OKC Thunder: 3 takeaways from 120-106 loss to the Clippers

OKC Thunder takeaway 3: SGA is quietly having a stellar season

The OKC Thunder hit the jackpot when they traded away Paul George. As weird as it sounds to say that out loud, the fact is, the Thunder got a future superstar in Gilgeous-Alexander.

Against the Clippers on Friday, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points on 55 percent shooting while picking up eight assists and three rebounds while shooting 40 percent from deep.

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SGA is consistently one of the Thunder’s best players on the court. It’s a well-known fact, but in a time when fans are discovering who’s who on the Thunder roster and that often takes center stage, Gilgeous-Alexander is balling out.

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 21.6 points per game in 33.7 minutes. He’s shooting 50.9 percent overall and 36.8 percent from deep. He’s averaging 6.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game.

As a third-year player, Gilgeous-Alexander has looked far more comfortable on the court than in previous seasons. He has developed into a solid passer and often works his way inside before tossing the ball back out to an open man on the perimeter. He’s doing his job as the leader of this team and the OKC Thunder are benefiting from it, greatly.

When he’s not passing the ball out, Gilgeous-Alexander is an agile and electrifying scorer. He drives into the lane and pulls off acrobatic layups leaving both defenders and fans stunned.

Gilgeous-Alexander was handed the keys to the franchise and with good reason. He’s got the makings of a superstar who can lead this team deep into the future.

Grades from the game can be viewed here and the ESPN box score here.

Next up the Thunder finish the second consecutive game versus the Clippers on Sunday at 4:00 PM Eastern and 3:00 PM CT.