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OKC Thunder: All Star selection a tall task for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

By Lawrence George

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on prior to the game against the Miami Heat at FTX Arena on March 18, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on prior to the game against the Miami Heat at FTX Arena on March 18, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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For the past couple of seasons, OKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is considered one of the brightest young stars in the NBA. Since his debut in 2019, he’s improved statistically each season to become one of the league’s premier scorers. His improvements earned him a max contract in 2021 to be the leader of the franchise moving forward.

As most rebuilds go, the goal is a high lottery pick thus losing is inevitable but it hasn’t stopped Gilgeous-Alexander from lighting up the stat sheet. Last season, he experienced career highs in points (24), rebounds (5), and steals (1) to give the team the best chance to win games. His efforts caught the eyes of analysts across the NBA with All-Star calls echoing through the media sphere.

OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander faces stiff competition to make the 2023 All-Star game, the odds are stacked against him

The Western Conference is stacked with superstar talent, especially at the guard position. Steph Curry and Luka Doncic are locked for All-Star selection while Ja Morant, Devin Booker, and Paul George are as close as you can be to certainties. The last five Western Conference All-Star rosters have featured seven guards, one can assume this will be the case again. That leaves two spots up for grabs, with plenty of candidates.

The All-Star selection process was modified in 2017 with fans accounting for 50 percent of the vote while the players and media account for 25 percent of the vote each.

After the starters are decided, reserves are chosen by coaches with Adam Silver selecting replacements if a player cannot participate due to injury.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will likely be in the mix for All-Star selection but the odds are stacked against him. Let’s examine why it will be difficult for SGA to capture an All-Star nod this year.

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