Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t just having a great season— he’s delivering one of the most complete and dominant individual campaigns the NBA has seen in years.
Game after game, he imposes his will on both ends of the floor. Unlike many stars who rely on sheer athleticism, SGA thrives with footwork, timing, and a surgical offensive approach.
He has also turned into a force on defense. He finished the regular season tied for No. 4 in steals per game with 1.7.
Now, with the postseason entering its final stretch, the question isn’t whether SGA deserved the MVP or All-NBA. The real question is: Are we witnessing one of the greatest individual seasons of the modern era?
Shai-Gilgeous Alexander is a Scoring Machine
Shai has become one of the league’s best three-level scorers. He led the league with a whopping 32.7 points per game this season, earning himself NBA scoring champion honors with 2,484 total points scored. What’s even more impressive is that he accomplished all this while shooting 51.9% from the field.
Only a handful of guards in NBA history, like Steph Curry in 2016 and James Harden in 2018, have averaged over 30 points per game on this level of efficiency.
What makes his scoring so unique is the way he controls the pace of the game. Unlike other elite scorers who rely on quick bursts or deep threes, SGA breaks defenses down with patience and craft.
He has led to league in drives for the past five seasons. The league hasn’t seen a guard drive to the hoop this much since Russell Westbrook was in his prime. Even then, Westbrook never did it more than two consecutive seasons.
Shai is also now the 12th player to score 3,000 points in the regular and postseason combined. Joining many of the all-time great scorers, such as Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant.
SGA not only led the NBA in 30-point games but also topped the league in 40- and 50-point games, cementing his role as one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA.
SGA’s Accolade-Filled Season
This year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander transformed his brilliance into a haul of historic awards that few players achieve in a single season. He clinched his first NBA Most Valuable Player Award, a recognition that cements his status among the elite of the league.
If you are one of the many who didn’t think he deserved the regular-season MVP, SGA carried his performance into the postseason, earning the Western Conference Finals MVP— proving his dominance can carry over to the playoffs.
His excellence didn’t stop there. Shai earned a spot on the All-NBA First Team, marking him as one of the five best players in the entire league. Beyond accolades voted on by the media, his impact is clear on the stat sheet. He finished first in the league in plus/minus (+918), a powerful indicator of how much better his team performs when he’s on the floor.
This season’s accolades don’t just reflect his talent; they tell the story of a player who has raised his game to legendary heights.
From Regular Season to Playoff Hero
SGA’s leadership and relentless effort helped Oklahoma City make it to their first NBA finals since 2012. Throughout 18 grueling playoff games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showcased why he’s one of the league’s premier postseason performers. Averaging 30.4 points on 47.5% shooting, 6.8 assists, and 1.8 steals, he is only further proving how important he is to the Thunder.
His leadership extended beyond scoring. SGA’s playmaking has been vital, as he orchestrated the Thunder’s offense with calm precision, minimizing turnovers despite intense defensive pressure.
So far in the NBA Finals, Shai is already making history. In Game 1, he poured in 38 points, which is the most points scored in an NBA Finals debut since Allen Iverson‘s 48-point game in 2001.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring in the NBA Finals reached historic heights, as he set a new record by putting up 72 points through the first two games. For SGA, this milestone carried special meaning, as he has long cited Allen Iverson as one of his biggest inspirations.
As the NBA Finals unfold, the story of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s historic season is far from finished. If he leads the Thunder to a championship and claims the Finals MVP Award, it will cement his place among the greatest guards to ever play the game.
Michael Jordan stands alone as the only guard to finish a season with 65+ wins while capturing both the MVP and Finals MVP awards. If Shai can finish the finals out strong, he will be joining elite company, and conversations will inevitably center on whether his season stands as the best by any guard in league history.
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