Obviously, Oklahoma City thought Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had tremendous potential when they brought him in as part of the blockbuster trade for Paul George during the offseason.
But by the way things have gone so far, Gilgeous-Alexander has had a much more immediate (and positive) impact that the Thunder could’ve hoped for.
Coming off an All-Rookie second team season in Los Angeles, there was always the potential for a sophomore slump, but SGA has shown no signs of slowing down despite being in a new city and a new system.
He leads the team in scoring, putting up 22.1 points per game, despite being labeled as a “pass-first, defensive-minded” guard by Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman prior to the 2018 NBA Draft.
Gilgeous-Alexander is taking more shots this year, but he’s making more. His field goal percentage is up to 48.3%, but his three-point percentage is where he’s made the most significant improvement.
During the 2018-19 season, SGA shot 36.7% from the perimeter. Through seven games, Gilgeous-Alexander is hitting shots beyond the arc and a clip of 41.2%.
It’s part of the reason why Bleacher Report named Gilgeous-Alexander one of ‘the most surprising player starts of 2019-20’.
According to Zach Buckley, there is no surprise about who the future of the franchise will be.
“If there were any doubts about the face of this rebuild, they’ve already been erased. SGA is OKC, and vice versa.”
