OKC Thunder Must Lean On Superstar This Upcoming Season

With newly revamped teams emerging left and right, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will have to do what he does best to lead OKC.

May 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) warms up before the start of game six of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With teams now being loaded with star talent, Oklahoma City will have to make sure to lean on its own. 

This NBA offseason has been a hectic one, as the league has been turned on its head with all the movement of players to different teams. This has created stacked rosters like the Philadelphia 76ers and has even added support to already competitive teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs. 

Oklahoma City, on the other hand, only added new players through the draft, as the team was trying to make its roster work financially. However, just because the Thunder didn’t add any superstars to the team doesn’t mean they’re in trouble, as they already have the biggest superstar they could ask for in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

The reigning two-time MVP has been a workhorse for the Thunder over the past couple of seasons, and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged over 30 points per game the past three seasons, one of which earned him the scoring title. 

The superstar guard gets the job done efficiently as well, posting the best shooting percentage of his career this past season. He shot the ball 55.3% from the floor, while also having the second-best three-point percentage since he’s been in the league, hitting 38.6% of his shots from deep. 

There is no doubt that when needed, the MVP will be able to get points for his squad, but this past postseason has shown it might be a tad more difficult. Teams have come up with specific plans to try and take Gilgeous-Alexander out of the game, and although they never worked completely, they did limit him somewhat. 

Luckily, the Thunder guard is also superb at getting his teammates involved and will have to be looking to do so this coming season as well. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged almost eight assists per game in the postseason, the most on the OKC squad. His court vision might get overlooked because of his insane scoring abilities, but he will definitely hurt you if you guard him with more than one man. 

There is no doubt that it will be challenging for Oklahoma City to make it back to the NBA Finals with all of the obstacles in its way. However, OKC must remember that they possess the best player in the NBA and must continue to lean on him the whole way through.