SGA Isn't Letting Wemby Steal His MVP Crown, and the Numbers Back It Up

With 10 days left in the regular season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has basically locked down the NBA's MVP award. And honestly, the gap between him and the chasing pack tells you everything you need to know about why.

According to ESPN's final MVP straw poll of the 2025-26 season, surveyed among 100 NBA media members, Gilgeous-Alexander crushed the competition. The 27-year-old Thunder guard landed the top spot on 88 out of 100 ballots, racking up 958 total points. He grabbed nine second-place votes and three third-place votes for good measure. That's a 300-point lead over the second-place finisher. Not even close.

Wemby Made His Move, But SGA Wasn't Backing Down

Victor Wembanyama has been absolutely electric lately. Since February 1st, the Spurs' 7-foot-4 phenom and his team have won 27 of their last 29 games, forcing their way into the conversation for the league's best record. At just 22 years old, Wembanyama could become the first player to win MVP as early as his third season since Derrick Rose did it 15 years ago.

But here's the thing: even Wemby's late-season surge isn't enough to dethrone SGA. In one telling Monday night, Wembanyama dropped 41 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, threw down three blocks, and nailed three 3-pointers as San Antonio steamrolled the Chicago Bulls. Sounds like an MVP night, right? A couple hours later, Gilgeous-Alexander answered with 47 points in Oklahoma City's overtime win against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons. When reporters asked SGA if he wanted to add anything to the MVP conversation afterward, he kept it simple: "No, I'm good. Thanks for asking, though. Yeah, I'm good. I let my game do the talking."

The Stats Tell the Real Story

Gilgeous-Alexander is putting up 31.6 points per game on a ridiculous 55.3% shooting clip. Add in 6.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals, and you're looking at an all-around monster. He's doing this while leading the Thunder to the best record in the NBA for a second straight season, even with key rotation players constantly in and out of the lineup.

If SGA wins, he'd become the 14th player in league history to win back-to-back MVPs and the 16th to win it at least twice. He's led the MVP straw polls five consecutive times since the middle of last season.

With Denver's Nikola Jokic still putting on a show and Los Angeles' Luka Doncic coming off a 600-point month (the first since Michael Jordan in 1987), the MVP race looked deeper on paper. But Gilgeous-Alexander's consistency and clutch play have been the difference. OKC has the hardware to back it up.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.