Alexander was strong enough last year, why is he stronger this year He has two major advantages over the emperor in the MVP competition
The Thunder defeated the Celtics 127-123, and Alexander started and played 37 minutes, 14-of-22, 3-of-5 three-pointers, contributing 36 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal. In the first three quarters, Alexander scored 33 points. In the fourth quarter, Alexander was heavily defended and scored only three points, but he provided two assists for Holmgren to hit a crucial three-pointer.
This season, Alexander has evolved again, and he has become a serious contender for the MVP.
Alexander is stronger
Alexander averaged 31.4 points per game, the same as last season, and while playing nearly a minute less, Alexander's rebounds (5.7), assists (6.4), and steals (2.6) all improved, while his turnovers dropped from 2.8 to 1.9. Alexander is still the league's breakaway leader, with his free throw treatment declining, averaging 2.5 fewer free throws per game than last season. His three-point shot is still only occasionally accurate, and 33% of his crosshairs are not as good as last season. But in the first 31 games, Alexander's true shooting rate of 64.5% was a career high.
This season, with Holmgren's return, Dort, Jalen Williams, and Isaiah Joe have shot the best shooting efficiency of their careers, and rookie Carson Wallace has been a surprise, and six of the eight Thunder players who have played the most minutes have reached 40% of their three-point sights. Although Keady did not reach 40%, his 36.5% crosshairs is still a career high. The Thunder became the most accurate three-point team this season, shooting 39.3 percent from the field.
In such a high-quality space environment, Alexander is naturally like a fish in water, averaging 16.3 points on 22.5 breakthroughs per game, shooting 56.3% from the field and 73% from 3 feet under the basket. It was Alexander's best breakthrough and finishing performance so far in his career.
Alexander's uniqueness is also that his breakaways end with layups under the basket and throws in the box less frequently than those of Morant and other breakthrough masters, and his killer move is mid-range shots. Alexander trained with mid-range shooting guru Chris Paul and has perfected his mid-range shooting ability, with 52.1% of his 10-16 feet and 54.8 percent of his 16-foot to three-point line crosshairs, two career highs.
Why is Alexander stronger?
At the 2023 Men's Basketball World Cup, Alexander is a national hero of Canada, averaging 24.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game, not only leading Canada to the Olympics for the first time since 2000, but also defeating the United States in the bronze medal game, winning a medal in an international competition for the first time in 87 years. Canada defeated Spain in a comeback to seal the Olympic spot, and Alexander slashed 30 points and 7 assists. In the bronze medal game, Alexander scored 31 points and 12 assists, which was brilliant, dwarfing a group of NBA stars opposite.
Alexander has experienced the experience of the World Cup and experienced the different intensity of confrontation and became a more mature player. In recent years, a number of NBA players have evolved after playing international tournaments, and Alexander is one of them.
Coupled with the fact that he has been methodically gaining weight and improving his confrontation ability, his weight has increased from less than 82 kilograms to 88 kilograms, and Alexander's ability to create space after confrontation has become stronger, and the frequency and efficiency of low-post attacks this season have also reached a career high.
Can Alexander win MVP?
Embiid is clearly the frontrunner in the current MVP race, and the most objective aggregate measure of a player's impact is almost universally recognized in the industry is EPM, with Embiid in first place with +11, Alexander in second place with +10.3, and Jokic and Antetokounmpo tied for third place with +7.5.
Alexander's current advantage is the team's record and attendance, the Thunder's 71.9% win rate temporarily exceeds the 76ers' 69.7%, and the Thunder's remaining opponents have a 47.9% win rate, the 76ers are 49%, and the Thunder's schedule is relatively easier.
Alexander played in 31 of the Thunder's 32 games, and Embiid played in 26 of the 76ers' 33 games. The new collective bargaining agreement stipulates that players must play 65 games in the main individual awards, and there is a certain probability that Embiid will not meet the target.
Of course, with only a third of the season played, the plot of the MVP race could change. But if Alexander is lucky enough to stay healthy and finish the season, he does have a chance to evolve after the World Cup in the offseason and win the regular season MVP the following season, as Derrick Rose did in 2010-11 and Stephen Curry in 2014-15.