OKC Thunder: Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Win the Scoring Title?

The Oklahoma City Thunder have a history of elite scorers, and their current one could soon lead the league.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the best scorers in the NBA in his time with the Thunder. Next season, he could follow in the footsteps of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to bring a seventh scoring title to Oklahoma City.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in Most Improved Player voting and fifth in MVP voting last season. Those ranks were partially because of his scoring increase of 6.9 points from the 2021-22 season.

Averaging 31.4 points last season was good for fourth in the NBA, but he has a chance to grab the top spot in 2024. To do so, he will need to dethrone two-time reigning scoring champion Joel Embiid.

With the potential departure of James Harden in Philadelphia, Embiid will be left without an elite passer to get him the ball. Embiid is a talented scorer on his own, but without Harden to get him some of his easiest looks, the big man could struggle to get above the 30-point mark next season.

Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander may have a more talented roster around him than he has in any other season with the Thunder. While he has a great passer in Josh Giddey next to him in the backcourt, Gilgeous-Alexander may benefit more from the scoring ability of his supporting cast.

Although it seems counterintuitive for Gilgeous-Alexander’s teammates to score more, it means he will not have to carry the team’s offense as much as he has in the past. Giddey and Jalen Williams are the main players who should help with that.

As Giddey and Williams become more polished offensive players, they will draw more defensive attention whether they have the ball or not. Gilgeous-Alexander is still more talented and will draw extra attention when he has the ball. Still, if opponents begin to get burned by Giddey or Williams, they may think twice about leaving them just to try and slow down Gilgeous-Alexander.

But the one thing that could make or break Gilgeous-Alexander’s bid to lead the league has yet to be seen.

Chet Holmgren will make his debut in a few weeks, and it will be the first time Gilgeous-Alexander has played with an interior presence since playing with Steven Adams in his first year in Oklahoma City. Holmgren’s ability as an offensive player is impressive, especially for someone his size.

It remains to be seen how Gilgeous-Alexander will co-exist with him, but having someone who is an effective screen-setter and also a threat rolling to the basket should be helpful. It may take a while for them to figure out the dynamic, but once they do, it could be what pushes Gilgeous-Alexander over the hump into the scoring title.

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