With us closing in on the halfway mark of the NBA season, it’s a good time to look at the NBA awards race, and here we want to focus on MVP.
The usual suspects are at the top of the list when it comes to NBA most valuable player, we want to look at a couple of guys who probably won’t win the award, but a case could certainly be made for them.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
When the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander arrived from the Los Angeles Clippers, part of a multi-player and picks trade for Paul George, the Thunder brass knew they had a special player. But this special?
Gilgeous-Alexander has helped lead the Thunder to a next level team, putting them at the top of the Western Conference, along with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets, and looking more and more like a deep-run playoff team.
Shooting right at 56% from the floor and averaging 31.5 points per game. He has 39 and-ones this season, second in the NBA behind only Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has 60.
Gilgeous-Alexander has moved closer to the top of the NBA awards race for MVP with Nikola Jokic and it might be more because of his defense. He leads the league with 2.4 steals and the Thunder has scored more than 100 points off his steals. He is questionable with a right knee strain for upcoming games, but that shouldn’t affect the overall outlook on his season.
Related: Could the OKC Thunder be a sneaky NBA Finals sleeper?
| Player | Pts | Reb | Ast | FG% | 3PFG% |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 31.5 | 5.9 | 6.4 | .558 | .341 |
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
This season, Anthony Edwards is averaging 26 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Those are impressive numbers, but more noteworthy is how Edwards as the Minnesota Timberwolves at the top of the Western Conference.
For years it seems, Minnesota has been at the top of the NBA Draft, getting good players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, but those guys didn’t get the T-Wolves into title contention. That changed with Edwards.
He’s a smooth player who makes difficult plays look effortless and he’s bringing back the bank shot! He’s the sixth player to record totals of 5,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists at 22 years of age or younger. He is the third youngest player to reach this total, behind LeBron James and Luca Doncic.
His cool demeanor, with a smirk that tells you what he’s about to do, and that swagger that has been as much of a key to his and Minnesota’s success this year as anything. He knows he’s good and he doesn’t mind telling you.
| Player | Pts | Reb | Ast | FG% | 3PFG% |
| Anthony Edwards | 26 | 5.4 | 4.9 | .463 | .385 |