OKC Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranked as second best point guard in NBA

Brody Bitters

•
OKC Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranked as second best point guard in NBA image

NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the 2024/25 NBA season approaches in just under two weeks, media members are continuously trying to predict and rank which players are the top dogs and who will perform the best. And while the Oklahoma City Thunder are a young team, they have a ton of talent to show for it.

In a recent ranking posted by 'Hoops Hype', they ranked the best point guards heading into this season and Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander placed second on the list.

 

 

This is no surprise to Thunder fans or even NBA fans. Shai has risen to become one of the top players in general over the past couple of seasons, especially last season. Averaging 30 points, six assists and six rebounds, Shai led the inexperienced Thunder squad to become the youngest one seed in NBA history and the youngest team to win a playoff series in NBA history.

Reaching such a milestone while also doing it on both sides of the ball by being first in total steals and steals per game was the reason why Shai placed second in MVP voting (behind Nikola Jokic). 

There is no doubt that an MVP will be awarded to Shai at some point in his career, but the question that arises from this list is whether Luka Doncic should be ranked ahead of SGA?

While Luka sent Shai home in the Western Conference Semifinals last year and averages higher total stats, Shai is a much more efficient scorer and in another league defensively. At the end of the day, people will continuously compare the two as their careers progress, but when it comes to consistent basketball play on both ends, Shai takes the cake.

 

MORE THUNDER CONTENT:

Two OKC Thunder players ranked as best perimeter defenders in NBA

Burning questions for the OKC Thunder going into the 2024 training camp

ESPN predicts OKC Thunder to be the best team in the NBA for the 2024/25 season

Brody Bitters

Brody Bitters Photo

Brody Bitters is a graduate from Butler University, where he studied Sports Media and Strategic Communications for four years. Brody previously worked as a sports reporter in Zanesville, Ohio, where he covered all things athletics from high school football, baseball, and track & field to the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Brody played basketball, football, and soccer and is a diehard Buckeye. Moreover, Brody is a massive fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Broncos, which appear random on paper, but have very specific and unique backstories.