Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Has Made Another Leap

Every year, the entire NBA world looks at the incredible output from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the season prior and assume he has hit his ceiling. When the OKC Thunder guard was a fringe All-Star and then finally made an All-Star team, many assumed he had capped out as a mid-lottery pick. Then, he was a starter in the All-Star game and a top-five vote getter in the MVP race. Great outcome for a guy who was overshaddowed in his trade haul by future draft picks, Right?

Then, last season happened. Gilgeous-Alexander took the world by storm. He became not only the NBA MVP, Western Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP en route to his first championship after lifting the OKC Thunder to their highest win total in team history (68) - but he also led the league in scoring, dropped his first signature shoe, graced the cover of NBA 2K26, starred in a Netflix series and inked a supermax contract. Surely, that was the end of his progress.

Well, the still just 27-year-old continues to get better. Not only leading his Oklahoma City Thunder to their best start in team history (15-1) in their quest for their third straight No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and back-to-back NBA titles which hasn't been done since 2018, but his game has evolved.

Gilgeous-Alexander is a deadly live dribble passer now. Able to use his immense scoring gravity to set up his teammates with pocket passes, wrap around dishes and behind the back dimes to the tune of a career-high 6.5 assists that should look even more gaudy as he is top-15 in potential assists per game (13.2) as he kicks out to wide open shooters from his attention grabbing 17.9 drives per game.

In addition to his playmaking improvement, the Thunder superstar looks much better and more comfortable pulling up off the dribble from beyond the arc for triples which changes his pick up points that matchups can throw at him if this trend continues. Over the last six games shooting 44% from downtown.

His overall game has changed slightly too, getting more catch-and-shoot looks and post ups than he did a year ago as he explores his off-ball offense alongside Ajay Mitchell which should only increase as he gets to play next to All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams whenever the Santa Clara product makes his season debut.

Gilgeous-Alexander hasn't needed to subtract from his bread and butter at all to make these improvements. Generating 1.233 points per possession in the pick and roll (96th percentile), ranking in the 93rd percentile in transition and 79th percentile in isolation producting 1.113 points per possession in that setting.

As the league's MVP is averaging 32 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.4 stocks (steals + blocks) per game while shooting a jaw-dropping 53% from the floor, 38% from 3-point land and 89% at the charity stripe playing in all of the Thunder's 16 games but seldomly in the final frame as the Thunder own the best net rating and point differential in the league.

This has been a great follow up to his first NBA MVP award and is well within his right to remain atop the MVP pecking order to start this season.

Up next, the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Utah Jazz in an NBA Cup battle on Friday as the OKC Thunder attempt to continue their reign of dominance around the NBA.