Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Doc Rivers Praises OKC Thunder Standout After All-Star Game
On Sunday night, Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander set a new All-Star Game career-high, finishing with 31 points in addition to 6 rebounds and four assists.
While the Western Conference ultimately fell 211-186, Gilgeous-Alexander's impressive performance turned heads around the league.
Over the weekend, Gilgeous-Alexander was recognized by LeBron James, Anthony Davis and others, with Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers also praising Gilgeous-Alexander following his solid outing in Indianapolis.
"Shai, Tyrese Maxey, on the other team. So I got to see both of those guys, I had them both in their rookie years and seeing them both as All-Stars," Rivers said.
"Shai, I'll tell you, watching him, his growth. You knew he was going to be a great person from the day you met him, but watching him as a player is just beautiful."
Rivers was Gilgeous-Alexander's first coach in the NBA after the current OKC standout was drafted by the Clippers in 2018. SGA averaged 10.8 points, 3.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game in his lone season under the former NBA champion.
After Milwaukee fired former head coach Adrian Griffin mid-season, the Bucks brought in Rivers to lead the team in a new direction. With Milwaukee sitting atop the Eastern Conference, Rivers was awarded coaching duties for the East All-Stars.
Led by Tobias Harris, Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams, the 2018-19 Clippers fought the Golden State Warriors tooth and nail in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, but fell to the eventual champs 4-2.
In the fourth game of the series, 20-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander went 9-for-15 from the field, tallying 25 points, two assists, two rebounds and one steal in just his fourth career playoff game.
Just a few months later, OKC traded Paul George to Los Angeles for a massive return that included Gilgeous-Alexander and a stockpile of draft assets. Since arriving in the Modern Frontier, SGA has continued to ascend and blossomed into one of the best players in the league.
2024 marked the Kentucky product's second career All-Star appearance and first time earning a starting spot in the game.
As of the All-Star break, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points, 6.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game while shooting 54.6% from the field and 37.1% from 3-point range.
If OKC's superstar guard is able to maintain his impressive statistical output and help keep the Thunder near the top of the Western Conference, Gilgeous-Alexander will likely be in the mix for NBA MVP at the end of the season.
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