Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recognized among NBA's best No. 1 options

Next season may be the most important so far in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's six-year career. The superstar point guard has moved into a different category after consecutive seasons garnering MVP consideration.

Now, he has a robust squad to back him up. After years of clawing just to make the Play-In Tournament, the Oklahoma City Thunder — with the help of SGA’s back-to-back seasons of averaging 30 points per game — have transcended the rankings and arguably are the best team in the Western Conference.

Combining Shai’s proven ability with the sheer firepower of the roster, the Thunder are expected to go places as Gilgeous-Alexander prepares to shoulder much of that burden starting next season.

Among the best alphas in the league

The biggest reason why the 2024-25 NBA season is so critical for SGA is that he’ll have a golden opportunity to prove that he can lead his team to a title. While the term “superstar” has been used loosely in recent years, it has historically been a designation only players who lead a title-winning team earn. By that definition, Shai isn’t quite at that superstar level yet — but he’s getting there.

European standouts, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic, were among the few players above the Oklahoma City guard on Yahoo Sports’ recent ranking of the NBA’s best “No. 1 options.” These players are simply the go-to scorers on their team and players who will almost always get the ball at the end of games in case of a last-second shot.

On Ben Rohrbach’s list, Gilgeous-Alexander was slotted at No. 5, falling behind Jokic, Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jayson Tatum of the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics.

“But Gilgeous-Alexander won the West's No. 1 seed without a single other All-Star in the rotation last season, and his Thunder gave the Mavericks more of a series than any other team in the conference,” Rohrbach wrote . “Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in drives and steals last season, establishing himself as one of the most dangerous points of attack on either end of the floor. The slender 6-foot-6 point guard repeatedly knifes into the lane, where he can finish over, under, around, or through anybody. He uses the same instincts and footwork to succeed defensively. The ball finds Gilgeous-Alexander, and he finds the net.”

At just 26 years old, merely being recognized among the best first options is a scoring achievement for Shai. After all, he is in the same room as a trio of champions: Jokic, Antetokounmpo, and Tatum. Doncic, meanwhile, has five All-NBA First Team selections in his six seasons and led the Dallas Mavericks to the championship round last spring.

On the cusp of breaking into that next tier is SGA. With another season of individual dominance, he’ll be on the cusp of greatness.

Related: Dort on Shai: "The way he’s grown as a leader is insane"