Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander draws MVP take from Chris Paul
03/14/2025 11:04 AM
San Antonio Spurs point guard Chris Paul picked this season's MVP, Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Like Jalen Williams watched his Thunder beat the Celtics, Paul watched Oklahoma City beat the champions. He made it clear to whom he believed the award should go.
Paul discussed his Gilgeous-Alexander MVP take, per Bleacher Report's X, formerly Twitter.
"Shai could possibly be… should be the MVP this year," Paul corrected himself.
Host Taylor Rooks pointed out before Paul elaborated on his take.
"They found a way to make everyone equal," Paul said. "Everyone on their team is equal; even though he is who he is, Jalen Williams is an All-Star. Shai, their team, Mark gives them the freedom to just come out and play."
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging a career-best 32.8 points on 52.5% shooting, including 37.1% from deep, 6.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks this season. The Thunder are leading the Western Conference standings with a 54-12 record, which is second to only the league-leading Cleveland Cavs' 55-10 record. Still, 2024-25 could be Jokic’s best season.
The NBA's reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, is averaging a triple-double. He's posting 29.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, 10.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. Before his back-to-back against last year's runner-up, Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder, he recorded the league's first-ever 31-point, 20+ rebounds, and 20+ assists performance in league history. Jokic finished with 31 points, 22 assists, and 21 rebounds in a 149-141 overtime win against the Phoenix Suns.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander breaks Kevin Durant's Thunder record
Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander broke Kevin Durant's franchise record in Monday's 118-112 win against the defending champion Celtics. He finished with 34 points on 11-of-20 attempts and made franchise history.
Gilgeous-Alexander became the fastest player in Thunder history to score 10,000 or more points for the franchise (Seattle Supersonics history included), needing only 368 games. Durant previously held the record at 381 games.
Gilgeous-Alexander entered Wednesday's matchup against the Celtics needing 16 points to cross the 10,000-point mark. He crossed that threshold by halftime, leading the Thunder to a 63-60 lead after two quarters. Gilgeous-Alexander has posted 34+ points in four of his last five outings, including 51 points against the Rockets on 18-of-30 shooting in a 137-128 win at the Paycom Center.
After beating the Celtics, Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder will continue their three-game road trip this weekend against the Pistons and 76ers on Saturday and Sunday. With only 16 games left in the regular season, the Thunder are on pace to surpass the 2012-13 team, which won 60 games, for the best regular-season record in franchise history.
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