Tag: NBA MVP

ESPN: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander receives 3rd-most votes for 2024-25 MVP prediction

ESPN: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander receives 3rd-most votes for 2024-25 MVP prediction.

It’s the middle of August, which means the NBA calendar has entered its slowest portion of the year. Most of the offseason work is done and teams now await the start of the 2024-25 season.

To kill time, ESPN has published its annual “Summer Forecast” series. The exercise allows its media experts to give their opinions on some of the major storylines for next year.

Among the questions, a first-place vote receives five points, a second-place vote gets three points and a third-place vote gets one.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been featured in several questions. But one of the more important storylines revolves around who wins MVP this upcoming season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had two straight top-five MVP finishes. He was runner-up last year. It feels like it’s due time for the 26-year-old to capture the prestigious award.

Among the ESPN voters, Gilgeous-Alexander is ranked third among players most likely to win MVP with 37 points. He is behind Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic.

This is a little surprising to see. Gilgeous-Alexander would serve as a fresh face to win the award and has a strong case if the Thunder repeat as the top seed. He’s been one of the most efficient scorers in the league and that should continue.

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Here’s who voted for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as their 2023-24 MVP winner

Here’s who voted for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as their 2023-24 MVP winner.

The NBA released its voting ballots on Thursday, which means all 99 voters had their results turned over to the public.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished runner-up for the 2023-24 MVP award. Nikola Jokic won the prestigious award for the third time this season.

Jokic won the trophy by a landslide, totaling 926 total voting points. Gilgeous-Alexander had a distant second-place finish with 640 total voting points.

The 25-year-old had 15 first-place votes, 40 second-place votes, 40 third-place votes, three fourth-place votes and one fifth-place votes. Here’s who voted for Gilgeous-Alexander as their MVP winner:

Greg Anthony, Rod Boone, Shams Charania, James Edwards III, Michael Grange, Kelly Iko, Richard Jefferson, Adam Lefkoe, Chris Mannix, Steve McGehee, Kendrick Perkins, Doug Smith, Stephen A. Smith, Ryan Wolstat and Jeff Zillgitt.

Gilgeous-Alexander had a stellar season and completed back-to-back campaigns of top-five MVP finishes and All-NBA First Team honors. He headlined the first-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder this season.

In 75 games, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.1 points on 53.5% shooting, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds. He shot 35.3% shooting on 3.6 attempts. He led the league in steals at two per game.

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Mark Daigneault addresses Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 2nd-place MVP finish

Mark Daigneault addresses Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 2nd-place finish for MVP.

Before the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Game 2 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Daigneault addressed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s runner-up finish for the 2023-24 MVP award.

The 25-year-old finished a distinct second behind three-time winner Nikola Jokic, who won the award by a landslide. This marks back-to-back top-five MVP finishes for Gilgeous-Alexander.

Daigneault said while he had hoped his franchise player won the prestigious award, falling short of it doesn’t discredit his ascension over the last two seasons as one of the best players in the league.

“I was really rooting for him. … I don’t think individual awards validate anything in terms of the work that’s been done with any of our players,” Daigneault said. “It doesn’t change the fact he had a great two-end season, great regular season, unprecedented numbers and impact he has had on our team not only this season but over the course of this build. You can’t even measure.

“An award wouldn’t change any of those things those things all exist and stand on their own two feet.”

Gilgeous-Alexander and Daigneault headline the Thunder’s dominant season as they captured the first seed. The duo has been linked since their tenures started, and they form one of the best coach-star duos in the league.

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Chet Holmgren reflects on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s rise to superstardom

Chet Holmgren reflects on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s rise to superstardom.

Over the last two seasons, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has developed into one of the best players in the league. Back-to-back top-five finishes in MVP voting cemented his status.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished runner-up for the 2023-24 MVP award behind Nikola Jokic, who won the trophy for the third time in his career.

The 25-year-old led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the top seed in the Western Conference and a 17-win improvement from last season. In 75 games, he averaged 30.1 points on 53.5% shooting, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds.

Chet Holmgren has enjoyed a front-row seat to Gilgeous-Alexander’s blossom into superstardom since he joined the Thunder in 2022. The Rookie of the Year runner-up talked about his teammate’s graduation to one of the best players in the league.

“There’s so much I can say but everything I can say you guys are witnessing out there too,” Holmgren said. “Special player. Special talent. It’s good to have him in a Thunder uniform with me.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren and Jalen William round out arguably the best trio in the league. This is the first of likely several playoff runs by the Thunder led by those three players.

