The 50 greatest NBA players of the 2020s (so far), ranked
By Cal Durrett
15) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came on strong to close out the first half of the 2020s, averaging a terrific 26.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.4 steals. In fact, he posted back-to-back 30-point per game seasons, an incredible feat. Unsurprisingly, SGA's superstar turn has transformed the Thunder into contenders, with them finishing with the second-best record in the Western Conference Finals and going to the West Semi-finals in 2023–24.
Considering that he just turned 26 years old, that should give them several bites at the apple and give him a chance to rack up accolades. He has already had consecutive all-star and All-NBA first-team appearances and came in second in MVP voting behind Nikola Jokic.
It is entirely possible that he wins an MVP or two in the next five years and maybe even a Finals MVP and championship. That type of potential makes him one of the most likely candidates to shoot up these rankings at the end of the decade. As is, he is one of the 15 best players of the 2020s so far, which was an unforeseen development when he was included in the Paul George trade back in 2019 but a welcome one for the Thunder.