With every passing game, OKC Thunder cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander seems to strengthen his case to be crowned this year's MVP.
From his sensational two-way play to the sheer fact that he's undoubtedly the top player on the top team in the league, 2024-25 is easily shaping up to be the best season of the 26-year-old's professional career which, considering just how astounding he had already proven to be coming into the year, is truly remarkable.
Though already an established star, 2023-24 helped the guard add "super" into the mix, as he went on the drop sensational all-around averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and just shy of a block while guiding Oklahoma City to the number one seed in the Western Conference standings and, ultimately, their first playoff series win since 2016.
Unfortunately, round two was where the road stopped for the Thunder, as they would ultimately be bested by the eventual conference champions, the Dallas Mavericks, in six games during their semifinal matchup.
While falling short of the conference finals, let alone winning an NBA title, wasn't exactly what fans nor the franchise were hoping for, at the very least, it instilled confidence in Thunder moving forward.
However, for Gilgeous-Alexander personally, it served as a motivating factor heading into this year's follow-up campaign.
OKC Thunder star says playoff loss to Mavericks 'helped motivate me'
During a recent sit-down with former WNBA superstar and current NBA on TNT analyst Candace Parker, SGA opened up on what his mentality has been "from the offseason coming into this year."
Though he admitted that he's always trying to improve upon his level of play from the season that came before, the Thunder centerpiece revealed that the club's playoff loss to Dallas made him want to push himself even harder heading into his seventh professional season.
"A little bad taste in my mouth from the playoffs definitely helped motivate me," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "About myself, [I learned] a few ways to approach the game differently. A playoff series you're going back and forth, it's like really a game of chess and the better player wins. I understood that being the number one option in a playoff series for the first time. I have to wear the crown and if it's not going the way it is I have to own up to it."
If nothing else, Gilgeous-Alexander has been a master at taking what the game gives him this season.
From attacking the rim for a league-leading 1,403 total drives and 393 points scored on such plays to, as seen Tuesday against the Kings, shooting an electrifying 50.0 percent from distance when lanes are closed off, the guard's approach to the game has often been determined by what the opposing team throws his way.
Fortunately, this versatility in his play seems to be paying off.
With all this, it should come as no surprise that he is posting 32.8 points (career-high), 6.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks on a highly efficient 37.2 percent shooting from the floor, and 37.2 percent shooting from distance while once again leading his team to the top-seed in the conference standings and their second-consecutive playoff berth.
This production, coupled with his impact on the Thunder, is precisely why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is currently believed to be in the driver's seat toward the 2025 Most Valuable Player award.
As he alluded to in his conversation with Parker, OKC's series loss to Dallas last season seemed to have been a major motivator for his elite level of improvement.