The Oklahoma City Thunder made an arrival a season ago, posting a 57-25 record. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of the core proved to be good enough to build a true contender in the offseason.
For a second-straight season, Gilgeous-Alexander was in the MVP race, this time finishing as a finalist, earning a top-three placement. The Thunder finishing No. 1 in the Western Conference helped his case, and his leading an incredible offense while playing stout defense certainly added to his resume.
Still, Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t win the award, but that time could soon come, which would mark the third time a Thunder player has won the award during their time in Oklahoma City.
Former Thunder star and MVP finalist during his time in Oklahoma City Paul George claimed Gilgeous-Alexander will be a frontrunner to win the MVP next season during his Podcast P show. First, he vouched for the Thunder superstar last season.
“I thought he was the best example of what the MVP should be,” George said. “What he did to a team that no one had expectations — especially playing in the West, how hard that is to be No. 1. And average 30-plus… To take that team where he took them, I thought it was a no-brainer.”
George was traded to the LA Clippers in 2019 in a deal that sent Gilgeous-Alexander — the Thunder’s franchise player — to Oklahoma City. The two are constantly roped into the same conversation because of such, and the trade is compared continually. This offseason, George left the Clippers while signing with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.
Since the trade, the Thunder have put together a rapid rebuild and have already gotten back to contention. This offseason, they added Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein to the mix by holding onto their draft assets and only departing from Josh Giddey.
“Not to say the Thunder didn’t give Shai help. But this was a team no one had any expectations of,” George said. “For me, I just think what you actually bring to the table and how you affect your team’s success should be valued the most.”
Gilgeous-Alexander is in the middle of the team’s success, no matter who they add to the rotation or roster, and he’s going to lead the team to another top spot in the Western Confernece. The team improved their roster from a 57-win team, and they have the potential to win 60-plus games next season. If they do that, Gilgeous-Alexander might just deserve to take home the hardware.
“If we’re looking at the front-runner MVP for next season, Shai’s got my pick,” George said.
This is high praise from George — who finished No. 3 in MVP voting in 2018 while a member of the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander has already finished No. 3 in the voting, though he’s a much younger player and has plenty of room to improve as the franchise player.
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Publish date : 2024-07-09 11:57:22
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