Where Does OKC's Star Guard Currently Stand Amongst Thunder Greats?

As Oklahoma City's star guard continues to compete at an MVP level, is OKC's leading scorer cementing himself as a Thunder great?

Dec 23, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots over Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

It's no secret that Oklahoma City has a superstar in guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

He does everything needed from a star guard night in and night out to help his team win, which places the Thunder at the top of the Western Conference with a 23-5 record. He's not the first Thunder star to have his team in this position but with his recent play, Gilgeous-Alexander is inching toward a status similar to theirs. 

When most people think of the Thunder, most people would think of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Both established themselves as two of the best to play the game as a whole and certainly find themselves atop the list of the best players to wear a Thunder jersey. Gilgeous-Alexander finds himself as the third leading scorer of all time in OKC history behind Westbrook in first place and Durant in second. He joined elite company with those two after a 41-point scoring output against the Washington Wizards, becoming the third player in Thunder history to have 15 or more games scoring 40 points or more.

Durant and Westbrook spent a combined 19 seasons in Oklahoma City, with Gilgeous-Alexander in the middle of his sixth. Gilgeous-Alexander has all the time in the world, assuming he keeps his talents in Oklahoma City, to reach the heights the two players above him did. That being said, his status among Durant and Westbrook as OKC's best players in history is inching closer and closer toward greatness. He's getting closer to the scoring mark and with more seasons, could content for the top of that list.

To say that Gilgeous-Alexander is a more prolific, skilled scorer than Durant is farfetched, but his ability to put the ball in the hoop is unlike many to ever play the game. He's craftier and smarter than a normal lead guard as a scorer and playmaker and the entirety of Oklahoma City's offense revolves around him.

It seems like Gilgeous-Alexander would have lept into this category eventually, but the Oklahoma City star just keeps improving as a scorer. He's just behind his career-best average mark of 31.4 points per game, currently sitting at 30.6 per game. Gilgeous-Alexander has evolved as a multi-level scorer as well, managing easily to get to the rim, shoot outside the arc and get to his classic mid-range spots. He's shooting 51% from the field this season and 49.7% in his career. His efficiency is actively dipping from the field this season, but he's attempting nearly two more shots per game than he did the season prior.

Gilgeous-Alexander has yet to jump Durant and Westbrook as the best Thunder players ever, but there is no doubt that, with time, it could be done. A more fair comparison of the three should be made if Gilgeous-Alexander were to reach his eighth season with the Thunder, the same amount Durant stayed with the team. Until that point, expect OKC's current star to continue those large scoring outputs.

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