Why I voted for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the NBA MVP over Nikola Jokic

Now, it is not a right or wrong situation because such a vote is truly a subjective process that includes esthetics, numbers and team success. Someone looking at the same circumstances might come up with an entirely different conclusion for equally logical reasons.

But filling out one of 100 ballots for the top individual honour in the league for 2023-24 led to choosing the Hamilton native and Oklahoma City Thunder guard first over the other elite possibilities.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver centre Nikola Jokic and Dallas guard Luka Doncic were the finalists winnowed from a five-man group that emerged in balloting by media representatives who cover the league.

The decision to vote for Gilgeous-Alexander over Jokic — Doncic was a relatively distant third on my ballot — came down to the 25-year-old’s overall body of work and what he did with the Thunder.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s consistency was a marvel: he had more than 30 points in a game 51 times; his combination of offence and defence was sublime; he was tied for first in steals per game and third in scoring at 30.1 points per game (behind Doncic at 33.9 and Giannis Antetokounmpo at 30.4). His impact was undeniable, and the young Thunder team finished first in the Western Conference with a 57-25 record.

It’s not as if Jokic wouldn’t be a worthy MVP, and he’s probably the leader in the race right now. He plays a cerebral game (not flashy but lethal), he’s a great passer and seems to see plays before they happen. He would be quite worthy of being a three-time MVP.

“Generational talent,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said of Jokic when the Nuggets were in Toronto this season. “The way this guy is playing, the way he’s connecting, the way he changed the game is something very, very unique.”

There were two things that tipped the scales in favour for Gilgeous-Alexander when it came time to cast a ballot the day after the regular season.

He’s a better defender — which has to factor in the equation — and he led an unproven, still young Thunder to those 57 wins and the West’s top seed.

It’s not that Jokic is penalized by his teammates, but he’s surrounded by a champion-calibre roster while Gilgeous-Alexander coaxed excellence out of a bunch of kids still learning their way. He never seems to have an off game.

“I don’t know what he shoots from the floor (54 per cent overall, 58 per cent from two, 57 per cent in effective field-goal percentage) but I swear every time I look at them, it’s like 12-for-16, 13-for-19,” said Toronto’s Kelly Olynyk, a teammate of Gilgeous-Alexander with Canada at the FIBA World Cup last summer. 

“When was the last time you saw him go 4-for-19? It doesn’t happen, which is pretty incredible.”

MVP-like incredible.

Full disclosure, the ballot I submitted had, in order: Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, Doncic, Antetokounmpo and New York’s Jalen Brunson.

It was hard to leave out Boston’s Jayson Tatum, no question about it, and maybe he paid for being on a more stacked roster than another of the five who went ahead of him.

But really, and with no disrespect to the others, it was a two-man battle between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic. And all the factors — the numbers, the record, the all-important eye test — added up to Gilgeous-Alexander.

It’s not right and it’s not wrong. But it’s a total package too hard to ignore.