The NBA playoffs are midway through the conference semi-finals with three series knotted at two games apiece. Of the eight teams who began Round 2, only one team has secured a berth in the conference finals. The OKC Thunder weren’t among the 16 postseason teams or the four additional clubs who participated in the play-in tournament.
That said, there are several players in the mix that recently donned the Thunder jersey and are impacting games through the second round. Among the most prominent of those former players is Chris Paul. The Point God overcame a shoulder impingement injury in Round 1 and delivered his best scoring game of the postseason as the Suns swept the Nuggets.
Cited by many as the best leader in the NBA, Paul clearly replicated the success witnessed with the Thunder youngsters in Phoenix instilling his competitive nature. His clutch time gene remains intact, and for his efforts, the Suns will be the most rested squad once the conference finals begin.
Six of the seven remaining teams (Bucks) have at least one former OKC Thunder player participating. Reggie Jackson has emerged as a reliable consistent contributor for the Clippers so much so that he was moved into the starting rotation.
He joined the superstar tandem that includes another former Thunder player – – Paul George. Serge Ibaka and Patrick Patterson make up the quartet of former OKC players although the former is out due to back surgery and Patterson is used sparingly.
The other team with four former OKC Thunder players is the Nets. For Thunder Nation, it’s a throwback to the early years in OKC as Kevin Durant, James Harden and Jeff Green were all part of the early years of the Thunder.
OKC Thunder cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was made for the postseason
The Nets and Bucks will play Game 5 tonight and the news out of Brooklyn is Harden may return to the lineup. Green was back in the rotation for Game 4 having missed six games due to plantar fasciitis.
As Sam Presti prepares for the NBA Draft with his eyes firmly set on the future the Nets offer a reminder of the talent he amassed in the early days of the franchise. While the Thunder won’t be playoff bound for several seasons the Nets group offers optimism of creating a future title contender.
One player who has demonstrated he’ll be ready for those bright lights when the time comes is OKC Thunder cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Before SGA was shut down this season due to plantar fasciitis he was firmly in the mix for Most Improved Player. Moreover, many felt he was the biggest shaft of the All-Star Game given his production at that stage of the season.
With that, let’s dive into why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is ready-made to be a star of postseason play.