Thunder star Alexander is elected the regular season MVP this season!

On May 22, the NBA officially announced that Thunder star Shea Gilgers-Alexander was elected as the 2024-25 regular season MVP, which is the first time he has won this honor in his career. Alexander defeated Jokic (787 points) and Antetokounmpo (470 points) with 71 first votes and 29 second votes, totaling 913 points, becoming the third MVP winner in the Thunder history after Durant (2013-14) and Westbrook (2016-17).

1. Dual dominance of data and record

This season, Alexander played in 76 regular season games, averaged 32.7 points, 5 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals, 1 block, with a shooting percentage of 51.9%, three-point shooting percentage of 37.5%, and 89.8% free throw percentage, and won the league's scoring champion with 2,484 points. Not only has he become the second player in NBA history to average at least 30 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1 block in a single season (the only one who achieved this was Michael Jordan), he also achieved ** per game with 30+ points per game and shooting over 50%** for the third consecutive season, with only Jabbar, Antetokounmpo, Chamberlain and Jordan achieving 1. In addition, he scored 40+ in 13 times in a single season and scored 50+ in the league, with a shooting percentage of 48.9% at critical moments (within 5 points in the last 5 minutes of the game).

Under Alexander, the Thunder set a record of 68-14, breaking the 64-win record in the Supersonics in the 1995-96 season and setting the highest net win in a single season in NBA history (+12.8 points). When he was on the court, the team's net score in 100 rounds was 18.5 points higher than when he was not on the court, and his personal net efficiency value (+17.9) ranked No. 15 in the league. In contrast, although Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists per game, becoming the third player in history to achieve this achievement, the Nuggets ranked fourth in the Western Conference with only 50 wins and 32 losses, and the record gap became its biggest shortcoming in its MVP selection.

2. Voting pattern and historical significance

Alexander and Jokic divided all 100 first and second votes, which means that in the minds of all voting reporters, the MVP belongs to only two people. Alexander won 71 first votes, while Jokic only 29, a huge gap reflects the judges' recognition of the Thunder's overall performance. It is worth noting that Alexander continued the monopoly of international players over MVP, becoming the non-local American player to win this honor for the seventh consecutive year (previously Antetokounmpo, Jokic, and Embiid).

From the perspective of voting distribution, Antetokounmpo, Tatum and Mitchell divided all 100 third votes, of which Antetokounmpo ranked third with 88 third votes, and Tatum and Mitchell followed closely behind with 13 points with 311 points and 74 points respectively. Veterans such as James and Curry performed poorly. James scored only 16 points, and Curry only had 2 points, highlighting the alternation between the old and the new in the league structure.

3. Playoff performance and future prospects

Currently, Alexander is leading the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, with the team leading the Timberwolves 1-0. Although his shooting percentage dropped in the second round of the playoffs against the Nuggets (28.8 points per game and 26.9% from three points), the plus-negative (+69) remained the highest in the series, showing its impact on the game. If he can lead the team to win the championship, he is expected to become the first player after Jordan to win the scoring champion, MVP and FMVP.

It is worth mentioning that Alexander's performance this season has earned him a four-year, $294 million super maximum salary renewal, with an average annual salary of $73.3 million. In the last season (2030-31), the annual salary will exceed $80 million, setting an NBA record 1. This contract is not only an affirmation of his personal abilities, but also marks the official entry of Thunder into a new era with him as the core.

4. Controversy and comparison

Although Alexander deserves his election, there are still voices who believe that Jokic performs more prominently in a more difficult environment. For example, with Murray absent from the team for a long time and the head coach was fired midway, Jokic still led the team into the playoffs, and averaged 28.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 9 assists in the second round of the playoffs. However, the Thunder's overall strength and regular season dominance are obviously better, and Alexander's advantage in efficiency (52.9% shooting percentage vs Jokic 48%) and team record are still factors that the judges value more.

To sum up, Alexander's MVP is well deserved. He proved that he has become one of the top superstars in the league with his historical data, team record and performance at critical moments. His legend is still being written as the Thunder continues to move forward in the playoffs.