Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Claim The NBA Scoring Title Again?

The reigning NBA Champions Oklahoma City Thunder, averaged the second most points per game in the regular season last year, with 114.7 per game. Leading the way was MVP, Finals MVP, and scoring title champion, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged a whopping 32.7 points per game last year, putting him 2.3 points above the second-leading scorer, Giannis Antetokounmpo. More impressively, Gilgeous-Alexander did it with another All-Star on his team in Jalen Williams.

Gilgeous-Alexander already has a stacked resume, but he has potential for so much more. With all of the same pieces returning to play alongside him this year, he could be in for another scoring title run.

Last year, during Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring title, he shot 51.9% from the floor. Although this is a solid percentage, we know he is capable of better, like in the 2023-2024 season when he shot 53.5 percent from the floor. 

Gilgeous-Alexander also did not have some of his most valuable teammates for the majority of the season. Chet Holmgren only played 32 games last year, meaning for 50 games, teams were not worried about another player of star caliber on the court. With the addition of Holmgren for the majority of the season, teams will have to defend the Thunder differently, allowing Gilgeous-Alexander to take advantage of mismatches and scrambling defenses.

Gilgeous-Alexander also has the ability to improve his three-point shooting. Last year, he shot 37.5% from beyond the arc and has improved every season since the 2021-2022 season. If he can continue this trend, he has the opportunity to increase his productivity on offense and try and claim the back-to-back title. 

It won’t be easy, as Gilgeous-Alexander does share the court with superstars such as Holmgren and Williams, but other Thunder legends have done the same.

Kevin Durant won the scoring title in 2010, 2011 ,2012 and 2014 while being teammates with James Harden for three of them, and teammates with Russell Westbrook for all four. 

Russell Westbrook won the scoring title in 2015 and 2017 while being teammates with Kevin Durant for the first one. 

Gilgeous-Alexander has the potential to join these Thunder legends who have won multiple scoring titles, and hopefully, it becomes another accolade in another championship season.