Denver’s playoff exit and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s dominance ignite a shift, crowning Oklahoma City's superstar the NBA's top player.
The Denver Nuggets were rightfully considered to be a championship contender entering the playoffs because Nikola Jokić held the title of “best player in the world” for many people and Jamal Murray looked better than ever. Their core also had championship experience.
But Minnesota sent Denver packing after six games. There were key injuries on both sides, but the Wolves dealt with a worse situation and still came out on top. Jaden McDaniels completely shut down Murray, while Rudy Gobert made life extremely difficult for Jokić.
Jokić finished the series averaging 25.8 points, 13.2 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 3.8 turnovers per game. These numbers are still elite, but he shot just 44.6% from the field and was horrendous on defense. A monstrous 50.9% of Minnesota’s total points came from inside the paint largely because of Jokić inability to protect the rim.
Now, attempts to rewrite history about Jokić’s career are misguided. He’s deservedly a 3x MVP and was absolutely historic during his title run despite being defended by Gobert, Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo. His play over the past six years was truly remarkable.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has also been superb over the past four seasons. He became the fourth player in NBA history to win the scoring title, MVP and Finals MVP in the same season, and Gilgeous-Alexander only improved his game.
The debate about whether Jokić or Gilgeous-Alexander was the best player raged throughout the season, and Jokić seemingly had more backers. But it’s over. Jokić remains a top-tier superstar, yet Denver’s collapse combined with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s dominant first-round series finally puts to rest the “best player in the world” debate for now. Oklahoma City’s superstar is the consensus belt-holder.
It may be a temporary title, as Victor Wembanyama looms on the horizon. The Spurs and Thunder will likely meet in the Western Conference Finals, so their matchup could swing the debate if Wembanyama dominates and leads San Antonio to the NBA Finals and subsequently a championship. It would be difficult to argue against Wembanyama’s case should this outcome actually happen, although Gilgeous-Alexander would not be out of the conversation.
Overall, it’s currently the first time in franchise history that a Thunder player has held the consensus “best player in the world” belt. Kevin Durant never accomplished this feat because of LeBron James and Stephen Curry, while Russell Westbrook was never quite in the conversation despite winning MVP. Jokić also stood in Gilgeous-Alexander’s way before now.