If all three continue to develop at the rate they’ve shown since entering the league, the Thunder are in the infancy stages of another long championship window with the star-wing-big trio.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finishes 2nd in 2023-24 MVP award

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finishes 2nd in 2023-24 MVP award.

The NBA announced on Wednesday that Nikola Jokic had won the 2023-24 MVP award. This is the 29-year-old’s third time receiving the prestigious trophy.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in MVP voting. Luka Doncic finished third to round out the top-three vote-getters.

Jokic finished with 926 points. Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 640 points: 15 first-place votes (10 points each), 40 second-place votes (seven points), 40 third-place votes (five points), three fourth-place votes (three points) and one fifth-place vote (one point).

The full voting results can be viewed below:

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This shouldn’t be a shocker. It felt inevitable over the last month that Jokic was going to win the MVP award. The real intrigue was who would finish second.

Even though he didn’t win the award, Gilgeous-Alexander had a phenomenal season in which he entered the upper echelon of elite players. The 25-year-old has had back-to-back top-five MVP finishes.

In 75 games, he averaged 30.1 points on 53.5% shooting, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds. He led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the top seed in the Western Conference and a 17-win improvement from last season.

This is likely the first of many All-NBA caliber seasons by Gilgeous-Alexander. At 25 years old, he’s in his prime. The Thunder continue to have MVP-caliber players on their roster.

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Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should win the 2023-24 MVP award

Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should win the 2023-24 MVP award.

The NBA will announce its 2023-24 MVP winner on Wednesday and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of three finalists with a shot to win the prestigious award.

The other two finalists are Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. Reading the room, it appears Jokic is likely on his way to collecting his third career MVP award as he tries to lead the Denver Nuggets to back-to-back championships.

Here’s why that shouldn’t be the case.

Gilgeous-Alexander had a career season after he finished No. 5 in MVP votes last year. In 75 games, he averaged 30.1 points on 53.5% shooting, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds.

The 25-year-old led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the top seed and a 17-win improvement from last season.

Just like his squad, Gilgeous-Alexander was a constant drumbeat in the six-month campaign. He led the league in 30-plus point outings and never allowed OKC to lose more than three in a row.

Gilgeous-Alexander might’ve not enjoyed the highs Jokic and Doncic had in the season, but being a consistent threat is arguably a better season arc.

In an 82-game campaign, the consistency of scoring 30-plus points on center-esque levels of efficiency led to more team success this season than the other two had.

The Thunder smashed expectations as they graduated to title contenders this season. Meanwhile, the Nuggets had a so-so season and the Dallas Mavericks needed to tweak their roster to reach 50 wins.

Boiled down to it, reliability should be the main component of the MVP award.

Outside of the sun rising every morning, Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30 points on 50% shooting or better was one of the more reliable aspects of life over the last six months.

While the existence of voter fatigue shouldn’t factor into NBA awards, it’s hard to deny its impact. The human element of voter fatigue and biases should help Gilgeous-Alexander’s odds. After being one of the more underrated players in the league since 2018, the 25-year-old deserves his flowers.

Jokic has already won the award twice and has been a prominent face in the discussion for best player in the league for a few years. The 29-year-old has had his fair share of moments in the sun with two MVPs and a championship.

While Doncic hasn’t won the award yet, he’s been mentioned as one of the best players in the league since essentially his rookie season. His time will come, so not winning MVP this year shouldn’t sting as badly.

Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander has ascended into one of the best players in the league over the last two seasons. His development is the main reason why the Thunder’s rebuild only lasted a couple of years.

The Thunder have been a model example of how to properly conduct a rebuild by establishing a strong culture and developing homegrown talent. OKC is set up for another long contention window with this core thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander’s unexpected rise to superstardom.

That type of progression should be awarded with an MVP trophy for Gilgeous-Alexander.

He’ll surely have future campaigns similar to this season, but this might be the 25-year-old’s best shot at MVP. His case this year is as strong as it’ll likely ever be.

Averaging 30-plus points on 53% shooting and being a two-way threat for the top seed in a competitive Western Conference is about as textbook of an MVP winner as they’ll ever be.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s efficient scoring season shares elite company. He’s only the fourth guard in league history to average 30-plus points on 63% or better true-shooting percentage.

The precedent is there for him to win the MVP. One of those four seasons includes Stephen Curry’s MVP season in 2015-16, where he was the unanimous winner.

