Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 5 other players who can steal the MVP away from Nikola Jokic

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder open up the 2024-2025 NBA season against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. Gilgeous-Alexander will be amongst a handful of players who have a legitimate chance to wrestle MVP honors away from Jokic during the upcoming season. We'll take a closer look at that group, with all statistics being sourced from Basketball Reference.

Nikola Jokic is a three-time NBA MVP, having secured the honor again in the 2023-2024 season for the third time in his career. Jokic doesn't tend to care about individual awards, only team goals. His unselfishness has taken his career to great heights, but it's possible he will fall off the mountain top in favor of...

Doncic has knocked on the door of the MVP discussion in each of the last five seasons. Respectively, he’s finished fourth, sixth, fifth, eighth and third in voting in that time frame. It wouldn’t be surprising for him to finally break through to win his first MVP next season.

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Much like Jokic is, Doncic is a one-man offense. The Dallas Mavericks star is also a social media content manager’s dream, as he continues to make trick shots before, during and after games. Sports Illustrated wrote about one he made in late March 2024, and the clips will fuel his campaign for MVP.

If there’s one word that describes Gilgeous-Alexander’s production, it’s reliable. It doesn’t seem like the Oklahoma City Thunder guard is ever limited to the point of irrelevancy in a game. SB Nation lauded his “change-of-pace exploits, scoring versatility, silky smooth jumper as well as his ability to draw fouls.”

What may set him apart from Jokic and other NBA MVP contenders is his proficiency in the steals department. Using quick hands and on-point anticipation, Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in steals in 2023-2024.

The world is ready for Edwards to become the next in line to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Yahoo Sports believes the Minnesota Timberwolves’ young star plays with the same level of competitiveness and charisma as His Airness. Edwards himself feels like the comparisons aren’t fair to Jordan, but they’ll continue to happen if he keeps playing as well as he has.

Edwards’ game is appeasing to watch, as his handle, strength and skill make him virtually un-guardable for opposing perimeter players. He’s also been known to throw down vicious dunks, and let people know about it too. He’ll appear in more commercials, which will boost his public appeal, which may also in turn elevate his MVP candidacy.

The Athletic took a deeper dive into what has made Brunson one of the best players in the NBA. They spotlight his constant movement and attention to detail, which dictate which move in his bag of dribbling tricks he’ll use to get himself or others an open shot.

At 6’2”, 190 pounds, Brunson isn’t the biggest, fastest or strongest player in the NBA. Through his hard work and relentless dedication, he’s made himself one of the premier offensive players in the league. This narrative, plus the fact that he plays for a big market team in the New York Knicks, will help him gain attention for MVP in 2024-2025.

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ESPN wrote a piece in April 2024 about how the Magic star is fueled by disrespect, which allows him to play with a chip on his shoulder. Even though he’s starting to gain more attention and garner accolades, it looks like Banchero has his sights focused on larger goals.

If his performance in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs was any indication, Banchero might be ready to take a giant leap forward next season. If he’s able to lead Orlando to a top seed in the Eastern Conference, while continuing to evolve on both ends of the floor, he’ll get serious consideration for MVP.

Milwaukee had a disappointing conclusion to the season, getting knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by the Indiana Pacers. Antetokounmpo missed the entire series with a calf injury. This might give him an extra edge to come back stronger than ever in 2024-2025.

Antetokounmpo is a two-time NBA MVP, winning back to back awards in 2019 and 2020. His production has arguably gotten better since that time, and enough years have passed that the Bucks star might be able to get back into the good graces of voters.

CBS Sports wrote about the concept of voter fatigue when it comes to NBA MVP balloting. The notion that media members prefer new candidates for individual honors is a legitimate talking point, and one might that lead voters to lean in a direction other than Jokic’s next year.

The Denver Nuggets figure to be in the title mix for years to come, but the organization might want to limit the wear and tear Jokic experiences on his body next season. From 2019-2023, Jokic played in 68 playoff games, and is added to that total here in 2024. He also played in the Olympics. Sitting more often could swing an MVP vote to a different player.

Let us know if you think anyone else has a legitimate chance of bringing home the NBA MVP award next season by leaving a comment!

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