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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has bigger goals than MVP.
“It’s a surreal feeling,” the Oklahoma City Thunder guard told Bleacher Report when discussing being in the MVP race. “You dream about it when you’re a kid. It certainly is, I want to be in the NBA my whole life. It’s something I try not to think too much about or stress about and leave the chips fall where they may, but it’s something I really want. If I achieve it and I’m lucky enough to get this award, I’ll be very happy.”
Gilgeous-Alexander was an All-Star for the first time last season, but is now arguably one of the best players in the league averaging 30.5 points, 6.3 assists, 5.6 rebounds and a league record 2.1 steals per night while shooting 54.1. percent from the field and 36.7 percent from deep.
His quickness off the dribble makes him impossible to stay in front of, but he can also extend his game beyond the three-point arc if given too much space. Combine that with being unstoppable in transition, a willing facilitator when double teams come his way and capable of taking over in critical moments, and there’s nothing he can’t do on the ground.
So he’s right in the middle of it. MVP race alongside Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić.
He is also one of the main reasons why his team has been so dominant this season.
Oklahoma City is 49-21 and just a half-game behind the defending champion Denver Nuggets and a half-game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the battle for the conference’s No. 1 seed West.
“We’re very focused on winning games,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Obviously, with the top seed, we would have home-court advantage throughout our time in the West in the playoffs. But for the most part, we’re just focused on winning games day to day . . It would be the icing on the cake, that’s for sure.”
That daily focus has allowed the Thunder to avoid prolonged struggles, even if there are occasional slip-ups like Sunday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. In fact, they haven’t lost more than two games in a row all season and are well-positioned to earn the franchise’s first playoff victory since the 2015-16 campaign, when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led the way.
It wasn’t necessarily supposed to be this way, at least this early on.
The playoffs were a realistic goal early in the season since Oklahoma City reached the play-in tournament in 2022-23, but much of the narrative surrounding the team was still focused on the future given his collection of Future draft picks and young players.
Gilgeous-Alexander is only 25 years old but is something of an elder statesman considering Chet Holmgren is 21, Jalen Williams is 22, Josh Giddey is 21, and Luguentz Dort is 24.
But the Thunder aren’t interested in outside opinions suggesting it will take another year or two for them to become serious championship contenders.
“We don’t really worry about outside noise,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We don’t pay attention to it, we don’t listen to it. We do a great job of just focusing on what we’re trying to accomplish every day, every game and every opponent. I think that’s why we “I’ve had so much success because we just focus on getting better and winning games in the moment. »
Winning enough games would allow the Thunder to avoid the No. 3 seed in the West, which is exactly where the guard’s Kentucky Wildcats were seeded in the South Region of the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tournament when They lost a shock first round to Oakland.
Even though Gilgeous-Alexander’s school is no longer part of the Big Dance, he is still involved in March Madness through his partnership with AT&T for the company’s “Connect To The Madness” campaign which also features stars such as Jalen Brunson, Draymond Green, Sabrina Ionescu. , Candace Parker, Carmelo Anthony and JuJu Watkins in various commercials shown during games.
Gilgeous-Alexander is in the “What A Pro Wants” commercial alongside Holmgren, which gave them the opportunity to show off their singing talents.
“It’s been great,” he said of the partnership with AT&T. “Obviously, it’s a very big and powerful brand and one that I’ve been around for most of my life. You see them everywhere and their people have been great. It’s been fun.
“They have been very collaborative with me. They understand my passions on and off the field. I look forward to continuing to build this relationship.”
Teaming up with Holmgren was natural for Gilgeous-Alexander given the chemistry that already exists on the court.
The No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft missed what would have been his rookie season due to a foot injury, but he’s arguably exceeding the sky-high expectations that were already in place for the 2023-24 campaign.
Holmgren has played in all 70 games and is averaging 17.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.4 blocks per night while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 38.4 percent in depth. He anchors the interior defense and corrects mistakes from perimeter defenders while working in pick-and-pops and spreading the floor with his shooting on the other end.
His athleticism at 7’1″ makes him a nightmare for opponents and an ideal running mate for an explosive guard like Gilgeous-Alexander.
“It’s super fun,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of playing alongside Holmgren. “That’s where the NBA has gone today, it’s positionless basketball. Any position can do everything, pass, dribble, shoot. He’s such a versatile player, he brings so much to the table. to the game and makes it a lot easier for me and the rest of the team. my teammates.”
Although the ultimate test of this easier basketball will come in the playoffs, when the Thunder look to turn their regular season success into a championship run, the future couldn’t be brighter in Oklahoma City.
And it will likely stay that way as long as Gilgeous-Alexander runs the show.
