The Oklahoma City Thunder have emerged as one of the most dominant teams in the Western Conference this season, firmly establishing themselves as serious contenders for the NBA title. Much of their success can be attributed to the exceptional play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has wowed the league with his skills and earned praise from both analysts and peers, including Kevin Durant.
“He just loves to see the ball go through the hoop. He’s one of those dudes that’s always gonna put that ball through the rim,” Durant said of Gilgeous-Alexander during a discussion on NBA’s watch-along of the Denver Nuggets vs. Indiana Pacers game. “Watching him, knowing that he’s gonna be efficient with it is just fun to watch.”
The praise carries significant weight, considering it comes from Durant, widely regarded as one of the best scorers in NBA history. And it doesn’t appear to be exaggerated: SGA currently leads the NBA in scoring, averaging 32.4 points per game. He is ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo by nearly one and a half points, with the two being the only players to surpass 30.0 points per game this season.
“He puts on a masterclass out there,” KD later added, before highlighting Gilgeous-Alexander’s versatility. “He hits you with so many different moves that you know he puts time in on it. He plays like he cares about his stance and place in the game. You can see that when he plays. I appreciate watching him because he gets buckets in all types of ways.”
Not all praise for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Despite being widely regarded as one of the NBA’s best players this season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also faced criticism following the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s 131-128 overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night at Paycom Center.
“It’s so frustrating to play this team because they foul a ton. They really do. They foul, they foul all the time,” Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said after the game. “And then you can’t really touch Shai. It’s a very frustrating thing, and it takes a lot of mental toughness to play through it.”
What has Shai had to say about this?
This isn’t the first time that league figures have pointed to a perceived advantage for Gilgeous-Alexander when it comes to fouls being called by officials. However, the Oklahoma City Thunder guard has offered his own explanation for this. “None at all. In the past couple of years, I led the NBA in drives. So I think naturally, I’m going to get fouled on drives. Usually, you get fouled on drives more than jump shots. I think that’s just a natural part of the game,” Gilgeous-Alexander explained a few weeks ago during an interview with OKC Thunder Wire’s Clemente Almanza.
“And then I learned a few tricks through the trade along my way. I’ve turned it into a skill a little bit. As far as what people say, I don’t really care. As long as it’s efficient offense and my team wins, I’ll get it done,” Shai assured.