While his scoring and clutch performances may move you, SGA’s defense makes for a strong case in the MVP race this season. By now, you may have been swayed by his recent antics in the past few games and have him locked for the MVP, but another facet of his game that makes him one of the best two-way players in the game is his ability to play defense at a high level.

Since missing some key games due to injury, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has surely built up his MVP case to the winning point as he’s made big strides in the past few games. Considering that some of these have been against notable MVP candidates, Shai’s definitely closing in to cap off the season with another MVP finish.

His defense is highly underrated, not just because it’s rarely appreciated, but rather because he dominates the game too much. Notice how many critics hate his “foul-baiting” antics? That’s because he’s still good without it, and that was evidenced in his 35-point performance against Denver, where he drilled a game-winner as well.

But even in that win, SGA has contributed on the defensive end, finishing with two stocks (steals + blocks). This season, he’s averaging 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game, all while shooting at a career-high 55.1% from the field. The Thunder remains the best in the NBA, and it says a lot about Shai’s MVP case now more than ever.

Defense Wins Championships

Defense is the recipe for success. Every team in the NBA knows that by now, especially after OKC’s defense set the standard last season for NBA champions. If you are not impressed, the Thunder has a defensive rating of 110.8 in 12 games without Gilgeous-Alexander in the 2025-26 season alone. That’s not a bad mark, considering that they are the best defensive team in the league.

But with SGA on the floor, Oklahoma City boasts a promising 106.9 defensive rating. Now that’s an impressive number, considering that as a team this season, OKC only has a 107.5 defensive rating. The fact that OKC is a much better defensive team with him is proof that they need him to win games. As evidenced by his ability to go coast to coast, SGA’s defense makes for a promising value to add in MVP discussions.

That’s because in their showdown, Nikola Jokic allowed Jaylin Williams to score 29 points and drill a career-high seven threes. This sets the bar on defensive performances as well. For context, SGA’s counterpart in Jamal Murray had 24 points on 9-of-23 shooting, which is definitely not a promising number.

Shai’s Defense is DPOY-Worthy

Not long before the season began, Victor Wembanyama began as the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, and Chet Holmgren was following suit on that list. Luguentz Dort was also in the mix. Somewhere down in the top 10, however, was SGA. To be the leading pick to win the MVP and be even in consideration to win DPOY makes his case even more impressive.

Sure, he’s not the lockdown defender archetype you see in games, but when he makes his presence felt, defense is right on display. That says a lot about how underrated his defense is, and his level of play proves that he can, indeed, step up and make players pay with his defense.

It is worth noting that Shai has definitely proven his worth on offense. He’s actually taken a step back to add elite defense in his game, and now it’s paying wonders for his game.