The conversation surrounding this season"s NBA MVP is heating up. The protagonist of this unfolding narrative is none other than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA).
During a recent ‘NBA on TNT" exchange, Shaquille O"Neal, a hall of famer and revered basketball analyst, endorsed SGA for the coveted title.
Shaq firmly believes that SGA, not Nikola Jokic, should be this year"s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Shaq: "The MVP is SGA. Period. … He’s the baddest player in the game."
He’s also No. 1 on https://t.co/82zDXczQCk 👀 pic.twitter.com/YFuaNNtjiA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 27, 2024
Fanduel"s statistics seem to back Shaq"s assertions As it stands, SGA enjoys the second-strongest odds to clinch the award (+110), placing him behind the Denver Nuggets" Jokic (-110).
In Shaq"s words, “The MVP is SGA, period." “I saw a stat the other day that he"s one of the few in history to have 50 30-point games in a season. And he meets my criteria — the baddest player in the game and their team is 49-21 [50-21 after the win]." So, you can"t give it to the Joker [Nikola Jokic]."
"The MVP is SGA. Period. … He’s the baddest player in the game and their team is 49-21."@SHAQ has his pick for MVP 👀 pic.twitter.com/nPbCZGouob
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 26, 2024
He has been impressed by SGA"s landmark accomplishment of logging 50 30-point games in a single season.
“He has 50 30-point games. Nobody else is doing that," O"Neal said.
These consistently high-scoring performances meet both Shaq’s and the general NBA community"s MVP criteria.
SGA is the fifth player in the last 35 seasons to drop 50 or more 30-point games in a season ⚡️
He joins Michael Jordan (2x), James Harden, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady 🤝 pic.twitter.com/XYtL7MuYVD
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 21, 2024
With a 49-21 record, SGA has certainly made a compelling case. His spectacular play this season, staggeringly covering an average of 30.5 points with a .541/.367/.872 shooting split.
Not to mention his deft footwork evident in his 6.3 assists, combined with 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks average per game.
In comparison, Denver"s Nikola Jokic has also been having a stellar season. Despite having a slightly better team record (51-21), his statistics fall short next to SGA"s.
Jokic is averaging 26.1 points with .581/.354/.826 shooting splits, along with 12.3 rebounds, nine assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game.
