Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 34 points to lead OKC to their first win over the Spurs this season.<\/p>\n
The man\u2019s pride speaks louder than his considerable wardrobe. That says plenty about the basketball mindset of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who once again \u2014 though no surprise \u2014 seems smartly dressed for the part of a Kia MVP leader.<\/p>\n
For much of the season, he trailed<\/a> in the Kia Race for the MVP behind the Denver Nuggets\u2019 Nikola Joki\u0107. For the last few weeks of December, his team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, looked ordinary, a far fall from their 24-1 start<\/a>.<\/p>\n In such situations, a player can go with the flow \u2014 or reignite the show. Gilgeous-Alexander awakened and chose greatness. And because of that, there\u2019s a new No. 1 on the MVP ladder, and it\u2019s the player who finished No. 1 on last year\u2019s ladder.<\/p>\n He\u2019s still among the league scoring leaders, an effective shooter, rates with the better defensive guards in the league and has OKC comfortably on top in the West.<\/p>\n Yes, that about sums up his candidacy, which remains robust.<\/p>\n The pivotal game in his \u201ccomeback\u201d came in a 119-98 win<\/a> against the San Antonio Spurs as Gilgeous-Alexander abruptly changed the conversation in this surprisingly one-sided matchup. Following three straight defeats to San Antonio, Gilgeous-Alexander steered OKC to victory with a typical (for him) performance.<\/p>\n He had 34 points in 34 minutes, with five assists and five rebounds. He flourished and pulled OKC away from the Spurs for good with a rally that San Antonio couldn\u2019t answer. Also, Gilgeous-Alexander was just as solid defensively all night and blocked four shots. By comparison, the five San Antonio starters combined for three.<\/p>\n Obviously, some context is necessary in explaining his No. 1 spot on the ladder. Joki\u0107 falls to No. 2 mainly because of injury. He hasn\u2019t played in two weeks \u2014 the Denver Nuggets have done better than expected without him \u2014 and therefore placed his season and his spot in the MVP race on hold.<\/p>\n But another reason for Joki\u0107\u2019s fall? Gilgeous-Alexander seized the opportunity to make his own MVP statement, and here we are.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a tight race once again between a pair of generational players who went back and forth all last season. The MVP Ladder, at the moment, leans in favor of the more durable player and, for right now anyway, the player having the more impactful season.<\/p>\n Setting the stage this week: The Martin Luther King Day slate<\/a> of games is always robust and star-filled and Monday is no exception. There\u2019s an obvious bold-faced entry \u2014 Jaylen Brown and the Celtics against Cade Cunningham and the Pistons. Detroit has owned the East for months now, and that may continue, but the Celtics present an interesting threat. This tipoff can carry repercussions for a team that has overachieved without Jayson Tatum.<\/p>\n The stat to know: This is Jamal Murray\u2019s ninth season in the NBA \u2014 he missed the entire 2021-22 with injury \u2014 and the No. 10 player on the Ladder is averaging career highs in points, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, 3-pointers made, rebounds and assists, all while fueling the Nuggets in Joki\u0107\u2019s absence. In 2026, he\u2019s the only player<\/a> averaging at least 30 points and 10 assists per game. Yeah, it\u2019s early. Still \u2026<\/p>\n What they are saying: \u201cFor his size, 6-foot-5 or 6-foot-6, and being a point guard that controls the whole action \u2026 Cade should certainly be in the discussion for MVP. No question.\u201d \u2014 Reggie Miller on Cade Cunningham.<\/p>\n 1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking:<\/a> No. 2 \u2b06\ufe0f His case: Gilgeous-Alexander has steered a team that played a chunk of the season without Jalen Williams and a few weeks without Isaiah Hartenstein, both because of injuries, and yet the Thunder, aside from a brief hiccup, hasn\u2019t missed a beat under his direction. OKC is still tops in the West, and Gilgeous-Alexander tops on the Ladder.<\/p>\n He routinely gets 30 points a night, often without playing fourth quarters, and brings almost the same energy on the defensive end. The consistency and efficiency go hand-in-hand and at a high level, which explains why Gilgeous-Alexander is a master at his craft.