NBA: Ranking every team’s best player in 2020-21

27. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G, Oklahoma City Thunder

For the past dozen seasons, this team has had a no-brainer star at the point guard position, from Russell Westbrook to Chris Paul a year ago. Last year’s Oklahoma City Thunder squad was supposed to be a lottery team, but Paul had a career renaissance and multiple young pieces around him stepped up.

Now Paul is in Phoenix, and it falls on the shoulders of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to take up the reins. “SGA” had a career year last season, growing in multiple facets and dropping 19 points per game alongside Paul. The team is now in an all-out rebuild, so the cast of characters around Gilgeous-Alexander will be fluid. He is the cornerstone of their future, and this season will be a sandbox for him to grow his game as the franchise looks to find a co-star for him.

In the Mix: Al Horford is a former All-Star and steady veteran big, with the outside shot to stretch the floor and the defensive chops to guard inside or on the perimeter. He is showing signs of aging and had a down year on a Philadelphia 76ers team with poor roster construction, but he’s still a talented player. The gem of the future is raw rookie Aleksej Pokusevski, 6’11” of skin and bones who could be dangerous if he puts it all together.