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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has put himself in the conversation for the NBA MVP award with his stellar play this season, but the focus was always on Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. However, with the announcement that Embiid will miss time due to a meniscus injury, the MVP race has been blown wide open.
SGA has always had a real chance to win the award, but with Embiid being taken out of the race, his chances now increase exponentially. He isn't a lock to win his first MVP award yet, as some things need to happen for him to be named league MVP.
Here are five factors that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needs in hopes of becoming the 2024 NBA MVP.
Things Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needs to win NBA MVP award:
#1 OKC needs to finish at the top of the conference
The OKC Thunder are now tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves as the top team in the West following their three-game winning streak. They are also in a good position to seize the top spot, depending on how Tuesday's games go as both teams are slated to play.
Should OKC become the number one team in the West, they'll need to stay there to give Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the best chance at winning MVP. That said, this is easier said than done. The top four teams in the West are only separated by half a game, and any one of them can suddenly climb to No. 1 on any given night.
#2 The Denver Nuggets need to finish at No. 3 or below
Speaking of the top four teams in the West, one of them is the Denver Nuggets. They are currently in fourth place with a 35-16 record. At this point, Nikola Jokic can be considered as SGA's direct competitor for the MVP. Where his team finishes could affect the MVP award.
The Thunder and the Nuggets have already played through their four-game season series, with OKC beating the defending champs 3-1. One could say that SGA has already done his part in keeping Denver lower in the standings.
There are still 30 games left on the Nuggets' schedule and what happens in them is out of SGA's hands.
#3 OKC needs to win their remaining nationally televised games
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will need to continue putting on a show for the rest of the season for him to win the NBA MVP award. Especially in their nationally televised games.
The MVP will be decided by prominent sportswriters and broadcasters, and naturally, they would tend to give more votes to a player who passes the eye-test. Thus the added pressure to perform in games televised on a national scale.
#4 Finish the season averaging 30+ PPG
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is currently third in points per game averages behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic with 31.1 ppg. He does not need to overtake them, but he will need to stay over 30 PPG for a better chance at becoming MVP.
Currently, he is on pace to accomplish this. Especially after he went on a nine-game 30-point streak from Jan. 18 to Feb. 2. With thirty-one more games left on OKC's schedule, SGA will need to continue to have high-scoring games to remain above the 30 PPG threshold.
#5 Stay healthy for the rest of the year
The NBA's new rule states that for a player to remain eligible to win awards, they need to play a minimum of 65 games. So far, SGA has missed just one game but he is not in the clear yet.
There are still plenty of games left this year, and he could still end up missing sixteen of them. Which would disqualify him from MVP consideration.
