The 2024–25 season belonged to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who completed a rare trifecta. He led his franchise to its first NBA championship, captured the scoring title, earned the Finals MVP, and also won the league MVP ahead of Nikola Jokic, who averaged a triple-double. It was one of the greatest individual seasons of all time, the likes of which may not be repeated despite what predictions suggest.
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Vegas odds have Shai winning the MVP again, and for those who watched the Canadian in action last season, it won’t come as a surprise. In 76 games, Shai averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.0 rebounds. His tremendous play was a huge reason the Oklahoma City Thunder were dominant for much of the campaign. One person, however, does not see Shai winning MVP again, or at least not as easily.
Gilbert Arenas shared his perspective on the subject during a recent interview with VladTV. The three-time NBA All-Star explained that Shai will need to improve his numbers and lead his team to another No. 1 finish in the West to win the award back-to-back.
“It’ll be harder for SGA to repeat. What stats can he have and be No. 1 again? If he’s No. 1 again and has the same stats, they’re not going to give it to him. Right? So he’s going to have to up his stats and be No. 1 to get that because he beat someone who had a triple-double,” stated Arenas.
That “someone” was, of course, The Joker. Many around the league assumed that the Nuggets center would win the MVP because of how sensational his numbers were. The same argument was made back in the 2022–23 season, when Jokic lost the MVP race to Joel Embiid, who was then eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Jokic has already won the award three times. Arenas thinks that if the Serbian wants to go for four, his path is pretty easy. “Now if Jokic has a triple-double and they’re (Nuggets) No. 1, he gets it.”
Gil is 100% correct, even if that seems pretty obvious. Jokic will always have the stats. It just depends on where Denver finishes in the standings. And it won’t be easy for them to get No. 1, or 2, or 3. The Houston Rockets were 2nd behind the Thunder last year, and now they’ve added Kevin Durant. The LA Clippers and the LA Lakers are beefed up. The Western Conference is going to be very much like the Wild West — a slew of powerhouses.
Repeating as MVP isn’t going to be a walk in the park for Shai either. He’s got the target on his back now, but if there’s anyone who can rise to the challenge, it’s SGA. He lives for these big moments.
The guy just keeps finding new levels to his game. Whether he wins it again or not, one thing’s for sure: he’s officially in that elite category where every night feels like must-watch basketball.
