The Oklahoma City Thunder have smashed open a championship window this past season. They made history by being the youngest first seed and squad to win a playoff series.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s ascension to superstardom has been the biggest reason for this. The 25-year-old finished runner-up for MVP and has had back-to-back All-NBA First Team honors.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey decided to rank the league’s best 10 players amid the 2024 NBA Finals. The playoffs play a large role in how the top players are perceived. Gilgeous-Alexander was ranked No. 4.
“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off back-to-back campaigns in which he averaged at least 30 points, eight free-throw attempts and five assists, while shooting at least 53 percent on twos and 87 percent from the line.
And in his first real postseason run as the No. 1 guy, those numbers didn’t really drop off for SGA. His team was knocked out in the second round, but that had more to do with the lack of playoff experience for teammates like Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.
They’ll all be back, and that especially includes Gilgeous-Alexander.
SGA turns 26 in July and just finished second in MVP voting. His ability to get to his spots and connect from the mid-range is just about unparalleled. His size (6’6″ with a 6’11” wingspan) is elite for a guard and makes him a pest in passing lanes.
For the foreseeable future, he’ll be in the mix for top-five status.”
This is a fair assessment as the Thunder’s Round 2 exit was about the lack of help Gilgeous-Alexander received in their series against the Dallas Mavericks. He was phenomenal and was arguably the best player in that series.
This was the first of likely several postseason trips for the Thunder. Expect Gilgeous-Alexander to be a mainstay in playoff basketball after being out of it the last three years.
