The NBA MVP race is heating up as the playoffs near, with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić as the two clear-cut favorites.
However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes Jokić is nowhere near Gilgeous-Alexander in the race despite averaging more rebounds and assists per game.
Nikola Jokić vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for MVP
Jokić has won the MVP award three times, and there’s little doubt he’s having a similar season as his previous campaigns. He ranks third in scoring, third in rebounding, second in assists, and tied for third in steals in the league, and while guys with just one top-three finish in those categories have won MVP, his chances look slimmer despite being top three in all four.
“The SGA factor is really undersold in the NBA. I see people talk about that there’s a race for the MVP, I just don’t think that there is. I think he’s in the lead by a lot … He’s coming off a 51-point game from Monday night. He has four 50-point games in his last 19,” Windhorst said.
.@WindhorstESPN believes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's impact is "undersold."
"I see people talk about that there's a race for the MVP, I just don't think that there is. I think he's in the lead by a lot." 👀 pic.twitter.com/3Solecj6Dm
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 5, 2025
In addition to the 50-point games, Gilgeous-Alexander also leads the league in 40-point games (9), 30-point games (37), and 20-point games (59). He failed to reach 20 points in just one game of the season, when he put up 18 on the San Antonio Spurs but has since gone 56 games straight scoring 20 points or higher. The next best streak is Jalen Brunson’s with eight.
Here's how the numbers match up. https://t.co/hWRZPlNTF9 pic.twitter.com/05tThyZzAA
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) March 5, 2025
As good as Gilgeous-Alexander is on the offense, he’s tied with Jokić for the third most steals per game in the league, contributing to Oklahoma City’s defense, the league’s best.
“But what really gives him the nod over Jokić, who’s better than ever offensively? And over Antetokounmpo, who’s dragging his team to victories? Defense.” NBA Insider Kevin O’Connor wrote at the start of the year.
“He slithers over screens with ease, disrupts passing lanes with active hands and rotates into the paint to contest shots or grab rebounds,” O’Connor said. “It would be understandable if a superstar scorer like Gilgeous-Alexander were taking breathers on defense, but instead his performance fortifies the Thunder as one of the elite defensive units of the modern era.”
The Thunder have the best defensive rating in the league, allowing just 105.9 points per game, while the next best is Orland Magic at 109.2.
Oklahoma is at the top of the Western Conference standings with a 51-11 record, while Jokić’s Nuggets have dropped to No. 3, further giving Gilgeous-Alexander an edge in the MVP race.
