Four burning OKC Thunder questions a month into the season
By Rylan Stiles
Will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earn his first NBA All-Star appearance for the OKC Thunder this winter in Salt Lake City? He is off to a great start a month in
The Oklahoma City Thunder have witnessed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continue to grow each year, and now he is playing at an MVP level through nine games. While it is a small sample size, and it will be hard to continue to average 30 points per game for a full season, even with a slight regression, SGA is a lock for the All-Star game.
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30 points, four rebounds, and five assists while shooting 53 percent from the floor. The max contract point guard is getting to 30 points on a nightly basis while shooting less than three triples a game.
The Kentucky product is shooting a career-high 73 percent at the rim, good enough for the 89th percentile for his position in the NBA. SGA is also hitting a career-high in the mid-range at 48 percent.
However, it is not just an offensive improvement but defensively the 24-year-old has looked stellar averaging two assists and a block per game.
While the Western Conference is stacked with talented guards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranks in the top 8 in win shares per 48 minutes so far this season in all of the NBA and has rightfully earned more national attention in the early stages of this season.