NBA Point God Candidate No. 2: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were briefly teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder as Chris Paul entered the vagabond phase of his career. It’s only fitting SGA will have a claim on the point god throne.
The two guards spent the 2019-20 season side-by-side in Oklahoma City and both were able to thrive during an anticipated difficult year for the Thunder, which managed to pull out a fifth-place finish in the Western Conference. Paul averaged 17.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game that year. SGA averaged 19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals.
After their season together, Paul was shipped off to Phoenix, where he became one of the critical players for a rising juggernaut in the Western Conference. Gilgeous-Alexander remained in OKC, where the rebuild continues. The 24-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander is the unquestioned alpha of the Thunder and has a good chance of remaining so as long as he sticks around for the long term. So far, SGA hasn’t shown much interest in crafting an exit from Oklahoma City.
One of the issues facing Gilgeous-Alexander’s ascendancy is health. He’s been spectacular the past two years but has only played a combined 91 games, beset by a plantar fascia tear in 2021 and an ankle injury in 2022, both of which ended his campaigns prematurely.
Another factor working against SGA may be a few stalls down from him in the locker room.