Shai Gilgeous-alexander: Three Bold Predictions For Thunder Mvp In 2025-26 Nba Season

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led nan Thunder to nan NBA's mountaintop past twelvemonth arsenic he averaged 32.7 points per crippled for nan league's champion squad and eventual champion.

He walked distant pinch MVP honors and led Oklahoma City to nan NBA Finals wherever they came retired connected apical against nan Pacers successful a decisive Game 7, and was named Finals MVP. He's averaged 30 points per crippled successful each of nan past 3 seasons, quickly asserting himself arsenic nan champion bucket-getter successful nan league.

The scary part? SGA and nan young Thunder look for illustration they are only getting better.

To commencement nan 2025-26 campaign, he put up 55 points successful Oklahoma City's 2nd crippled of nan year, which group a caller profession precocious aft he reached 54 against nan Jazz past season. A 30-point crippled is astir a fixed for nan superstar guard, particularly pinch really often he gets to nan foul line. The mobility is: How overmuch tin he people erstwhile he inevitably crosses that mark?

With Gilgeous-Alexander a apical MVP campaigner erstwhile again, present are 3 bold predictions for his eighth NBA season:

Gilgeous-Alexander already group a caller career precocious pinch 55 points successful his 2nd crippled of nan year. That came successful a triumph against nan Pacers successful double overtime wherever he played a whopping 45 minutes and followed different double-overtime title successful Oklahoma City's opener pinch nan Rockets. He won't person that further clip arsenic often, of course, but SGA is bound to eclipse his profession precocious yet again complete nan regular season.

He didn't people his first 50-point crippled until past season, past did it 3 much times earlier nan play was over. Nikola Jokić was nan past subordinate to person a 60-point crippled erstwhile he scored 61 against nan Timberwolves successful April. De'Aaron Fox reached nan feat astatine nan commencement of past play pinch 60 points, besides against nan Wolves, too. Gilgeous-Alexander is nan champion campaigner to scope that full next, and successful lawsuit you deliberation caller history whitethorn beryllium an indicator, Oklahoma City first plays Minnesota Nov. 26 astatine home.

He averages 35 points per game

The past subordinate to mean 35 aliases much points per game was James Harden successful nan 2018-19 pinch nan Rockets, erstwhile he put up 36.1 points a night. Before that, you person to spell backmost to Kobe Bryant successful 2005-06 and to return it a measurement further you get into Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain territory.

Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32.7 points per crippled connected nan measurement to his first MVP award. He's averaged 30 aliases much for 3 consecutive seasons, nan only subordinate successful nan NBA to do truthful too Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Thunder's superstar showed nary signs of slowing down to commencement Oklahoma City's title defense, scoring 120 points complete his first 3 games. Gilgeous-Alexander had a profession twelvemonth past year, but it doesn't look for illustration he's reached his ceiling yet.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named nan NBA's MVP past twelvemonth / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

It's nary concealed Gilgeous-Alexander is simply a favourite for MVP honors alongside Jokić. However, SGA has an opportunity to go nan first defender to triumph consecutive MVP awards since Steph Curry did truthful a decade ago. It won't beryllium easy, arsenic Jokić isn't slowing down aft he put together different MVP level play past twelvemonth wherever he incredibly averaged a triple-double. Of course, there are different candidates too, including nan chaotic play Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama is already putting together.

Nevertheless, nan remainder of nan convention will person problem keeping up pinch Gilgeous-Alexander's scoring power. He led nan Thunder to a league-high 68 wins past season, and they could very good apical that total. If nan superstar defender continues to drawstring together easy 30-point performances and nan Thunder stay astatine nan apical of nan NBA, he'll beryllium difficult to ballot against travel awards season.

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