On Wednesday night, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 54 points in a win against the Utah Jazz. In the first 50+ point game of his career, Gilgeous-Alexander hit 17 of his 18 free throws while recording eight rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks. The Thunder now move to 36-7 as they continue on pace to finish with the most wins in franchise history.
Gilgeous-Alexander leads the league in scoring this season, and his 54 points on Wednesday encapsulate his dominance in the league. He leads the NBA in games with at least 20 points, doing it in every game but one this season. He is also at the top of the league in 25-point and 30-point games and overall scoring, with more than 200 more points than the next closest player. In the last month, Gilgeous-Alexander has recorded five games of at least 40 points or more, which is the most of any player in that span.
Gilgeous-Alexander is an all-around threat, and though his three-point shooting doesn’t match the likes of other guards around the league, he makes up for it in other areas. His performance from the free-throw line, missing only one of 18 shots, ties Damian Lillard for the highest and most efficient mark of the year.
SGA is second in the league in free-throw attempts and eighth in percentage, making 90.2% of his 8.3 average attempts per game. He isn’t afraid to go up against the big men in the paint and is converting fouls into points at one of the highest clips this year. Gilgeous-Alexander leads guards in points in the paint and is fourth amongst guards in shooting percentage.
Gilgeous-Alexander is doing something the Thunder hasn’t seen since Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Both won an MVP in the 2010s while leading OKC to an NBA Finals and four Conference Finals appearances. While he hasn’t had playoff success yet, SGA’s regular season numbers rival the statistics both put up during their runs.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s 54 points were the most on the team since Westbrook did it in 2017. His stat line on Wednesday of at least 50 points, five rebounds, and five assists has only been done by three other players in franchise history. His average of 32.4 points per game this season would set a franchise record, beating Kevin Durant’s 32 points per game in his MVP season in 2013-14.
Durant and Westbrook had terrific performances in their MVP-winning years, but what Gilgeous-Alexander is doing this season is no different. He is the best scorer in the league while leading his team to the best record, a mark last hit by James Harden in the 2017-18 season on the Houston Rockets.
While it is easy to look at Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring, it isn’t the only way he impacts the game. His 5.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game are both top-15 among guards in the league. He is second in the NBA with 2.1 steals per night and second in blocks per game compared to other guards. Despite having the fourth-highest usage rate, SGA only averages 2.7 turnovers per game. This pales compared to other players with high usage rates, like Harden, Cade Cunningham, and Trae Young, averaging more than 4.5 turnovers a night.
Along with the statistics, Gilgeous-Alexander is also the heartbeat of an Oklahoma City team that was nowhere when he arrived in 2019. He was there for the bad regular season finishes and stockpiling of first-round picks, slowly continuing to build up his game without the pressure of needing to lead them to the playoffs.
He’s built a reputation as one of the best defenders in the league, with his long wingspan and athletic ability quickly shutting down many of the other top guards. When teams have to prepare for a player like SGA on both sides of the floor, it is much more difficult to hold him off at night. While dropping 30 points a game, he’s also guarding the other team’s leading scorer. The same can’t be said for the other guards in the league, such as Stephen Curry, LaMelo Ball, Jalen Brunson, and Damian Lillard.
That’s where the ‘MVP difference’ comes in for Gilgeous-Alexander, as for every minute he is on the court, he’s making an impact. Most of the league’s best players have a few key skills and stick to them, but not SGA; he’s controlling the offense and defense of the best team in the conference every night. By no means is he a top candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, but in the NBA today, guards are rarely considered for that award.
The fact that he puts fear into his opponents on both sides of the floor has only been seen by a few players in the last 20 years, most of whom are big men like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. In terms of all-around players, Gilgeous-Alexander is turning into one of the best the league has seen in a while, and he’s making a case to take home the MVP.
The 54 points scored by Gilgeous-Alexander on Wednesday are a highlight of a stellar season so far. Leading league in scoring. It is somewhat surprising that this was his career-high, but it shows that he impacts the game in other ways than just scoring. He is the best player on the best team in the Western Conference and is currently the heavy favorite to win this year’s MVP award.
With 32.4 points on 53% shooting, 5.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.1 steals, and a block a game, he’s excelling in all aspects of the court. This season, Gilgeous-Alexander has turned into a breakout star and even looks like a generational player, but he seems only like he’s getting better.
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