Anthony Edwards Declares Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as NBA’s MVP Front-Runner
OKLAHOMA CITY — In the world of professional basketball, where talent and competition are at their peak, it’s not every day you hear one superstar openly praise another. But that’s exactly what happened when Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves was asked about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Edwards, with a tone of admiration, didn’t mince words, calling Gilgeous-Alexander “The MVP of the NBA.”
Now, you might be thinking, “Isn’t it a bit early to be talking MVP?” After all, the season hasn’t even reached its halfway point. But Edwards has seen enough to make his case. He believes that Gilgeous-Alexander is on track to claim his first MVP award, especially after finishing as the runner-up last season.
Edwards’ conviction comes from firsthand experience. During the Thunder’s 113-105 victory over the Timberwolves at the Paycom Center, Gilgeous-Alexander put on a show, scoring 40 points on 15-of-23 shooting. His performance was particularly dominant in the third quarter, where he racked up 19 points, helping Oklahoma City seize control of the game.
This win marked the Thunder’s 12th consecutive victory, a streak that doesn’t include their NBA Cup finals loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, as it doesn’t count as a regular-season game. During this impressive run, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 33.4 points on 56.6% shooting from the floor, the longest winning streak since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City.
Gilgeous-Alexander himself seems to be in a state of flow. “I feel like I’m flowing, like the game’s just coming,” he said. “I’m not pressing, not thinking, just out there hooping. The hard work’s paying off.”
His stats back up his MVP candidacy. Gilgeous-Alexander ranks second in the league in scoring with 31.3 points per game and second in steals with 2.0 per game. The Thunder, boasting a 27-5 record, have the Western Conference’s best record and the NBA’s top-ranked defense. He’s shooting 52.8% from the floor while also averaging 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game.
Edwards is particularly awed by the ease with which Gilgeous-Alexander scores. “To me, he’s unguardable,” Edwards said. “As far as any one-on-one matchup, yeah, you can go on and give it up. Just give him two points most of the time. So I think you got to trap him. Maybe that don’t work, but you got to try it. For sure you got to send a second body, especially if he got a favorable matchup. Anytime he got somebody that he knows can’t guard him, ah, he going to score every time.”
While Edwards acknowledges that three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is also making a strong case with his averages of 31.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game for the 18-13 Denver Nuggets, he remains firm in his belief that Gilgeous-Alexander should be the MVP front-runner.
“I don’t know if they could give it to [Jokic] again,” Edwards said, after scoring 20 points in the loss. “Yeah, I would say Shai. Yeah, he’s looking like the MVP, man. He was incredible once again tonight.”
Edwards continued, “He’s consistent every night. His team gonna give him the ball and just let him rock out every night. It’s nothing to think about. ‘Hey, get Shai the ball and he going to get busy, and then we’re going to figure it out after that.’ I love watching that. It’s incredible, man. If he is keeping him like that, I hope they give [MVP] to him this year for sure. I feel like he should have won it last year, but he’s playing out his mind right now.”
Gilgeous-Alexander was clearly flattered by the praise from a competitor of Edwards’ caliber. “No offense to you guys in the media, but the best satisfaction is when your peers and the guys that do the same thing for a living at a very high level that you do recognize and respect your craft and your talent,” he said. “That’s a really good feeling. Obviously the caliber player he is, the sky’s the limit. Hard-fought battle tonight.”
- Anthony Edwards praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as MVP.
- Gilgeous-Alexander scores 40 points against Timberwolves.
- Thunder on a 12-game winning streak.
- Gilgeous-Alexander ranks second in scoring and steals.
- Edwards believes Gilgeous-Alexander is unguardable.
Originally Written by: Tim MacMahon
