The NBA 2024-25 Most Valuable Player award is soon to be announced. The debate between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić has come down to the wire. The current favorite, SGA, is leading his team to historic success. The Oklahoma City Thunder are far and away the best team in the Western Conference and hold the second all-time ranking in team net-rating, only behind the legendary 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. Nikola Jokić, on the other hand, is dominating everyone on the court. No one else in basketball history has put up the numbers that Jokić has this season. With averages of 29.6 PPG, 12.7 RPG, and 10.2 APG, his performance is truly remarkable. Both candidates have a case for the MVP, but which one will come out on top?
The case for SGA is a strong one. Besides all the team success, his individual performance is on par with some of the greatest players to ever play basketball. He leads the league in scoring at 32.7 PPG, which is the 7th highest since 2000. This feat has only been accomplished by current and future Hall-of-Famers such as Allen Iverson and James Harden. This offensive output is not subsided by lackluster defense though. SGA ranked second place in player defensive rating and total steals. This degree of offensive and defensive prowess at the age of 26 has only been done by the likes of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He does this while also leading his team to the best record in the NBA at 68-14 and ranking top three in team defensive and offensive rating. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s case isn’t just strong, it’s exceptional.
Nikola Jokić is a force to be reckoned with. Only two players other than Jokić have averaged a triple-double (10+ points, rebounds, and assists) in a season. Jokić averages a triple-double at an unthinkable 66.3 TS%, a nine point increase from the other two players. This level of offensive production is unmatched by any player ever. He accomplishes this while pushing his team to a respectable 50-32 record. The Denver Nuggets have a difference of 12.4 +/- from when Jokić is on vs. off the court, the most of any player. This means the Nuggets would stand near the bottom of the league without him, a stat that SGA just can’t compete with. He has stepped up his game from his three prior MVP seasons, which makes his case even more impressive. Nikola Jokić is playing at a higher standard than any other player, and his stats speak for themselves.
You might be asking yourself “Why does this even matter?”, but there is a very important reason for this discussion. The outcome of this MVP race will determine how MVP’s are chosen for years to come. Is it more important to have team success and be more popular amongst the media, or play better than everyone else no matter where your team stands? Does being the best player on one of the greatest teams in history mean you are the most valuable? Is having the best statistical season ever and being the reason your team makes the playoffs enough to win the award? All these questions will be answered when the 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player is announced to the public. All the heated discussions from fans and media alike, all the incredible performances put on by these great players through the season, and the precedent of what “most valuable” really means for the coming years come down to this moment here. But the real question is, who do you think is the true MVP?
