For the fourth consecutive yr, Flashscore brings you its rating of the 100 gamers most eagerly anticipated forward of the upcoming NBA season. In second place is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a two-time MVP who misplaced his NBA crown and can inevitably be hungry for revenge and a 3-peat.
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Retaining the Most Valuable Player award is probably much less appreciated today. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned the 14th participant in NBA historical past to take action, however that ought to not diminish the accomplishment.
A flawless common season, each for him and the Oklahoma City Thunder, coupled with a sense of dominance night time after night time — that’s what SGA delivered.
But then, simply because the title – and a repeat – appeared destined for the Thunder, every part fell aside within the convention finals. A Game 7 defeat to the Spurs, when OKC had appeared infallible, put every part into query.
Purely from a statistical standpoint, it’s troublesome to pin the defeat on the MVP. But somebody has to shoulder the blame for such a failure, and that’s the position of a franchise participant.
That doesn’t imply that each one is misplaced, although. The upcoming season shall be approached with simply as a lot ambition. Every yr, it feels as if the general stage of the contenders rises, but OKC all the time stay one of many main candidates for the title.
Their chief, nonetheless, will as soon as once more need to show why he now has two trophies in his cupboard and with the emergence of the Spurs and a number of contenders armed to the enamel, he shall be publicly vilified if he fails.
But there’s additionally a historic particular person goal. There is an unique MVP membership: the gamers who’ve received the award thrice in a row: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird. Three legends — may a fourth be on the way in which?
Given the Thunder’s power, having completed first within the West in every of the final three common seasons, that state of affairs can’t be dominated out. More mastery shall be wanted to settle the controversy as soon as and for all.
2025/2026 stats: 31.1 factors on 55.3% capturing, together with 38.6% from three-level vary, 6.6 assists (68 video games).
Reasonable 2026/2027 goal: 35 factors, MVP contender
(*100*)
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