It’s hardly a surprise, but it’s now official: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has won the 2024-25 NBA MVP Award. This was a two-horse race for months between SGA and Nikola Jokic, but it has been clear which way the winds were blowing for a while now.
Jokic was always facing an uphill battle as he tried to win the award for a fourth time and second time in a row. Historically speaking, that would have vaulted Joker into some remarkable company, and that may have been working against him.
A precedent has been unfairly created where past winners are compared to themselves instead of the rest of the league. Once a player has won an MVP Award, they have to raise the bar even higher to win again. Multiply that by three for Jokic, who has a mantle full of these trophies, and he would have had to lap the field to win again this season.
Jokic was the best player in the NBA this season
The thing is, there’s a fair argument to be made that Jokic did just that. As he claimed himself, he had the best season of his career and put up stats that were comical across the board. On the season, he averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game.
He was third in the league in scoring, third in rebounds, and second in assists. He also finished second in the league in steals with 1.8 per game and finished near or at the top of every advanced stat known to man.
Beyond the numbers, just look at the way Jokic held this team together and dragged them to 50 wins and a top 4 seed in the loaded Western Conference. He did it with a paltry supporting cast, with none of his co-stars playing up to their level, and everyone missing significant time with injuries. It’s hard to put into words just how valuable he truly was to the Nuggets this season.
SGA a worthy first-time MVP winner
It’s easy to make the case for Jokic, but it’s also fair to praise SGA and give him his flowers. While Jokic was the better player, Shai is a deserving winner. He led the league with 32.7 points per game to go along with 5 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.7 steals a night.
But it was about the efficiency, consistency, and team success for Gilgeous-Alexander. He had the most total points, the most 50-point games, 40-point games, 30-point games, and 20-point games, absurdly scoring 20 or more in 75 of the 76 games he played in this season.
While putting up those gaudy stats, the Thunder rolled to a 68-14 record and won the West by a whopping 16 games. The team was head and shoulders above the competition, and SGA was far and away their best player.
Jokic done in by voter fatigue
In the end, SGA won the award, his team will likely win the title, and all will feel right in the world, especially after his team knocked off Jokic and the Nuggets last round. But still, it’s hard not to be slightly annoyed here as Jokic was as deserving as ever.
We knew all along he’d be hit by voter fatigue, historical precedent, legacy, and team success, and at the end of the day, they all caught up and bit him. If the Nuggets win 60 games, is that enough? If he upped all his averages up by 1 across the board, would that be enough?
It’s impossible to say, and we’ll never know the answer. But it’s very clear that Jokic was held to a higher standard than every other candidate this season, and that likely won’t change any time soon.