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.
OKC Thunder are “the black eye of the league”
For whatever reason, the media has covered Oklahoma City’s rebuild with a fine tooth comb to the point where other franchises have escaped criticism for doing the exact same thing. How does this impact Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s quest for All-Star selection? Outside this fanbase, people have taken this idea and actively used it to detract from his individual play. Remember, OKC “is the black eye of the league” according to the National Media.
The Oklahoma City Thunder figure to be fighting for a top lottery position during the 2022-23 season. They have a brutal first half of the season schedule, playing 26 of their first 41 games vs teams that were in the playoffs a year ago.
To add insult to injury, Gilgeous-Alexander could also miss the first few games with a knee injury. With Chet Holmgren confirmed to miss the entire year, any time missed by the 24-year-old makes it harder for the Thunder to win games.
While making it more difficult to win games meets the Thunder’s overall goals, it does hurt Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s individual case at an All-Star nod.
The “someone has to score the ball” argument continues to run rampant in NBA circles and although it is true to an extent, it is extremely hard to average big numbers on solid efficiency.
Since the Thunder began their rebuild, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 24 points, six assists and five rebounds on 47-34-81 shooting splits over the span of 91 games.
In his final 13 games after returning from an ankle injury last season, he put up an absurd 30 points, seven assists, and five rebounds on 54-39-81 shooting splits. However, detractors will mention the 2-11 record in that span.
Devin Booker is a great example of a player whose skills were doubted due to this mentality and I envision this happening to SGA as well. He will compete with the likes of Damian Lillard, Anthony Edwards, and CJ McCollum who will put up comparable numbers on winning squads.
If these players are compared against each other, his numbers alone won’t be enough to garner a selection.
Missing time due to injury or rest
Although the past two seasons have been dedicated to a full-scale rebuild, Gilgeous-Alexander has missed time due to various ailments. In 2020-21, he missed 37 games due to plantar fasciitis then missed 26 games last season due to ankle injuries.
Coming into the 2022-23 season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a game-time decision to play in the opener due to his Grade 2 MCL sprain. Additionally, Oklahoma City won’t rush him back unless he is 100 percent and will use it as an opportunity to develop. Most teams play 58 or 59 games before the All-Star break and the cut-off (generally speaking) is 20 games missed.
Given how big his workload is with this team and the amount of attention he will receive from defenses, Gilgeous-Alexander will inevitably receive bumps and bruises. This may force the OKC Thunder to rest him more often, especially on back-to-backs.
The competition is hot for All Start spots in the Western Conference, and I just don’t see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander overcoming the Thunder’s record, the media, and the potential games missed. Oklahoma City will be a bottom-10 team this season and hunting for a top three-pick in 2023.
With all of these factors in mind, I would be surprised if he earned a selection as he would need a lot of things to break his way.