Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Looks to Build Upon Stellar End to Season
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The Oklahoma City Thunder are fortunate to have one of the best young guards in the NBA. At just 24 years old, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is currently the face of the franchise and should only improve moving forward.
Although he had a slow start to the 2021-22 season followed by an ankle injury, he finished the campaign extremely strong.
Following the NBA All-Star break, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.4 points, 7.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds through 13 games. He was extremely efficient, shooting 54.2% from the floor and 39.3% from beyond the arc.
A leader on this improved Thunder roster, he’ll have the opportunity to carry this momentum into the 2022-23 season. It’ll be the first year in which he’s playing under his rookie max extension.
With improved shooting, which should create space for Gilgeous-Alexander, he should only be even more effective. One of the best drivers and isolation scorers in the NBA, more room to operate should be key in a breakout season. Additionally, he’ll have better players around him who will demand gravity and can knock down shots when the 24-year-old distributes the ball.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s production following the break ranked high among his peers across the league.
During that timeframe, he was seventh in the league in scoring and top 15 in assists among all players. As a rebounder, he was also top 15 among guards.
If this is any indication of how he could look in the upcoming season, Oklahoma City could take a solid step forward.
Alongside Josh Giddey and Chet Holmgren, Gilgeous-Alexander could prove to be worthy of an All-Star nod this season.
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