How Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Spectacular Season Compares to Some of OKC's Best

Between the many talented players who have come through Oklahoma City, there have been numerous impressive single-season performances for the Thunder.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had an incredible 2022-23 campaign 30 games into the season. The 24-year-old guard is stuffing the stat sheet, averaging a whopping 31.6 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals and one block per contest while shooting over 50% from the field and over 92% from the free throw line. 

Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 40 or more points three times already this season, and has lead the Thunder to a 14-19 record. Given his gaudy statistics, it is likely that the fifth-year guard will be selected to his first NBA All-Star Game in February. 

For Thunder fans who have been watching the team since its inception in 2008, SGA's marvelous season is reminiscent of some of the amazing seasons Oklahoma City has witnessed in the past. 

Between two MVP winners and countless all-star appearances, players like Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Paul George have dazzled OKC fans in the past. 

Gilgeous-Alexander is currently having the best season by a Thunder player since George's 2018-19 campaign. In his second season with Oklahoma City, the former Pacer put up totals of 28 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game, good enough for third in the MVP race behind only Giannis Antetokounmpo and then-Rocket James Harden. 

In 2014-15, Thunder legend Russell Westbrook had a similar stat line, averaging 28.1 points, 8.6 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. At 26-years-old, Westbrook made his fourth all-star appearance the same year. 

Westbrook's best season, however, was 2016-17, when the guard famously won the MVP award, averaging 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game. As many Thunder fans already know, the current Lakers' guard became the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season. 

Westbrook also broke the NBA single-season triple-double count in 2016-17, posting a jaw-dropping 42 triple-doubles. The athletic phenom would go on to average a triple-double for the next two years, tallying 25.4 points, 10.3 assists and 10.1 rebounds per game in 2017-18, and 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists in 2018-19. 

Kevin Durant averaged 28 or more points per contest and was selected to the all-star game every year from 2009-10 to 2013-14. The current Nets forward averaged 32 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in 2013-14, good enough to bring home the MVP award.

While Gilgeous-Alexander will likely be excluded from the MVP conversation due to OKC's record, it is evident that the Kentucky product is putting up a similar stat line to some of the best seasons in franchise history. If SGA can continue to stack such prolific seasons, the star guard could blossom into the franchise's next legendary player. 

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