Just as the OKC Thunder as a whole operate, cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander traditionally plays the game with a slower, more methodical approach. This was painfully evident both through the eye test and with his lowly rank of 287 in pace of play at 101.84 last season.
However, as we gear up for the 2026-27 campaign, it appears the superstar may be looking to change things up a bit on this particular front.
Last week, a clip of SGA went viral that showed him absolutely dusting Thunder teammate Jared McCain in sideline sprinting drills during camp. For reference, McCain finished 67 slots ahead of Gilgeous-Alexander in pace last year.
Now, it seems he's hard at work trying to pick up his release speed in the shooting department, with a surfaced clip showing the guard hoisting shots at a much quicker pace than most are used to seeing.
Clearly, even with everything he's accomplished throughout his career, Gilgeous-Alexander still believes there are areas of his game he can improve upon.
Speed clearly seems to be one of them.
Thunder MVP has been quite vocal about his desire to get even better
Four All-NBA nods and two straight MVP wins don't seem to have Gilgeous-Alexander thinking his play is completely polished.
He told us all this during this year's media day, when he revealed to reporters that he tries to improve at least one aspect of his game every year.
Coming into this upcoming campaign, it's apparent that he's been looking to better himself in more than just one area.
Now, it seems he's focused on his quickness, both from a foot speed and shot-taking standpoint, but earlier in the summer, it was his offensive skills off the ball.
When suiting up for Team Canada in this summer's FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, Gilgeous-Alexander was working on his craft without the rock in his hands, a skill that, if mastered, national team head coach Gordie Herbert believes could make him even "tougher to guard."
Even without putting these kinds of advancements to use on the hardwood, the consensus belief around the association and among those who cover it is that the Thunder star is easily a top-five player in the game today and is already considered a sure-fire future Hall of Famer.
Yet, even with this kind of status solidified, Gilgeous-Alexander is still out here working on the parts of his game he, personally, feels are lacking.
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