OKLAHOMA CITY — Minnesota Timberwolves famous person Anthony Edwards, beaming with admiration of an All-NBA rival, did not hesitate when requested about Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“The MVP of the NBA,” Edwards advised ESPN.
The season hasn’t reached the midway level but, however Edwards has seen sufficient to declare that Gilgeous-Alexander needs to be en path to incomes his first MVP award after ending because the runner-up final season.
Actually, Edwards noticed approach an excessive amount of from Gilgeous-Alexander through the Thunder’s 113-105 win over the Timberwolves on Tuesday evening on the Paycom Center. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 factors on 15-of-23 taking pictures, together with 19 factors through the third quarter whereas Oklahoma City seized management of the sport.
It was the twelfth consecutive win for the Thunder, a streak that does not embody the NBA Cup finals loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, which does not depend as a regular-season sport. Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 33.4 factors on 56.6% taking pictures from the sphere through the longest profitable streak because the franchise moved to Oklahoma City.
“I really feel like I’m flowing, like the sport’s simply coming,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “I’m not urgent, not considering, simply on the market hooping. The arduous work’s paying off.”
Gilgeous-Alexander ranks second within the league in scoring (31.3 factors) and second in steals (2.0) for the 27-5 Thunder, who’ve the Western Conference’s greatest document and the NBA’s top-ranked protection. He’s taking pictures 52.8% from the sphere whereas additionally averaging 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.2 blocks.
It’s the benefit with which Gilgeous-Alexander scores that awes Edwards.
“To me, he is unguardable,” Edwards mentioned. “As far as any one-on-one matchup, yeah, you may go on and provides it up. Just give him two factors more often than not. So I feel you bought to entice him. Maybe that do not work, however you bought to strive it. For certain you bought to ship a second physique, particularly if he bought a good matchup. Anytime he bought someone that he is aware of cannot guard him, ah, he going to attain each time.”
Edwards acknowledged that three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who’s averaging 31.0 factors, 12.9 rebounds and 9.5 assists for the 18-13 Denver Nuggets, can also be constructing a top quality case once more. But Edwards is adamant that Gilgeous-Alexander needs to be thought-about the MVP front-runner.
“I do not know if they might give it to [Jokic] once more,” mentioned Edwards, who had 20 factors within the loss. “Yeah, I might say Shai. Yeah, he is trying just like the MVP, man. He was unbelievable as soon as once more tonight.
“He’s constant each evening. His staff gonna give him the ball and simply let him rock out each evening. It’s nothing to consider. ‘Hey, get Shai the ball and he going to get busy, after which we’ll determine it out after that.’ I like watching that. It’s unbelievable, man. If he’s protecting him like that, I hope they provide [MVP] to him this yr for certain. I really feel like he ought to have received it final yr, however he is taking part in out his thoughts proper now.”
Gilgeous-Alexander was flattered to obtain such reward from a competitor of Edwards’ stature.
“No offense to you guys within the media, however the most effective satisfaction is when your friends and the blokes that do the identical factor for a dwelling at a really excessive stage that you simply do acknowledge and respect your craft and your expertise,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “That’s a extremely good feeling. Obviously the caliber participant he’s, the sky is the restrict. Hard-fought battle tonight.”
