Can OKC Thunder Continue Hot Shooting Upon Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Return?

The Thunder's superstar is back, and it would be a luxury if the threes continue to fall.

Feb 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) controls the ball as Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) guards in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City is set for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s return, and the superstar could help continue a hot shooting stretch for the Thunder.

Over the past few weeks, the Thunder have done their best to navigate a tough schedule and remain at the top of the West standings, even with Gilgeous-Alexander spending almost the entire month sidelined with an abdominal strain. With Ajay Mitchell missing the entire month and Jalen Williams seeing only two games of action, the Thunder have largely been playing without their three best ball handlers for the past month.

Despite all of those injuries, the Thunder have remained afloat and put together some impressive performances along the way. One of the key reasons for the Thunder’s success over the past few weeks has been their outside shooting.

Since Gilgeous-Alexander went down, the Thunder have been shooting lights out from beyond the arc, which has been critical for an offense that had spent most of the season going stagnant when the reigning MVP was off the floor. In nine games without Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder shot 40.1% from three on 40.2 attempts per game, a critical piece of their 5-4 record in that stretch.

Although there’s a chance that throwing Gilgeous-Alexander back into the mix could change up some of the looks his teammates have been generating in recent weeks, his presence will almost certainly lead to more open looks. Considering the Thunder’s role players are hitting a stride coming out of the All-Star break, this could be a perfect time for Gilgeous-Alexander to get back into a groove, knowing he doesn’t necessarily have to create everything for the Thunder’s offense to succeed.

While it seems like common sense that the Thunder should get better looks with the MVP back on the floor attacking the defense, that doesn’t necessarily mean threes will continue to fall at the current rate, especially considering Oklahoma City’s streakiness this season. Still, the Thunder should be able to continue getting up 40 threes a night, mostly generating looks Mark Daigneault and company are more than comfortable with.

There’s no guarantee that the Thunder will continue their hot shooting, but if they do, it could give Gilgeous-Alexander the best spacing of his career as he looks to ramp up for the playoffs and secure his second straight MVP trophy. With Oklahoma City’s role players oozing with confidence after their recent success, Gilgeous-Alexander’s return could lead to some of the best basketball the Thunder have played all season.