Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP Case Just Got a Defensive Boost - And the League Felt It
At this point, it’s fair to ask: what can’t Shai Gilgeous-Alexander do?
The Oklahoma City Thunder star has been firmly in the MVP conversation all season, but Friday night in Minnesota, he made a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year - and did it in a single, jaw-dropping sequence that had even the most seasoned hoop heads doing a double take.
Late in the second quarter at the Target Center, with the Thunder clinging to momentum in a high-stakes matchup against the Timberwolves, SGA delivered one of the most impressive defensive efforts we’ve seen from a guard this year - maybe any year.
It started with Jaden McDaniels driving into the lane, eyeing a midrange pull-up. Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t just challenge the shot - he snuffed it out, clean. No foul, no bailout, just a textbook block from a player who’s built his reputation on surgical offense.
MVP or DPOY?
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 20, 2025
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rejects Jaden McDaniels AND Rudy Gobert on the same possession 🔥
pic.twitter.com/OtCoQO0o72
But he wasn’t finished.
The ball bounced straight into the hands of Rudy Gobert - yes, that Rudy Gobert, four-time Defensive Player of the Year, standing at 7-foot-1 with a clear path to the rim. It looked like an automatic bucket.
Instead, SGA elevated again, this time meeting the towering center at the summit and rejecting that shot too. Two blocks, two very different matchups, one statement.
Gobert, clearly rattled, corralled the rebound but then missed a wide-open dunk attempt. It was the kind of sequence that doesn’t just make highlight reels - it shifts narratives.
Because this wasn’t just about one possession. It was a microcosm of what Gilgeous-Alexander has brought to the Thunder all season: relentless effort, elite instincts, and a refusal to be outworked - on either end of the floor.
Sure, his 32 points led OKC once again, as they improved to a blistering 25-2 record. That part almost feels routine at this point. But it’s the defensive plays like this - the ones that swing energy, momentum, and belief - that are setting SGA apart from the rest of the MVP field.
When your point guard is not only leading the offense but also protecting the rim like a seasoned shot-blocker, you’re operating on a different level. And when that point guard is doing it against a former DPOY in Gobert, it’s time to expand the conversation.
MVP? DPOY? Why not both?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is standing on business - and the rest of the league is officially on alert.