Zach Lowe: MVP voting shouldn’t hinge on team standings, SGA’s historic season is crucial for Thunder, and player character can enhance MVP candidacy | Bill Simmons

SGA's standout season highlights the complex dynamics of MVP voting beyond team success and playing time.

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Add us on Google by Editorial Team Apr. 10, 2026

Key takeaways

• MVP voting should not be overly influenced by team standings.
• The Thunder’s success is heavily reliant on SGA’s performance.
• No MVP precedent exists for players with significantly fewer minutes.
• Wembley’s MVP candidacy is weak due to limited playing time.
• Player character reinvention can enhance MVP candidacy.
• SGA is having a historically significant season.
• Effective roster management is crucial for the Thunder’s playoff success.
• Caruso is likely to be part of the Thunder’s closing five.
• Matchups against Denver require strategic adjustments.
• The Spurs have a higher ceiling potential than the Thunder.
• The MVP race often involves subjective criteria and biases.
• Team performance can overshadow individual achievements in MVP discussions.
• Historical context is essential for understanding MVP voting trends.

Guest intro

Zach Lowe is a Senior Writer for ESPN covering the NBA, where he hosts the regular podcast The Lowe Post and appears on shows including The Jump and NBA Countdown. He started covering the NBA full-time in 2010 for Sports Illustrated before joining Grantland in 2012, and is widely considered one of the premier columnists covering professional basketball. Lowe holds a Master of Arts degree in US History from the College of William & Mary and began his journalism career in 2004 covering the crime and courts beat for the Stamford Advocate.

MVP voting criteria and controversies

• The MVP race should not be solely determined by team standings, especially if it leads to questionable tie-breaking decisions.

  — Zach Lowe

• I think it’s a little silly that you know if there’s a tie and the spurs win the tie breaker we give it to wenbin yama for if if you weigh that reason that heavily it’s a little silly.

  — Zach Lowe

• The MVP voting process often prioritizes team success over individual performance.
• Historical MVP voting trends show a lack of precedent for players with fewer minutes winning the award.

• There’s just no precedent for somebody playing twenty nine minutes a game playing about 67 68 games and winning the mvp and that’s where we’d be with wimby.

  — Zach Lowe

• The argument for Wembley’s MVP candidacy is weak due to his limited minutes compared to other top players.

• It feels like you’re finding the right hair to split to swing an argument but it does… it’s like three hundred and fifty more minutes that SGA has played than wembley.

  — Zach Lowe

• MVP discussions often involve subjective criteria and biases, impacting the final decision.

The Thunder’s reliance on SGA

• The Thunder’s success is significantly tied to their performance when SGA is on the floor.

• I mean it does mean something that they just never lose when he plays their net rating is approaching plus 20 per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor.

  — Zach Lowe

• SGA’s performance this season has been historically significant.

• He’s having one of the great guard seasons of all time.

  — Zach Lowe

• Effective roster management is crucial for the Thunder as they approach the playoffs.

• They’re gonna have to figure out like how can we how can we kinda wet the beaks of these other dudes.

  — Zach Lowe

• Caruso is likely to be part of the closing five for the Thunder.

• The interesting one is is caruso because you’ve been asking like who’s in the closing five for the for the thunder and I think tonight was yet another tell that caruso is in the closing five.

  — Zach Lowe

Player character and MVP candidacy

• The character reinvention of players can enhance their MVP candidacy.

• The big thing is he he he there was like a character reinvention in a fun way where they became more villainy which I think kinda weirdly helps the case.

  — Zach Lowe

• Player personas and narratives play a significant role in award considerations.
• The impact of player image on MVP discussions is a nuanced perspective in sports analysis.
• Reinventing a player’s character can shift public perception and bolster their candidacy.
• The narrative surrounding a player can influence MVP voting outcomes.

Strategic adjustments for playoff matchups

• The matchup against Denver presents unique challenges that require strategic adjustments.

• The denver matchup is a peculiar one because you have the you know jokic who’s the second best best but whatever whatever you think he is and obviously sort of they famously used caruso on him at the end of that series last year but really only at the end of it.

  — Zach Lowe

• Tailored strategies are necessary to counter specific opponents in the playoffs.
• Understanding the dynamics of the Denver team and their star player, Nikola Jokic, is essential.
• Strategic flexibility is crucial for playoff success against formidable opponents.

Potential of the Spurs vs. the Thunder

• The San Antonio Spurs have a higher ceiling potential than the Oklahoma City Thunder.

• I’m worried they have one more level in them… I don’t know what it is with San Antonio; I almost don’t have a ceiling for them.

  — Zach Lowe

• Comparative analysis of team potential is valuable for analyzing playoff dynamics.
• The Spurs’ potential for growth poses a challenge for other teams in the playoffs.
• The Thunder’s current performance metrics may not reflect their full potential.

Historical context in MVP discussions

• Understanding the historical context of MVP voting is essential for evaluating candidates.
• Historical trends highlight the importance of minutes played in MVP considerations.
• The lack of precedent for players with fewer minutes winning MVP underscores the importance of playing time.
• MVP discussions often involve comparing current candidates to historical benchmarks.
• Historical context provides a framework for understanding the evolution of MVP criteria.

Impact of team performance on MVP candidacy

• Team performance can overshadow individual achievements in MVP discussions.
• The Thunder’s success with SGA on the floor highlights the interplay between individual and team performance.
• MVP voting often involves weighing team success against individual contributions.
• The influence of team standings on MVP candidacy can lead to controversial decisions.
• Balancing team and individual performance is a key consideration in MVP voting.

Subjectivity and biases in MVP voting

• MVP discussions often involve subjective criteria and biases.
• The influence of personal biases can impact the final MVP decision.
• Subjectivity in MVP voting can lead to contentious debates and disagreements.
• Recognizing biases in MVP discussions is crucial for understanding voting outcomes.
• The subjective nature of MVP voting highlights the complexity of award considerations.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.