Thunder Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Among NBA’s Best Guards

Over the past few weeks, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the best players in the entire NBA. Despite the Thunder struggling to win games, he’s been doing his part and has shined bright every night.  

In a league full of stars, Gilgeous-Alexander catches the attention of opposing players as well as coaches. 

“Shai is a talented player,” said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd recently. “He’s one of the toughest to guard. He’s gonna be really really good in this league as he continues to grow.”

Over his past eight games, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 27.8 points, 7.3 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. He’s done this more efficiently than he has all season, shooting 48.4% from the floor and 81.2% from the free throw line. 

Among guards over this stretch, Gilgeous-Alexander is fourth in points, top-15 in assists and top-25 in rebounds per game. 

One of the rising young stars in the NBA, Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as one of the best players from the highly talented 2018 NBA Draft. He ranks in the top five in both total points and assists as well as the top ten in total rebounds amongst his rookie class. 

What’s most impressive about SGA to Thunder coach Mark Daigneault is his ability to stay level-headed. Whether he has a huge game or an off night, his ability to come into the next contest with a blank slate has been impressive. Rarely does Gilgeous-Alexander have a string of poor performances because of this. 

“In an 82-game season there’s going to be a lot of ups and downs, for any player,” said Daigneault earlier this season. “Once the games end, he moves into the next day. That allows him to tap into his consistency.”

Additionally, on a rebuilding team that he’s the face of, Gilgeous-Alexander gets a ton of attention from opposing defenses. While most stars around the league have enough talent around them to keep defenses honest, SGA is constantly double-teamed. 

In fact, he’s been the most double-teamed player in the entire NBA this season. 

While this makes life difficult offensively for the 23-year-old, he still produces at a high level nearly every night. 

“A lot of times before the double could even get to him, he’s already attacking,” said Daigneault following a game against the Mavericks. 

Gilgeous-Alexander is starting to find ways to score at a high level regardless of what defensive schemes are thrown at him. One of the most talented players in the NBA, he’s emerged as one of the top guards in the league in the month of January. 

He’s proven to be well worth the five-year max extension the Thunder signed him to over the summer.