To celebrate the start of the 2023-24 regular season as training camps begin, HoopsHype decided to release its top 100 NBA players heading into the new campaign.
Coming off of a win shy of a playoff berth, the Oklahoma City Thunder head into the new season with four players represented in the 100-player list.
Buy Thunder TicketsThe highest-ranked Thunder player is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is fresh off of a career season where he was named an All-NBA player and No. 5 in MVP voting.
At just 25 years old, expect Gilgeous-Alexander to continue to be one of the best players in the league.
Let’s look at the four Thunder representatives and what HoopsHype had to say about them in their ranking.
No. 90: Chet Holmgren
“One of the centers that we are most excited to watch in 2023-24 is Oklahoma City Thunder rookie, Chet Holmgren, who missed what was supposed to be his first season last year due to injury. Holmgren suited up in Summer League this offseason, putting up 16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.5 blocks and shooting 48.9 percent from the floor. That includes his one-for-11 shooting from three in four games, which one has to assume will improve once we get to real games just based on his history and shooting stroke.
Holmgren is as mobile as they come at center, quick and with a solid ball handle that will allow him to grab a defensive rebound and bring the ball down himself. The Gonzaga product should be a great finisher down low and can hit midrange jumpers, as well as threes. He’s also unselfish, willing to distribute the ball when needed, and an elite shot-blocker thanks to his length and instincts.”
No. 77: Jalen Williams
“We fully expect a breakout campaign from Thunder guard Jalen Williams next year, at least if his rookie season was any indication of his potential. Williams finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2022-23 and with good reason, displaying smooth midrange scoring skills, a fantastic pull-up bucket-getting package and a calmness to his game truly unbecoming of a first-year player. As a rookie, Williams ranked in the NBA’s 81st percentile as an isolation scorer, producing 1.07 points per possession on such plays, a better rate than reigning league MVP Joel Embiid. It will be fun to see how Williams progresses as a second-year player in 2023-24. Even if he maintains his level from 2022-23, he’ll still be a hugely valuable player for Oklahoma City, as he won’t even rank in the NBA’s Top 250 in player salary in 2023-24 – an absolute steal for the Thunder.”
No. 62: Josh Giddey
“A young and exciting point guard, Josh Giddey is already one of the best rebounders for his position in the league, averaging nearly eight boards nightly for his career thus far. He’s also a flashy playmaker, with a great knack for finding open teammates and a creative ability to get the ball where it needs to go. The one area in which he’s lacking is as a shooter, though he has shown some improvement in that facet, going from a paltry 26.3 three-point percentage as a rookie to 32.5 percent from deep as a second-year player in 2022-23. He also doesn’t have elite burst but makes up for it thanks to a crafty ball handle and good instincts for navigating picks.”
No. 7: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
“25-year-old Shai Gilgeous-Alexander heads into 2023-24 with a lot of momentum, coming off of an All-Star season – the first of his career – and 1st Team All-NBA honors after leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to within one game from a very unexpected playoff berth. Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the craftiest scorers in the league, often leaving opponents guessing as to which way he’s going to move next. He’s also elite at getting to the foul line, ranking third in nightly free-throw attempts (10.9) last season behind only league MVP Joel Embiid and All-NBA forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, two big men who bully their way to shooting free throws. With such an elite short pull-up game and a solid-enough three-point stroke, Gilgeous-Alexander has become of the NBA’s very best players at just 25 years old. More big things should be ahead for the Canadian ball-handler in 2023-24.”
