The Thunder are having an amazing season, posting a record of 36-7 this year. They are looking like the best team in the NBA, thanks in large part to their MVP candidate, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA is now the betting favorite to win MVP and also the favorite to win his first-ever MVP. Shai is averaging a career high of 32.0 points per game with 5.4 rebounds, and 6.1 assists. In addition, last night he posted a career-high 54 points in their 123-114 victory over the Utah Jazz. Now, has Shai finally passed Nikola Jokić as the best player in the NBA?
Jokić, who has won three of the last four MVP awards, has been considered the best player in the NBA for the last couple of years. In addition, he has won an NBA Finals and Finals MVP in those four years. However, with how Shai has looked over these last three seasons and especially this year, he has a strong case for taking the best player in the NBA crown away from Jokić. Let’s dive into Shai’s case for being the best player.
Has Shai Passed Nikola Jokić as The Best Player in The NBA?
Shai Has Been Consistent
There are a couple of requirements you need to have as a player to be considered the best player in the world. One of those requirements is being consistent. For instance, you can’t declare someone the best player in the world if they have only had one maybe two good years in a row. You have to see consistency, and the player being dominant for multiple years in a row. This is exactly what Shai has been doing for the last three seasons. He is leading the league in scoring averaging 32 points per game. In addition, he has averaged 30 points or more per game for the last three seasons. By doing that, he joins a select group that has achieved that mark.
Shai may not be the flashiest of players like Steph Curry hitting six to 10 threes a game, or have Russell Westbrook’s athleticism and dunking on people. However, what he does is have his patience and a smoothness to his game. He knows how to contort his body to give him the advantage over his defender when driving to the hoop. SGA knows how to get to his spots on the floor, and he has a counter for everything the defense throws at him.
Alex Caruso on SGA scoring 50 tonight:
“He’d probably have more this year if we had closer games…
He’s just one of the great scorers the game has seen.”
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) January 23, 2025
Shai’s Efficiency
Another requirement you must have to be the best player in the world is efficiency. You can’t be going out there shooting 40% or less from the field and averaging 25 or more points if you are the best player in the world. If you are doing that you are either taking bad shots or a ball hog who doesn’t pass. However, Shai has been one of the more efficient players in the NBA. In the last three seasons, he has shot above 50% from the field. However, the one thing that he has struggled with has been his three-point shooting. In those three seasons, he has hovered around 35% from three. Nonetheless, he is improving as a shooter this season.
Regardless, he has been very efficient. Shai being able to shoot 50% or more for a guard is a remarkable feat to have. Especially when most of his shots are usually in the mid-range and are tough shots. Usually, you see wings or bigs shooting 50% from the field and rarely do point guards.
Shai’s Two-Way Ability
Shai’s two-way ability is one of the bigger pulls for him being the best player in the world. This is something that Jokić has struggled with as he isn’t a good defender. However, for Shai, it is a completely different story. Now, Shai might not be a lockdown defender, but he can hold his own against the best scorers in the world. He was tied for first in steals per game last year and this year he is averaging 2.1 steals per game. In addition, he is averaging 1.1 blocks per game. His ability to create turnovers on defense and hold his own guarding players one-on-one. Everything he does on offense combined with his quality defense is his biggest selling point for being the best player. There aren’t many players in the NBA that are two-way stars, but Shai is one of them.
Alex Caruso on SGA:
“When we talk about the best player in the world…
He impacts the game in so many ways cause he can score 50.. but he is active defensively..
Me as a defensive guy, I notice that..
He’s a true competitor when it comes to that side of the ball.”
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) January 23, 2025
The Last Word
Finally, has Shai passed Jokić as the best player? The answer to that is no, but he has entered the conversation for it. However, if he wins his first-ever MVP award this year and leads his team to a championship, then it will be safe to say he is the best player in the world. Playoff success will be the key part of SGA establishing himself as the consensus best player in the world. For now, he is, at worst, a top-three player in the NBA.