The Thunder were arguably the second-best team in the league behind the Boston Celtics this season. They finished top four in net rating, offensive rating and defensive rating. They had the second-best point differential.

That type of success — especially when it was unexpected — should be awarded by the league. They can do that by handing Gilgeous-Alexander a much-deserved MVP award.

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Josh Giddey campaigns for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP case

Josh Giddey campaigns for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP case.

The Oklahoma City Thunder were arguably the biggest surprise of the season. They jumped from finishing a win shy of the playoffs a year ago to claiming the first seed in the Western Conference.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s development into one of the best players in the league over the last two seasons is the largest reason. He’s had back-to-back seasons of top-five finishes in MVP voting.

This season, the 25-year-old was a much more active participant in the MVP conversation. He was named one of three finalists for the prestigious award along with Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s backcourt partner has had a front-row seat to his graduation to the league’s upper echelon.

Josh Giddey discussed the MVP candidate’s case and why Gilgeous-Alexander should win the award ahead of Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks.

“He understands how good he is. He can take over a game any night. He’s a very unselfish superstar,” Giddey said about Gilgeous-Alexander. “He could go out and have 40 every night if he wanted to. That’s the type of scorer he is. … Very deserving of the MVP award.”

The MVP winner will be announced on Wednesday, May 8. Odds are, Jokic will win the award for the third time in his career. That doesn’t mean Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t have a strong case though.

In 75 games, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.1 points on 53.5% shooting, 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists. It’s one of the most efficient 30-plus point-scoring seasons by a guard in league history.

Even if Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t win MVP, there’s no doubt he’s turned into one of the best players in the league. Considering his scoring profile, he’ll likely be in that conversation for several more years during his prime.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named a finalist for 2023-24 MVP award

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nominated for 2023-24 MVP award.

The NBA announced its award finalists for the 2023-24 season on Sunday. The Oklahoma City Thunder had several representatives among the groups.

The biggest one is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP finalist nod. This shouldn’t be a shocker. The 25-year-old has been the face of the youngest first seed in league history.

Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the best players in the league this season, consistently scoring 30-plus points on high efficiency.

After finishing fifth in MVP voting last season, Gilgeous-Alexander has evolved into one of the best players in the league. He averaged 30.1 points on 53.5% shooting, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds in 75 games this season.

Other finalists are Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. The 2023-24 MVP winner will be announced during the NBA playoffs, Gilgeous-Alexander was also named a finalist for Clutch Player of the Year along with Stephen Curry and DeMar DeRozan.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and Chet Holmgren were named finalists for Coach of the Year and Rookie of the Year, respectively.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander No. 2 in latest ESPN’s MVP straw poll

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander No. 2 in latest ESPN’s MVP straw poll.

As the 2023-24 regular season winds down, the award races continue to heat up. The biggest one involves the MVP award, which is likely going to Nikola Jokic.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps’ recent MVP straw poll confirms that belief. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stayed at No. 2 with 626 points, fewer than Jokic’s 953 points.

The 25-year-old only has 10 first-place votes, far fewer than the two-time MVP’s 85 first-place votes.

The straw poll does an excellent job of forecasting the likely award winners. With this being the final straw poll, it looks like Jokic will run away with the award.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s subpar performances and absence with injuries in recent weeks have halted any momentum he had gathered this season as an MVP candidate. Instead, he’ll likely finish second.

In 71 games, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 30.3 points on 54% shooting, 6.3 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals. The Thunder (52-24) are one game behind first place in the Western Conference.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 2nd in latest ESPN MVP straw poll

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 2nd in latest ESPN MVP straw poll.

The 2024 All-Star break is here, which means the unofficial halfway point of the season has passed. MVP candidates have started to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is among the top candidate tier, which was reflected in ESPN’s Tim Bontemps’ recent straw poll. One-hundred league insiders periodically vote throughout the season to forecast the award winners.

In the latest MVP straw poll released on Feb. 13, Gilgeous-Alexander (709 total points) is ranked second in MVP voting — trailing only Nikola Jokic (889 points). This is a two-spot jump for the 25-year-old from the previous straw poll.

Joel Embiid was disqualified from the list: He is no longer eligible for MVP because he will not play in 65 games.

Gilgeous-Alexander has been part of the MVP conversation for the entire season and has only made his case stronger as the season has progressed.

The Oklahoma City Thunder (37-17) are in second place in the Western Conference standings. Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 31.1 points on 54.6% shooting, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds.

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