Williams: Shai deserves MVP plum

NEW JERSEY – Oklahoma City Thunder Jalen Williams is making a strong case for his teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidacy. 

Gilgeous-Alexander is in another tight race with Denver Nuggets’ three-time MVP Nikola Jokic for the top individual award this season. 

 ”It’d be dope to see him get it,” Williams told Basketball Insiders recently. 

“Obviously, Jokic is having a really good season as well. But I think just having the youngest team in the NBA and still doing what he’s doing, I think he (Gilgeous-Alexander) should be MVP. Obviously, we have the best record in the West two years in a row.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, who led Canada to a bronze medal finish during the FIBA World Cup in Manila two years ago, is having his best season in the NBA. 

The 26-year-old star playmaker is leading the league in scoring with a career-best 32.8 points while averaging 6.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He is also the most prolific free throw shooter this season, making a career-high 8.0 per game. 

 ”I think he’s the MVP,” Williams said. 

“Obviously, I’m his teammate, so I’m very inclined to say that. From what I see, the amount of Michael Jordan comparisons and the accolades and all that, I think it would be a very big disservice to him if he’s not the MVP, just based on what he’s been able to accomplish this year.”

The Thunder are poised to finish with a franchise-best record in the regular season and the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander’s continued rise. 

Last year, the 6-foot-6 Canadian point guard finished runner-up to Jokic. 

 ”You look at him last year and everybody kind of had the question, what else could he possibly do to improve?” Williams said of his star teammate. 

“Obviously, he comes into this year twice as good as he was last year. I think that’s a testament to how hard he works and how much better he’s able to get, just through his years to look at his progression as a player, which is something I think every athlete — basketball or not — you always wanna get better every year.”

“The fact that he’s able to do that at an MVP-caliber play every year is very impressive.”