gilgeous-Alexander's greatness is being taken for granted. There's no greater backhanded compliment than that.
MVP narrative is taking Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's greatness for granted
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Gilgeous-Alexander is currently averaging 31.5 points, 6.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 1.7 three-point field goals made per game on .555/.388/.888 shooting. Those numbers speak for themselves, yet the volume doesn't seem to be turned up quite loud enough.
Gilgeous-Alexander is on pace to post the second-highest true shooting percentage by a player averaging at least 30.0 points per game in NBA history at .666.
Furthermore, Gilgeous-Alexander's assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.04 is the best of any of the nine qualified players with a usage rate of 30.0 or higher. The next-leading players are LaMelo Ball at 2.56 and Luka Doncic at 2.10—both of whom are far from even beginning to approach the Thunder star's mark.
Gilgeous-Alexander also ranks No. 1 amongst said players in eFG% and true shooting percentage, thus putting how unrivaled he truly is in terms of combining volume with efficiency.
Sometimes, a player is so good that voters look for reasons to choose anyone else
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Furthermore, Gilgeous-Alexander has sat out of 21 fourth quarters during the 2025-26 season, per NBA.com, which has inevitably capped his already elite production. When he does play, he's averaging 7.5 points per fourth quarter on .551/.422/.900 shooting. Amongst qualified players, only Donovan Mitchell is scoring more points in the final frame of regulation.
Gilgeous-Alexander is also No. 1 in what the NBA describes as clutch situations, averaging 6.2 points on .490/.351/.860 shooting.
Though Wembanyama made a great case for himself and is even right to say offense is about more than scoring, Gilgeous-Alexander's case is too layered to limit to one skill. He's not just scoring with elite volume; he's generationally efficient, dominant in the clutch, and criminally under-appreciated as a playmaker.
The narrative may thus be frustrating, but Gilgeous-Alexander should take it as the backhanded compliment that it is: He's so dominant that mainstream media is looking for reasons to vote for someone else.