The playoffs are where legacies are made. It's where star players enhance their profiles amongst their place in the hierarchy against their peers and amongst the immortals and all-time greats who've come before. It's also where some legacies are tainted, where some stars fail to uplift their teams or rise individually compared to the regular season to separate themselves from the pack.
This season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have seamlessly dominated the Association with the best record in franchise history and the best record (68-14). The youngest team in the league boasts a plethora of young, talented stars, including Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who should be All-Stars for the foreseeable future. However, there's one player who's on the cusp of all-time greatness.
Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, is just scratching the surface of his prime at the peak of his powers. Fresh off winning his first league MVP, finishing with 71 of 100 first-place votes ahead of Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic for the league's top individual honor. What Gilgeous-Alexander has done is nothing short of remarkable. He averaged 32.7-5.0-6.4 along with 1.7 steals and a block per game on 52% from the field and 37.5% from three.
He's one of four players in NBA history (Wilt, Jordan, and KD) to average 32+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists and shoot over 50% from the field and win MVP in the same season. He's the second Thunder player (KD) to win the award, shooting over 50% from the field and averaging over 30 points per contest.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been an All-NBA First Team for three consecutive seasons. He is one of two guards (Jordan) to average over 30+ points for three straight seasons, shooting better than 50% from the field.
After being an All-Star and All-NBA First Team selection for three consecutive seasons, on top of leading the league in scoring and winning the MVP, the Thunder dominated. They not only had the best record in the league but are also the first team to have at least 12 wins by 30+ points, four of those in the postseason, in NBA history, after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves handily by 30.
Gilgeous-Alexander was named the Western Conference Finals MVP as the Thunder punched their ticket to the Finals for the first time since 2012.
The question now must be asked... Can he become a top-five shooting guard of all time?
Who else has a claim to being an all-time great guard?
My top five shooting guards of all time were Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Jerry West, and Allen Iverson. James Harden was the sixth, with Clyde "The Glide" Drexler at seven.
As great as SGA is, the top three are indisputable and untouchable. Jordan and Bryant were both cultural phenomena and maniacal and psychotic about winning; they each won five or more titles. They were two-way dynamic wings who could score against any defense and wanted to crush you psychologically on the court as they made the game look effortless. Both were part of dynasties, with Jordan three-peating twice, winning five MVPs in his career, and six Finals MVPs, an NBA record.
Bryant, along with Shaq, was the last three-peat in NBA history at the beginning of the century, from 2000 to 2002. He won an MVP in 2008 and went on to win two more titles consecutively, without Shaq, in '09 and '10, which helped propel his legacy and legend to new heights. Those two are in another class. The debate begins at the three to five range, where he could realistically end up.
Wade, West, and Iverson. SGA surpassed Drexler after this season, and his numbers, along with playoff success, have him surpassing Harden as well, who routinely comes up small when the stakes are at their highest. Iverson was the embodiment of hip-hop culture in the NBA. The cornrows, headbands, arm sleeves, tattoos, and baggy clothes were a symbol of the 1990s and early aughts that blended well with his patented crossover and fearless, relentless style of play.
He's an MVP, similar to SGA, who led his team to the Finals and was a perennial All-Star and All-NBA selection. He was a pest in passing lanes, always being amongst the leaders in steals, much like SGA, without being considered a lockdown defender. Iverson didn't get to play with anywhere near the talent SGA currently plays with in his prime, but what separates SGA is the efficiency.
Iverson never shot over 50% from the field in any season of his career. SGA contributed 16.7 win shares in his MVP season compared to Iverson's 11.8 with a slightly lower usage percentage. SGA might have a slight edge if he wins the title and Finals MVP—something Iverson's never done.
Who will Gilgeous-Alexander have to pass to be an all-time great?
Where it gets interesting is with West and Wade. Both ferocious competitors who were nightmares to deal with on both ends of the court, and some of the clutchest players the league's ever seen. West was unfortunate to play during the Bill Russell era, which limited him to one title in 1972 and a Finals MVP, albeit in a losing effort—the only Finals MVP winner of a losing team.
West was similar to Stephen Curry. He had deep range on his shot, a handle, and was a ruthless competitor, but with better defense. SGA will need more consecutive years of excellence to surpass "The Logo," Jerry West, even if he wins the title and Finals MVP this season.
Lastly, Dwyane Wade. Wade is the best shot-blocking two-guard of all time, who attacked the paint with reckless abandon and blew by you in the blink of an eye. Hence the nickname "Flash," which his former teammate Shaquille O'Neal called him. Wade might not have been a three-point shooter, but he had a deadly midrange game, impeccable footwork, and one of the greatest finishers the league has ever seen.
He helped lead the Miami Heat franchise to its first title in franchise history in 2006 as the clear-cut best player on the team in one of the best individual finals performances ever, en route to being named Finals MVP. He's the reason LeBron came to Miami, where he helped the team win two more titles to give him three for his career. His breathtaking speed, elite defensive prowess, intangibles, clutch gene, and downhill offensive ability made him an unstoppable force every night.
SGA may have the MVP over Wade, but you could make the argument Wade should have won in '09 over LeBron when he led the league in scoring and had the best individual season of his career in 08-'09. What Wade has over SGA is titles, but also defensive impact, having been named All-Defense three times in his career and excelling at anticipating passes and being a potent weakside shot blocker.
SGA will have to build up a loftier body of work and longevity before having a chance to surmount Wade as potentially the third-best two-guard ever.
Is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a top-5 all-time player?
SGA is one of the two best players in the association, perhaps even the best, depending on who you ask. The Thunder are on the cusp of winning their first title since relocating to Oklahoma in 2008 and their first as a franchise since 1979, when they were the Seattle Supersonics led by Dennis Johnson and Gus Williams. It's been that long.
His calm demeanor and aura on and off the floor, along with his silky smooth style of play, are what make him appealing to watch. If he wins the title and Finals MVP, he can be proclaimed the best player in franchise history. Yes, over Durant and Russell Westbrook. A title and MVP in the same season would make him the first to do it since Stephen Curry and the first to win those two awards along with Finals MVP in the same season since LeBron in 2013.
The only players in NBA history to win MVP, Finals MVP, and the title in the same season are Jordan, Shaq, Willis Reed, Duncan, LeBron, Hakeem, Magic, and Larry Bird. That's the list.
SGA not only has a chance to proclaim himself the best player in Thunder history, but also a chance to surmount his name amongst the game's pantheon of greats.