When Could we see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Make an All-Star Appearance?

A look at how close the Thunder guard is to being an All-Star.

As the 2022 NBA All-Star game tips off in Cleveland Sunday Thunder fans will notice a relative rarity for the franchise.

For just the third time since relocating to Oklahoma City the Thunder will not have a representative in the Sunday main event. From Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, to Chris Paul and Paul George, OKC has had more than its fair share of All-Star talent pass through, but for the second-straight season a member of the Thunder won’t be found anywhere on the roster.

The good news for those same fans, however, is that they might not have to wait long for OKC’s next representative.

Despite holding the league’s fourth-worst record heading into the break the Thunder (18-40) weren't too far off from getting a 2022 All-Star. In his fourth season, third in OKC, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had a stellar season thus far. In 43 games prior to an ankle injury that has seen him miss the last 10 games, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists.

The only problem for Gilgeous-Alexander is the immense depth of options the Western Conference has in the back court. Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Memphis’ Ja Morant took the West’s starting backcourt spots while the Suns’ Devin Booker and Chris Paul and Utah’s Donavan Mitchell filled out the reserves guard spots. An injury to Draymond Green opened an extra spot, but San Antonio’s Dejaunte Murray was selected as the sixth West guard to make the roster.

Gilgeous-Alexander likely would have been the next selection among guards not selected, but he will have to settle for watching his backcourt-mate Josh Giddey be the lone Thunder representative at All-Star Weekend.

Gilgeous-Alexander's numbers weren’t far off the likes of Murray or Mitchell but he, like Murray, struggled to gain votes in large part to the Thunder’s record and position in the West.

Looking ahead, how soon can we expect Gilgeous-Alexander to make an All-Star appearance?

Well, sooner than you may think.

This is the second-straight season he has put up a statline in the 23-5-5 range, a statline that is more than good enough to see a selection. And if he were in the Eastern conference it may have gotten him selected already.

The one slip in his game this season as compared to last is efficiency. His True Shooting Percentage has plummeted nearly 10% from 62% to 53%. Now, this is in part due to an increased volume of touches and shots, both of which can be expected to come back down as the Thunder build out its roster with talent surrounding him, maximizing his efficiency numbers.But other than continued improvement, he needs to help the Thunder win games.

The All-Star rosters are mainly about who is having the best season’s personally and statistically. But that isn’t to say that winning isn’t a factor, sometimes the overriding one.

OKC will have three first round picks this upcoming draft, put that together with a team that currently has the ninth-best defensive rating in the NBA and plenty of talent returning and Gilgeous-Alexander should see the wins coming sooner rather than later.

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