Inside The Thunder

OKC Thunder Superstar Misses Out on Western Conference Player of Week Award

The Oklahoma City Thunder have seen superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander snubbed from the Western Conference Player of the Week honors despite impressive stat line.
Rylan Stiles|
Jan 26, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) covers his face during introductions before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Jan 26, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) covers his face during introductions before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

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Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder sit with a 37-8 record, the best in the NBA, going 7-3 in their last ten games and a 2-1 record this week 2-1 on the week.

Superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned in a stellar three game span this week, including his first-ever 50-plus point game. This week, the Thunder star logged 40 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.7 stocks to couple with 48 percent shooting from the floor, 35 percent from beyond the arc and 97 percent at the charity stripe.

This was not enough for Gilgeous-Alexander to bag another Western Conference Player of the Week Award. Instead, he fell to Memphis Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr.

The Grizzlies posted a 4-0 record in this stretch, with Jackson Jr. posting 25.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 stocks per game while shooting 57 percent from the floor, 38 percent from 3-point land and 82 percent at the free throw line.

Memphis is riding a six-game winning streak in total with a 31-15 record overall tied for the no. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

The likely tiebreaker for this honor, despite Gilgeous-Alexander's lofty stat line, was a mix of team record and voter fatigue.

Gilgeous-Alexander has swept both Player of the Month honors and is in line for a third straight as January comes to a close.

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Rylan Stiles
RYLAN STILES

Rylan Stiles is a credentialed media member covering the Oklahoma City Thunder. He hosts the Locked On Thunder Podcast, and is Lead Beat Writer for Inside the Thunder. Rylan is also an award-winning play-by-play broadcaster for the Oklahoma Sports Network. 

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