The MVP race this year is one of the closest in recent memory because of how many people are playing at such a high caliber this year. Names like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokumpo are names that are often at the top of the MVP ladder, yet there have been a lot of names popping in and out of the list such as Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum. Currently, as of January 13th, 2025, Shai is at the top of the list, which in my opinion should be the winner of the award this year. He is by far the best player on the OKC Thunder, who are atop the Western Conference with a record of 32-6, the second best in the NBA, behind the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is averaging over 30 points per game and he is one of the most consistent players in the entire league. According to ESPN, The OKC Thunder are the second-best team in the entire league and the team to beat. Shai has been the obvious leader of this team and he is almost single-handedly why they have won so many games this year. He is averaging 31.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game this season, which are outstanding numbers. He is my vote for MVP for sure as he is part of one of the best teams in the league and he is by far the leader of this team.
Nikola Jokic is also one of the top leaders for the MVP award. He is near the top almost every year because he is a statistical monster. This season he is averaging 31.2 points per game, 13.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game, according to StatMuse, almost a triple-double. Averaging a triple-double is only something that has been done once in NBA history and it was when Russel Westbrook won the MVP averaging 31.6 points per game, 10.7 rebounds per game, and 10.3 rebounds per game, according to StatMuse. Jokic has already won 3 MVP awards because of how insane his stats are every single year. There are two problems to why he might not win the MVP this year. One is that he is very poor on defense as he shows little effort and doesn’t take advantage of his strength and size. The other aspect is that the Nuggets are not playing well this year. They are barely above a .500 win percentage and the team overall is just not playing well this year.
The other main leader for this year’s MVP ladder is Giannis Antetokumpo. He is nicknamed, “The Greek Freak” for a reason. His resume is insane as he is having one of the best seasons of his career. He is absolutely insane on both offense and defense, yet his only critique is the team he is on. The Bucks have been playing mediocre at best this season, winning games only because of Giannis leading the way.
While this season’s MVP race is one of the closest in recent history, there is still a lot more of the season yet to play and things could change very quickly.
