NBA MVP Mondays: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander surpasses Nikola Jokic, Giannis for top spot
12/30/2024 05:59 PM
As the calendar flips from 2024 to 2025, a new name sits at the very top of the NBA MVP rankings. Nikola Jokic has long held the top spot over Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but given the success he’s brought his team, it’s hard to come up with an argument against SGA right now pertaining to MVP.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are currently 26-5 to this point in the season and sit at the very top of the Western Conference, a spot many expected them to once again hold during the regular season. After facing off against Giannis and the Bucks in the NBA Cup championship, it became clear to anyone that hadn’t been paying attention to them that the Thunder are legitimate championship contenders because of what Gilgeous-Alexander can do.
Without Chet Holmgren, it seemed as if Oklahoma City would take a step back and have trouble maintaining their top-rated defense. Well, quite the opposite has been true, as Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder have maintained success and haven’t lost a step without their starting big man.
As far as Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP campaign goes, he has the full support of his teammates, including Jalen Williams.
“Watch the games. It's pretty obvious. I don't know how he didn't get it last year. So, I don't know what to tell you,” Williams said recently. “I'm there every day. I see it every day. I'm in the game. Just watch the game. Trust your eyes. Watch the s***. That's a bad man.”
Not only is Gilgeous-Alexander the betting favorite to win the NBA MVP award, but he now finds himself in the driver’s seat for the award in the latest NBA MVP rankings.
Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 9 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Previous ranking: #3
2024-25 season stats: 31 games, 31.0 points, 6.2 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 1.2 blocks, 52.3 FG%, 34.4 3P%
The stats speak for themselves if you haven’t watched Gilgeous-Alexander play. If you have watched him play, well, you know that the Thunder are sitting at the top of the latest NBA power rankings because of him.
What makes Gilgeous-Alexander such a special player is his ability not only to consistently score over 25 points per game and lead his team in scoring but also open up scoring opportunities for his teammates. Not to mention, the 26-year-old doesn’t get enough respect for his defense, as he should be in the All-Defensive team discussion as well.
The Thunder guard has scored below 20 points only once this season, and he’s coming off a week where he averaged 35.8 points per game after tying his season-high with 45 points in a 120-114 win over the Indiana Pacers.
2. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
Previous ranking: #1
2024-25 season stats: 27 games, 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1.7 steals, 57.1 FG%, 50.0 3P%
Between Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander, team record and where they end up in the standings will 100 percent factor into media voters’ decisions on who to pick for MVP this season. Right now, the Denver Nuggets have balanced the ship at 17-13, but they currently find themselves in the play-in region of the standings. That is hard to argue MVP over a guy who is second in the league in scoring and leading the team with the best record in the same conference.
Nonetheless, Jokic has still been having an MVP-like season with his near triple-double numbers. He has scored at least 25 points in six straight games, making 10 or more shots in all six contests.
At this point, stats don’t matter for Jokic’s MVP resume. The only thing that can get him back to that No. 1 spot over Gilgeous-Alexander is leading the Nuggets to wins and up the standings where they can compete with the Thunder.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
Previous ranking: #2
2024-25 season stats: 24 games, 32.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.5 blocks, 61.3 FG%
Giannis has played in one game since the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA Cup on Dec. 17 against SGA and the Thunder. In this lone game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Bucks lost 124-101 after Antetokounmpo had 33 points and 14 rebounds.
Since then, Giannis has not played due to what the team has called a non-COVID illness. As a result, the Bucks star has missed each of the last four games and a total of six games this season. Players are only allowed to miss a maximum of 17 games in order to maintain eligibility for awards such as MVP.
Antetokounmpo is in a similar boat as Jokic pertaining to his chances of winning MVP. Should the Bucks win games and climb up the Eastern Conference standings, his resume will grow. However, simply winning the scoring title won’t be enough for him to overcome Gilgeous-Alexander at this juncture.
4. Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics
Previous ranking: #4
2024-25 season stats: 29 games, 28.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.3 steals, 46.6 FG%, 36.7 3P%
It would be hard for Jayson Tatum to fall out of the top five in the MVP rankings this season. Honestly, the only way this happens is if he gets hurt. Regardless of their recent skid, the Boston Celtics are still championship favorites, and Tatum is leading the charge for them.
Over the last week, Tatum has continued to build on his success this season as a double-double threat. Although Boston went 1-2 in their three games, Tatum averaged 25.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor, but only 32.1 percent from three-point range. It is worth noting that the Celtics’ star has been dealing with an illness.
5. Karl-Anthony Towns – New York Knicks
Previous ranking: #6
2024-25 season stats: 30 games, 24.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 54.5 FG%, 44.7 3P%
The New York Knicks are 22-10 and right behind the Celtics for the 2-seed in the Eastern Conference heading into 2025. That is why Karl-Anthony Towns finds himself in the top five of the MVP rankings for the first time this season.
In December, Towns has averaged 22.5 points and 14.8 rebounds per game while shooting 55.3 percent from the floor and 41.1 percent from three-point range. If it hadn’t been for an 11-point outing against the New Orleans Pelicans and a 16-point game against the Orlando Magic, Towns would’ve easily averaged over 25 points per game this month.
While Jalen Brunson has also been impacting New York’s chances of winning, Towns has been a huge X-factor for them this season in terms of filling the rebounding gaps without Mitchell Robinson. Towns currently ranks 16th in scoring, first in rebounding, and his 26 double-doubles trail only Domantas Sabonis (27) for the league lead. If he keeps this up, the Knicks big man will gain momentum in the NBA MVP race.
Just missing the cut
6. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs (Ranked No. 7 last week)
7. Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks (Ranked No. 5 last week)
8. Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers (Ranked No. 10 last week)
9. Kevin Durant – Phoenix Suns (Ranked No. 9 last week)
10. Anthony Davis – Los Angeles Lakers (Ranked No. 8 last week)
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