<\/p>\n Surprisingly, there was drama on Thursday<\/a> \u2014 Gilgeous-Alexander managed to reach at least 20 points for the 112th straight game by getting his 20th point in the final moments of an easy win over Houston. On this four-game winning streak, Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 46 points, 29, 34 and 20 and shot less than 50% once.<\/p>\n 2. Nikola Joki\u0107, Denver Nuggets<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking:<\/a> No. 1 \u2b07\ufe0f His case: If the season ended today, how many voters would punish Joki\u0107 for getting hurt? That\u2019s an interesting question. Before his knee injury, Joki\u0107 was the assumed MVP favorite, given his dominant run over the season\u2019s first few months when he averaged a triple-double and had the Nuggets in a favorable spot in the West.<\/p>\n Regardless, he remains in the mix and is still mathematically eligible for the award. When he returns, which could be in a few weeks, Joki\u0107 could vault himself back in the top spot in a matter of games. His comeback will be among the most-watched events of the season.<\/p>\n 3. Luka Don\u010di\u0107, Los Angeles Lakers<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking:<\/a> No. 4 \u2b06\ufe0f His case: Whenever someone is performing well enough to be lumped with Laker greats of the past \u2014 Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, etc. \u2014 then MVP mention seems automatic. Don\u010di\u0107\u2019s current seasonal scoring average places him in that mix, trailing only Bryant and Elgin Baylor.<\/p>\n Speaking of buckets, he\u2019s still leading the league in scoring<\/a>, is No. 4 in assists<\/a> and No. 9 in steals<\/a>. This is shaping up to be perhaps his best season yet. Will that be enough to invite suspense to the MVP race come April? It might depend on where the Lakers are in the West standings.<\/p>\n 4. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking:<\/a> No. 5 \u2b06\ufe0f His case: Still on a minutes restriction, Wembanyama is nonetheless producing at a high level. In the Thursday win against the Bucks, he exited briefly after colliding knees with Giannis Antetokounmpo, but finished with 22 points (5-6 shooting on threes), 10 rebounds and a pair of blocks in 22 minutes.<\/p>\n As long as the Spurs keep winning, you wonder if they\u2019ll be compelled to put Wembanyama on the floor longer than necessary. He might not break 30 minutes on average all season. That doesn\u2019t seem to be affecting his impact, however.<\/p>\n 5. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s ranking:<\/a> No. 3 \u2b07\ufe0f His case: The No. 6 scorer in the NBA has the Celtics within five games of the Detroit Pistons in the East, a surprising position given the absence of Jayson Tatum and departures of key players from last season. Brown lacks an All-Star teammate but is producing a career year and showcasing his ability to be a No. 1 option.<\/p>\n The test for Brown is to stretch his impact for another few months to make Boston a top-six lock for the playoffs, which will require durability and consistency. So far, so good; Brown has proven to be dependable for Boston, which can\u2019t afford too many sub-par games from him.<\/p>\n The next 5:<\/p>\n 6. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons \u2194\ufe0f And five more (listed alphabetically): Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns; Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors; Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets; Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers; Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks.<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at\u00a0spowell@nba.com<\/a>, find\u00a0his archive here<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0follow him on\u00a0X<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 34 points to lead OKC to their first win over the Spurs this season. 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Season stats:<\/a> 31.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists<\/p>\n
Season stats:<\/a> 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 11 assists<\/p>\n
Season stats:<\/a> 33.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 8.8 assists<\/p>\n
Season stats:<\/a> 23.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3 assists<\/p>\n
Season stats: 28.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists<\/p>\n
7. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves \u2b06\ufe0f
8. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers \u2b06\ufe0f
9. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks \u2b07\ufe0f
10. Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets \u2b06\ufe0f<\/p>\n