Shai Gilgeous-Alexander holds one historic edge Victor Wembanyama still cannot match originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got 83 first-place votes for MVP this season. Victor Wembanyama received five. The numbers alone show a significant gap. NBA history suggests the on-court result could follow a similar pattern.
The MVP winner has historically held a clear advantage in conference finals matchups against non-MVP opponents. That trend puts Gilgeous-Alexander and the 64-win Thunder in a favorable position against Wembanyama and the 62-win Spurs when the Western Conference finals open Monday in Oklahoma City.
Gilgeous-Alexander became the 14th player to win consecutive MVP awards after averaging 31.1 points and 6.6 assists during the regular season. He extended his record streak of 20-point games to 140. His true shooting percentage of 66.5 is the highest ever for a season with at least 31 points and 6 assists.
“The way things are run in this organization and this city, it breeds success,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
Wembanyama finished third in MVP voting after posting 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and a league-leading 3.1 blocks per game. He also won Defensive Player of the Year. His playoff averages of 4.1 blocks and a 94 defensive rating lead all postseason players.
Victor Wembanyama seeks validation against favored Thunder
San Antonio went 4-1 against Oklahoma City in the regular season. Wembanyama played in all five matchups. Gilgeous-Alexander appeared in four, averaging 29.5 points in those contests. The Spurs have not reached the conference finals since 2017.
Oklahoma City swept Phoenix and Los Angeles in the first two playoff rounds. San Antonio eliminated Portland and Minnesota to reach this stage.
The Thunder are chasing consecutive championships, something no team has achieved since the 2017-18 Warriors. Gilgeous-Alexander could join Jordan and James as the only players ever to win back-to-back MVP and Finals MVP.
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