Why Michael Malone’s Unexpected Praise for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Has Everyone Talking MVP Race
The NBA MVP race this season has been nothing short of electrifying — a head-to-head tussle between Oklahoma City’s offensive maestro Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s perennial force Nikola Jokić. What’s fascinating, though, is how perspectives have shifted dramatically — none more telling than those of Michael Malone, the recently ousted Nuggets coach. Back in March, Malone staunchly defended Jokić’s historic triple-double averages and triple MVP pedigree, practically daring anyone to argue against the Serbian star’s dominance. Fast forward just two months, and Malone, now off the bench and calling games for ESPN, has done a complete 180, applauding Gilgeous-Alexander’s clutch performances and labeling him the unquestioned MVP. It’s wild how a shakeup — both in coaching and on the court — can flip a narrative so quickly. Whether you’re Team Shai or still rooting for Jokić’s reign, you can’t deny the layers and drama this duel has added to an already enthralling NBA postseason saga.
“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showed why he’s the MVP. He took over in the second half. Did so in a very efficient manner and put the team on his back when they needed him to do so.”And here is Malone on Tuesday, when he was analyzing the Western Conference finals on the court for ESPN:
Here is one from March, when Malone was still the head coach of the Nuggets, via The Athletic:
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We are going to present to you two statements from Michael Malone on this year’s two-man NBA MVP race between Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić.Of course, Malone wouldn’t be the only person who’s moved on from an MVP debate that raged throughout the final months of the regular season but ended with Gilgeous-Alexander widely expected to be named the winner after the season. Gilgeous-Alexander was an overwhelming -3000 favorite at BetMGM to win the award before the playoffs began.
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