Shai Gilgeous-Alexander glides. That’s the first thing you notice, even watching him for the 50th time. It’s not a burst, not a sprint, but a slithering, almost liquid motion that gets him wherever he wants on the floor. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, that usually means the teeth of the defense, where he’ll pull up, twist, or contort for a bucket. We’re talking about a guy who just wrapped up the 2023-24 season averaging 30.1 points, 5.5 boards, and 6.2 assists, leading the Thunder to the top seed in the West. That’s a stat line usually reserved for certified legends.
And he’s only getting better. My money’s on SGA hitting 31+ points per game in the 2025-26 season. Think about it: he shot 53.5% from the field and 87.4% from the line this past year. That’s absurd efficiency for someone with his usage rate. His True Shooting Percentage was a ridiculous 63.5%, higher than virtually any other high-volume scorer in the league. Luka Doncic, for comparison, was at 57.3% TS in 2023-24. That midrange game, that’s his bread and butter. He led the league in drives per game, often settling into that 10-15 foot area where most analytics nerds tell you not to shoot. But Shai doesn't care. He hit 57.2% of his shots from 10-14 feet out and 50.8% from 15-19 feet. Those numbers are elite, pure and simple. His footwork is like a boxing match, constantly feinting, pivoting, creating space out of nothing. It's old-school artistry blended with new-school athleticism.
Remember the "OKC Bubble"? The one where they stockpiled draft picks like doomsday preppers? They traded Paul George to the Clippers in July 2019, netting five first-round picks and two pick swaps, plus Gilgeous-Alexander. It felt like a decade-long rebuild. Then they shipped Chris Paul to Phoenix for Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, and a 2022 first-rounder. Everyone assumed they’d be terrible for years. And they were, for a bit. In 2020-21, they went 22-50. The next year, 24-58. They were collecting lottery balls, sure, but they were also developing SGA into a legitimate star.
Here’s the thing: most rebuilds crash and burn, or they take forever. The Sixers "Process" lasted years and still hasn't yielded a title. OKC did it differently. They got lucky with Chet Holmgren, who looked like a future DPOY candidate in his rookie season, blocking 2.3 shots per game. Jalen Williams, picked 12th overall in 2022, looks like a perennial All-Star, averaging 19.1 points and 4.5 assists in his second year. General Manager Sam Presti deserves a ton of credit for not just accumulating assets but for hitting on almost every single one. They’ve transformed from a tanking punchline to a legitimate title contender in four seasons, anchored by a player acquired in a trade that most people thought was purely about draft capital. Gilgeous-Alexander, the perceived throw-in, is now the cornerstone.
Where does he stand in the MVP race? He finished second in 2023-24, behind Nikola Jokic. He’s right there with Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Jayson Tatum. What separates him? His efficiency on high volume, for starters. Jokic is a wizard, Luka is a scoring and passing machine, and Tatum leads a Celtics team that dominated the regular season. But Shai’s ability to get to the line — he averaged 8.7 free throw attempts in 2023-24, making 7.6 of them — is a weapon few can match. He led the league in drives that resulted in a foul call. That’s clutch. In the final five minutes of games with a five-point differential, SGA shot 58.1% from the field and 94.4% from the line. That’s better than Luka (48.3% FG, 84.6% FT) and Jokic (55.4% FG, 85.7% FT) in those same situations. That's a strong argument for 2025-26 MVP contention.
Gilgeous-Alexander isn't just carrying the Thunder; he's leading a Canadian basketball renaissance. Think about it: Shai, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Kelly Olynyk, Andrew Wiggins. That’s a serious contingent of NBA talent, far beyond what anyone would've predicted a decade ago. Shai was a huge part of Canada's bronze medal run in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, averaging 23.3 points and 6.6 assists, earning him a spot on the All-Tournament team. He’s become the face of Canadian hoops, and frankly, he deserves more credit for that global impact.
The Thunder's championship window is wide open. They are the youngest team to finish as a conference's top seed since the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks. Their core, SGA (26), Holmgren (22), and Williams (23), is locked up and still on the upward curve. They have assets to make a move if they need to, but this squad, as constructed, is ready. Their playoff run in 2024, while ending in the second round to the Mavericks, showed their grit and potential. They took a legitimate contender to six games, with Gilgeous-Alexander averaging 33.3 points and 7.2 rebounds in that series. He showed he can elevate his game when it matters most. My bold prediction: the OKC Thunder will win the NBA championship within the next three seasons, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander taking home Finals MVP honors in one of them.
Approximate ratings · 2025-26