NBA MVP Mondays: Giannis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander use NBA Cup to tighten race

12/23/2024 06:00 PM

With the NBA Cup wrapping up last week in Las Vegas, there were no NBA MVP rankings. Now that an in-season tournament champion has been named, this MVP race is suddenly closer than it was when December began. This has been Nikola Jokic’s race to lose for quite some time, but what Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have accomplished, especially regarding their NBA Cup championship game, can’t be overlooked.

It was Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks who handled Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the 2024 NBA Cup. Although the stats don’t officially count, which is the dumbest thing, Antetokounmpo put together one of his best performances of the season while claiming the NBA Cup for the Bucks.

In this game, the two-time MVP recorded 26 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists, three blocks, and two steals in 37 minutes while shooting 10-of-19 from the floor. He was aggressive when he needed to be, and Giannis looked like the best player in the league against the Thunder, who some would argue are the best team in the NBA right now. This performance surely turned many people’s heads regarding the NBA MVP race, and even Tim Bontemps of ESPN can attest to this with his latest MVP straw poll.

Even with Antetokounmpo stealing the spotlight during the NBA Cup, Gilgeous-Alexander’s accomplishments during this tournament have also increased his positioning in the MVP race. Although he struggled to shoot against the Bucks, as did everyone on the Thunder, SGA recorded a 32-point, eight-rebound, six-assist performance against the Houston Rockets in the NBA Cup semifinals. Leading Oklahoma City to the championship game is a major accomplishment for the 26-year-old.

While Jokic still appears to hold the upper hand, Giannis and SGA are making this NBA MVP race very interesting as we prepare for the calendar to flip over to 2025.

Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1

1. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets

Previous ranking: #1

2024-25 season stats: 23 games, 30.9 points, 13.0 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.7 steals, 56.3 FG%, 50.5 3P%

The only reason the Nuggets are 15-11 is because Nikola Jokic has put the team on his back and led them to a one-point win against the Sacramento Kings, as well as a three-point overtime win against the New Orleans Pelicans recently. If it wasn’t for Jokic, the Nuggets may be in the same position as the Pelicans near the bottom of the West standings.

Jokic currently leads the NBA in triple-doubles (11) and ranks second in scoring behind only Antetokounmpo. As long as he is practically averaging a triple-double on the season and the Nuggets remain near the top of the West standings, it will be hard to argue that Jokic shouldn’t be the MVP, especially since he may be the most valuable player in the league when it comes to how much his presence means to Denver.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks

Previous ranking: #2

2024-25 season stats: 24 games, 32.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.5 blocks, 61.3 FG%

When the Bucks were 2-8 and sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, there was plenty of talk about this organization needing to tear everything down. Now that the Bucks are 15-12, they are on the cusp of becoming a top-four team in the East, and this is all because of what Giannis has accomplished on the court.

Aside from leading the league in scoring, Giannis leads everyone in shots made (307), ranks sixth in rebounding, 11th in blocks per game, and first in player efficiency rating. This metric usually helps dictate who wins the MVP award, at least over the last few seasons, so this could be a telling statistic for Antetokounmpo vs. Jokic.

As long as Giannis leads the league in scoring and keeps the Bucks surging up the standings, his MVP case will only grow.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder

Previous ranking: #4

2024-25 season stats: 27 games, 30.3 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, 50.8 FG%, 33.5 3P%

The Thunder are currently 22-5 this season and have technically only lost once in their last 12 games since the NBA Cup championship game doesn’t count towards their record. In 27 games, Gilgeous-Alexander has recorded 30 or more points 14 different times. Only Giannis has done so more times this season.

What is even more impressive about Gilgeous-Alexander’s numbers is that he’s scored below 20 points only once. He has also scored below 25 points only once in his last 17 games, not including the NBA Cup championship. When it comes to scoring and commanding his team’s offense, SGA has been the best player in the league.

Without Chet Holmgren, Gilgeous-Alexander has put the Thunder on his back and elevated the team to new heights. They may be undersized and inexperienced, but his leadership is the reason why Oklahoma City has gone from a feel-good story to being the favorite in the Western Conference.

4. Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics

Previous ranking: #3

2024-25 season stats: 26 games, 28.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.2 steals, 46.3 FG%, 37.2 3P%

At this point, there’s nothing Jayson Tatum can do anymore to prove that he is a legitimate MVP candidate. Aside from how good the Boston Celtics are, Tatum is nearly averaging a double-double this season and just below 30 points per game scoring. Tatum has done enough talking about why he should be MVP, which is why Joe Mazzulla and Kristaps Porzingis have increased their efforts for Boston’s star.

“Yeah, no question. 100 percent. It does because I think he's been doing it for such a long time, and he's on a really good team," Mazzulla said recently of Tatum’s greatness interfering with his MVP campaign. "I think that hurts him sometimes, but his ability to do what he does on a great team, I think, says more about who he is as a player. But, yes, for sure.”

Porzingis agreed with Mazzulla’s comments, even saying that Tatum isn’t a “PR player” in the sense that “he doesn’t do everything for PR.” Tatum has been great on both sides of the court this season and deserves more respect in this MVP discussion.

5. Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks

Previous ranking: #5

2024-25 season stats: 20 games, 28.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 2.1 steals, 45.9 FG%, 35.5 3P%

Whether or not Luka Doncic can truly be in the NBA MVP race depends on his health and the Dallas Mavericks’ ability to remain at the top of the Western Conference standings. Regardless of statistics, whoever has a better record at the end of the season between Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, and Doncic will surely hold significant weight.

In regards to health, Doncic has missed eight games this season. He must play in at least 65 games to be eligible for MVP, which means Doncic is only allowed to miss nine more games this year. The Mavs star has been banged up at times this year and could inch dangerously close to this eligibility number.

Three triple-doubles in his last four games, including a 45-point triple-double in a 143-133 win against the Golden State Warriors, is why Doncic is inside the top five of the NBA MVP rankings.

Just missing the cut

6. Karl-Anthony Towns – New York Knicks (Ranked No. 7 last week)

7. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs (Ranked No. 10 last week)

8. Anthony Davis – Los Angeles Lakers (Ranked No. 6 last week)

9. Kevin Durant – Phoenix Suns (Ranked No. 8 last week)

10. Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers (Unranked last week)

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