NBA regular season is in full swing, with 30 teams making a strong push, and the league's landscape is beginning to take shape. The competition for various regular-season awards has also entered a white-hot stage. So far, Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the scoring chart with a slight advantage over Towns, who leads the rebounding chart by a narrow margin over Sabonis. Trae Young has a commanding lead in assists, while Daniels leads the steals chart with an absolute advantage, and Wembanyama leads the blocks chart by a wide margin! At the same time, the race for the regular-season MVP is quietly undergoing subtle changes.
In the first two months of the new season, many superstar players have taken the lead in the MVP race with their stable and efficient performances. The most popular among them is Jokic, a three-time MVP winner! Since winning the championship, the Nuggets have been cutting down their roster, but Jokic always finds ways to keep the team competitive! In the new season, Jokic played 30 games for the Nuggets, averaging 31 points (third in the league) + 13.2 rebounds (third in the league) + 9.7 assists (second in the league) + 1.7 steals + 2.3 three-pointers, with a shooting percentage of 55.3% and a three-point shooting percentage of 47.9% (first in the league). The Nuggets are currently ranked fifth in the West with a record of 19 wins and 14 losses, just half a game behind the fourth-placed Lakers (20 wins and 14 losses). It can be said without exaggeration that as long as the Nuggets can break into the top four in the West, Jokic will be the hot favorite for the MVP! However, there is another star who is also eyeing the MVP!
This person is not Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Bucks! In the new season, the Bucks have had ups and downs, but Giannis has remained as stable as Mount Tai! He played 26 games for the Bucks, averaging 32.4 points (first in the league) + 11.7 rebounds (sixth in the league) + 6 assists + 1.5 steals, with a shooting percentage of 60.6% and an average of 21 points in the restricted area (first in the league). Giannis has a unique skill set that allows him to dominate on the court, but his leadership abilities have not yet reached Jokic's level. Currently, the Bucks have a record of 17 wins and 15 losses, ranking fifth in the East, trailing the first-placed Cavaliers (30 wins and 4 losses) by 12 games and the second-placed Celtics (26 wins and 9 losses) by 7.5 games. Considering that the Eastern Conference is not as competitive as the Western Conference, if Giannis cannot lead the Bucks to the top three in the East, it would be insufficient for him to challenge for the MVP. The super dark horse I want to talk about in the MVP race is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the star player of the Thunder.
Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in the MVP race, losing to Jokic but winning widespread acclaim! In the new season, the Thunder have set sail again, becoming even stronger, and they are breaking the team's longest winning streak record with a 14-game winning streak, ranking first in the West with a record of 29 wins and 5 losses, leading the second-placed Grizzlies (23 wins and 12 losses) by a whopping 6.5 games! In this process, Gilgeous-Alexander has been both steady and fierce, becoming even more sharp! For example, on November 12 against the Clippers, Gilgeous-Alexander exploded for 45 points + 9 assists; on November 28 against the Warriors, he scored 35 points + 9 rebounds + 5 assists; on November 30 against the Lakers, he erupted for 36 points + 6 rebounds + 9 assists; on December 11 against the Mavericks, he scored 39 points + 8 rebounds + 5 assists; on December 24 against the Wizards, he grabbed 41 points + 9 rebounds; on December 27 against the Pacers, he scored 45 points + 7 rebounds + 8 assists; on January 1 against the Timberwolves, he angrily scored 40 points + 3 rebounds + 2 assists.
So far this season, Gilgeous-Alexander has maintained full attendance, averaging 31.2 points (second in the league) + 5.4 rebounds + 6.1 assists + 2 steals (third in the league) + 1.1 blocks + 2.1 three-pointers, with a shooting percentage of 52.5%. According to NBA official statistics, Gilgeous-Alexander's average plus-minus is as high as +12.1, ranking first in the league. If Gilgeous-Alexander can maintain such an efficient state until the end of the season, he will become the second player in NBA history to score 30+ points with a 50%+ shooting percentage for three consecutive seasons, the first being basketball god Michael Jordan! This is the new season's Gilgeous-Alexander, scoring steadily, defending fiercely, being ruthless and silent, and increasingly showing leadership qualities!
The latest update of the NBA's official MVP rankings shows that Jokic remains at the top, while Gilgeous-Alexander has quietly risen to second place (from third last period), with Giannis Antetokounmpo relegated to third place. The rest of the top ten are Tatum, Wembanyama, Doncic, Towns, Mitchell, Davis, and Shen Jing! I do not deny that Jokic is still the frontrunner for the MVP, but I must also give a gentle reminder: sorry, Jokic, winning the MVP four times in five years is no easy feat, and Gilgeous-Alexander absolutely has the ability to snatch the MVP. On the one hand, Gilgeous-Alexander's data and attendance rate are guaranteed; on the other hand, the Thunder's record has an overwhelming advantage over the Nuggets! If the Nuggets cannot maintain their position in the top four in the West, then Gilgeous-Alexander will stand out in the MVP race! What do you think, fellow fans? Leave me a comment to discuss it.