Charles Barkley Says Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Should Be An All-Star Starter
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s eye-popping numbers have caught the eyes of national media this season.
Oklahoma City’s star has been an efficient scorer in the NBA for multiple seasons now, but he’s missed time due to injuries and the Thunder have been rebuilding. This season, however, SGA has taken his game to a whole new level entirely. He’s regularly featured in MVP rankings and is one of the top scorers in the entire association. His play is winning OKC games.
On the season, Gilgeous-Alexander is third in the NBA in points per game at 31.1, while also adding 6.1 steals and 4.9 rebounds. At this point, it’s more surprising when he doesn’t account for 30 points, and is able to keep his totals up even on off nights. His offensive ascension has been truly impressive, and the Thunder’s ceiling is much higher because of it.
One media member taking notice this week is Charles Barkley. He was featured in a clip circulation social media, demanding for Gilgeous-Alexander to not only be an All-Star, but a starter in the All-Star Game.
SGA’s numbers warrant the hot take, but could he realistically start in the ASG? The problem with the event, is it’s turned into a fan favorite popularity contest. With the big names and big markets the NBA has to offer, it would probably be hard for Gilgeous-Alexander to be named a starter just yet. Some of the biggest names, and vote-getters, in the NBA come from the guard category right now, especially with the likes of Steph Curry and Luka Doncic in the West too.
For Gilgeous-Alexander to take another leap, it may require the Thunder to start winning games at this point. He’s already averaging over 30 points per night.
When Oklahoma City starts competing, and SGA is on the big stage often, his popularity will only rise.
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