Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will win the NBA MVP Award this season

If the Oklahoma City Thunder have another good season SGA will be the MVP.

May 18, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles against the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter in game six of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

One of the top young players in the NBA is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander finished third in the NBA scoring averaging 30.1 points per game. He was also 19th in the league in assists per game, averaging 6.2, and 58th in rebounds, averaging 5.5 a game.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to a 57-25 regular-season record, which tied for first with the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference. The Thunder advanced to the Western Semifinals but lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Stephen Noh of The Sporting News wrote an article listing the three things Gilgeous-Alexander needs to do in order to take down Nikola Jokic and win MVP. Those three things are win the advanced stats argument, continue to get better defensively, and the Thunder need to keep winning.

Jokic is such a good player because while he isn't scoring as much as SGA, he is getting more rebounds and assists. Jokic is also a better defender than Gilgeous-Alexander is right now. If the former Kentucky Wildcat Gilgeous-Alexander can keep his points per game number over 30, add a few more rebounds and assists per game, and get better on the defensive side of the floor, he will win the MVP Award this season.

Gilgeous-Alexander would need to take another step to be able to do all of this and win MVP, but with the core he has around him in OKC, it would not be at all surprising for him to get the job done. Luka Doncic, Jokic, or Gilgeous-Alexander will win the MVP Award this season, but it feels like this is SGA's year.