Stiles Points: With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC Thunder Will Always Have Chance

50 points in a game was once an elusive mark for Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, not too long ago. Now, in seven week's time, the elite scorer has posted four 50-plus point outings. Becoming almost routine.

"A little bit, it becomes, you could say it's not as exciting as the first [50 point game] but it's more like, getting lost in the process of just competing and playing the game you love. Wherever that takes you it takes you. It is going to be different for everyone. Not everyone can be Michael Jordan. No matter how much work you put in, There has to be A Michael Jordan," Gilgeous-Alexander said with a smile "I am just getting lost in the process and having fun with it. Whether its 50, whether its 27, whether its 17. As long as we win, I have fun with it. It is a fun night."

Life gets old fast, but one thing that remains constant is the NBA being a star driven league. To win a title you have to have a solidified top-five talent in the league, to even navigate your way to the Finals that is the case. A tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme to hoist the Larry O'Brein trophy an elite level scorer is a must.

Gilgeous-Alexander has not danced under the confetti yet. His Oklahoma City Thunder have been crowned as title favorites since July 2024 and have been forced into a game of hurry up and wait as they sit 50-11 with an 11-game lead as the No. 1 seed counting down the days to the postseason.

However, the Thunder superstar has proven that he is one of those all-time great scorers - even if the National pundits and he himself will hold off on the coronation until the blue and orange paper falls from the rafters.

"For me, I just think you play the game to win. You don't play the game to score a bunch of points...You don't play for anything besides to win. That is what its all about. Obviously, the stats and the individual stuff puts you in another stratosphere. But to get over that hump and to be regarded as one of the best players to ever play, you have to win. Because, if you don't win, it is all for nothing," Gilgeous-Alexander said.

The Thunder superstar is right, he will not truly be viewed in his rightful all-time scoring light until he actually wins - the same for every other star to walk before him.

But Monday's game continues to proof, his time is coming - perhaps even this year - and that each time Gilgeous-Alexander laces up the sneakers, the Thunder have a shot to win it all.

"The blend of shooting, attacking and passing early is there. He's got an unbelievable pace to him right now. He's finding his stuff, attacking and hitting the gas on some plays, and there's other plays where he's just letting the defense tell him what to do," Head coach Mark Daigneault said of his superstar following the Rockets game.

Gilgeous-Alexander used his elite skillsets to post 51 points, five rebounds, seven assists, a steal and a block while shooting 60% from the floor, 55% from beyond the arc and a perfect 10-for-10 at the charity stripe in 35 minutes of action against the Houston Rockets. This lifted the Thunder to a 137-128 win in a game in which Oklahoma City didn't have its fastball. Though, they didn't need it, they just needed Gilgeous-Alexander.

As everyone dives into the minutia of the Thunder roster, digging into the weeds to poke holes in OKC's title hopes, it really boils down to the same thing it does for 29 other franchises - Do you have the guy or not?

While there are plenty of other stats and facts to back up that this Oklahoma City team is better than they were a year ago, the simplest explanation is this: With far more glaring flaws and a worse roster, Gilgeous-Alexander brought the Thunder to the second round of the NBA Playoffs in a six game series with a zero point differential.

In that series against the Dallas Mavericks that ended Oklahoma City's season? The Thunder superstar posted 32.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game while shooting 50% from the floor, 55% from beyond the arc and 83% at the free throw line.

Not only was he good enough a season ago, but Gilgeous-Alexander has gotten better - a career-high in points (32.3, the best mark in the NBA), tied for a career-best in assists (6.2), 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 stocks per game. All of this is on shooting splits of 52% from the floor (his second-best mark), 37% from the 3-point line (Second-best mark on more attempts) and 89% from the free throw line.

So, as the superstar and the team around him improve, it is easy to see why the Oklahoma City Thunder will be a popular title pick this summer.

Though, unlike March Madness, this is not a one-and-done situation. For as long as Gilgeous-Alexander dribbles a ball in Bricktown, the OKC Thunder will have a shot at a championship.

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