OKC Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contract and season grades

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was considered the future cornerstone for the OKC Thunder prior to the season, lets see how he went – grades.

When Paul George shook the NBA world last free-agency, little did we know that he would improve the OKC Thunder. The team got a bevy of draft picks, Danilo Gallinari and their future, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Then LA Clippers coach, Doc Rivers was loath to part with Gilgeous-Alexander but he obviously thought it was worth it. He was upgrading the roster by adding Kawhi Leonard and George. As a result of losing George, the Thunder then had a bit of a fire sale.

What they got in Gilgeous-Alexander was a young player who was willing to soak up knowledge. When the Thunder traded for Chris Paul a bond was formed between the two point guards which was incredible to see. Gilgeous-Alexander was trying to learn everything he could all season.

How the OKC Thunder benefitted from Gilgeous-Alexander by the numbers.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1208225085787652096?s=20

The OKC Thunder lost their two best scorers last season in George and Russell Westbrook. Part of the difference was made up through Gallinari and Paul. However, Gilgeous-Alexander almost doubled his scoring average from his time with the LA Clippers.

He averaged 19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 34.7 minutes per game. What this meant for the Thunder was that instead of having two players opposition teams needed to shut down, they had potentially four on the court at a time.

This is a versatility the Thunder has not had since Serge Ibaka and Kevin Durant were part of the team. If the Thunder chose to load up and go again, this will be a reason that they are such a difficult team to beat. Gilgeous-Alexander’s driving and 3-point shooting are a big part of this.