Small change this year. Rather than offering a weekly MVP race, which was too often repetitive for us, we decided to adopt a monthly MVP race.
The race for MVP #1: a new Joel Embiid – Nikola Jokic duel?
The race for MVP #2: sixth is the right one for Luka Doncic?
For what is (already) our third point of the season, our Top 5 remains unchanged with Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic who reinforce week after week their status as the best players of this 2023 exercise. /24. After around forty matches played, we can speak of a mid-season assessment.
“Shai-Gorgeous” Alexander
This time, we will focus on the candidacy of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who, like the Thunder, is having a most impressive campaign in the shadow of the monsters that are Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic.
Judge for yourself: averaging 31.3 points, 6.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals, “SGA” is none other than the seventh player in history to play 30/5/5 /2 average over a season. Before him ? Only big names in the NBA: Rick Barry (1975), Michael Jordan (6x), Kobe Bryant (2003), Dwyane Wade (2009), Stephen Curry (2016) and finally James Harden (2019).
To put it simply, all of these players have already been voted MVP in this league, whether in the regular season or during the Finals…
Tremendous efficiency
Better yet: if we include in this 30/5/5/2 a minimum of 50% shooting success, we see that there are only three left to meet all these criteria: Michael Jordan (5x), Stephen Curry (2016) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, of course.
But where “SGA” stands out more is in relation to his skill, since he comes close to 55% shooting success. An unprecedented level during a season with a minimum of 30 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 interceptions on average (eleven occurrences, before 2023/24).
Finally, if we take into account the famous “ True Shooting Percentage (TS%)” then “ Effective Field-Goal Percentage (eFG%)”, which respectively allow the level of overall skill to be measured (2-points + 3-points) with and then without free throws, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also above the fray, since only Stephen Curry does better than him each time, during his legendary 2015/16 campaign, with 67% TS% and 63% eFG% compared to currently 65% and 58% for the OKC rear.
A favorite review
The icing on the cake, and it is this aspect that makes “SGA” a credible contender for the title of MVP 2024: the Thunder wins, and not just a little, climbing squarely into the Top 3 of the Western Conference ( we saw them 10th before the season…)!
Collectively, the Oklahoma franchise flirts with the 70% victory mark (32-15, 68%), therefore not boxing in the category of teams on the verge of the playoffs, but in that of teams that can dream of a long journey in spring.
Here again, by combining “minimum 30/5/5/2 average” and “minimum 67% wins”, we discover that only two players meet these two criteria apart from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Michael Jordan (4x) and Stephen Curry (2016). Enough to further legitimize the Canadian's candidacy, because “His Airness” and the “Chef” have already managed to be MVP when they have fulfilled these conditions.
RACE FOR MVP: OUR TOP 5
1 – Joel Embiid (Sixers)
Summary: 29 wins, 17 losses – 5th in the East.
Matches: 34 disputed out of 46 possible.
Stats: 35.3 pts, 11.3 reb, 5.7 pads, 1.1 int, 1.8 ctr and 3.7 pdb in 34 min.
Percentages: 53% on shots, including 37% on 3-pointers, and 88% on throws.
2 – Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
Summary: 33 wins, 15 losses – 2nd in the West.
Matches: 47 disputed out of 48 possible.
Stats: 26.3 pts, 12.1 reb, 9.0 pads, 1.2 int, 0.9 ctr and 2.9 pdb in 34 min.
Percentages: 59% on shots, including 36% on 3-pointers, and 82% on throws.
3 – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
Summary: 32 wins, 15 losses – 3rd in the West.
Matches: 46 disputed out of 47 possible.
Stats: 31.3 pts, 5.6 reb, 6.4 pads, 2.2 int, 0.7 ctr and 2.2 pdb in 34 min.
Percentages: 55% on shots, including 34% on 3-pointers, and 89% on throws.
4 – Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
Summary: 32 wins, 15 losses – 2nd in the East.
Matches: 45 disputed out of 47 possible.
Stats: 31.0 pts, 11.7 reb, 6.2 pads, 1.3 int, 1.1 ctr and 3.6 pdb in 35 min.
Percentages: 61% on shots, including 26% on 3-pointers, and 66% on throws.
5 – Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
Summary: 26 wins, 21 losses – 7th in the West.
Matches: 40 disputed out of 47 possible.
Stats: 34.7 pts, 8.6 reb, 9.6 pads, 1.4 int, 0.6 ctr and 3.9 pdb in 38 min.
Percentages: 49% on shots, including 38% on 3-pointers, and 78% on throws.
Mentions : Jayson Tatum (Celtics), Anthony Edwards (Wolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers)…
Vote for the MVP at mid-season
True shooting percentage (TS%) : this equation allows you to calculate the overall skill of a player, or a team, taking into consideration 2-point shots, 3-point shots and free throws. The calculation formula is as follows: TS% = (points scored / 2 * [tirs tentés + 0.44 * {lancers-francs tentés}]) * 100.
Effective field goal percentage (eFG%) : equation allowing the overall skill of a player, or a team, to be calculated, taking into account the fact that a 3-point shot earns 1.5 times more points than a 2-point shot. The calculation formula is as follows: eFG% = ([tirs réussis + 0.5 * tirs à 3-points réussis] / shots attempted) * 100.
