Nikola Jokic took home the MVP award for the third time in his career after having another monstrous season. However, many believe Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was much more deserving of the award. NBA legend Kevin Garnett is one of them as he explains why the Oklahoma City Thunder star should've won the MVP over Jokic.
Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce discussed the MVP award on the All the Smoke Podcast. The Hall of Fame power forward chose Gilgeous-Alexander as his award winner.
“It's a regular season award, and usually… The best player on your team usually represents the best team… I thought Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] should have had [the MVP].”
Nikola Jokic took home the award after averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists. The Denver Nuggets star nearly averaged a triple-double this season and it's hard to choose another player over someone line Jokic who is one of the most efficient players in the league. Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished the season averaging 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. On top of that, Gilgeous-Alexander also led the Thunder to the No. 1 seed of the Western Conference.
No matter how you look at it the MVP race was seemingly between Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander throughout most of the regular season. Both players are superstars in their own right and it's exciting to see how the remainder of their careers will unfold. Luckily, the Thunder star will have many more opportunities to win the MVP as he's just 25 years old.
Thunder's chances to win a championship
Oklahoma City is currently tied with the Dallas Mavericks 1-1 in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. The Thunder looked like one of the best teams in the league throughout the regular season but they still have some work to do if they hope to win a title. The Mavericks aren't going down without a fight as Game 3 tips off at 3:30 P.M. Eastern on May 11.
The Thunder must find a way to take down Dallas to advance to the next round. To do that, the team is going to have to lockdown Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, which is much easier said than done. Additionally, guys like Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams must maintain consistency and serve as compliments for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
If the Thunder can take down the Mavericks then they'll be facing off against one of the Minnesota Timberwolves or Denver Nuggets. Either way, the Western Conference is going to remain fun as each team still in the playoff race has the potential of winning a championship.
With that said, look for the Thunder to come out swinging against the Mavericks in Game 3. This is a pivotal matchup as the winner of this one takes a 2-1 lead in the series.
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