Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to the NBA's mountaintop last year as he averaged 32.7 points per game for the league's best team and eventual champion.
He walked away with MVP honors and led Oklahoma City to the NBA Finals where they came out on top against the Pacers in a decisive Game 7, and was named Finals MVP. He's averaged 30 points per game in each of the past three seasons, quickly asserting himself as the best bucket-getter in the league.
The scary part? SGA and the young Thunder look like they are only getting better.
To start the 2025-26 campaign, he put up 55 points in Oklahoma City's second game of the year, which set a new career high after he reached 54 against the Jazz last season. A 30-point game is nearly a given for the superstar guard, especially with how often he gets to the foul line. The question is: How much can he score once he inevitably crosses that mark?
With Gilgeous-Alexander a top MVP candidate once again, here are three bold predictions for his eighth NBA season:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander puts up a 60-point game
Gilgeous-Alexander already set a new career high with 55 points in his second game of the year. That came in a win against the Pacers in double overtime where he played a whopping 45 minutes and followed another double-overtime contest in Oklahoma City's opener with the Rockets. He won't have that additional time as often, of course, but SGA is bound to eclipse his career high yet again over the regular season.
He didn't score his first 50-point game until last season, then did it three more times before the season was over. Nikola Jokić was the last player to have a 60-point game when he scored 61 against the Timberwolves in April. De'Aaron Fox reached the feat at the start of last season with 60 points, also against the Wolves, too. Gilgeous-Alexander is the best candidate to reach that total next, and in case you think recent history may be an indicator, Oklahoma City first plays Minnesota Nov. 26 at home.
He averages 35 points per game
The last player to average 35 or more points per game was James Harden in the 2018-19 with the Rockets, when he put up 36.1 points a night. Before that, you have to go back to Kobe Bryant in 2005-06 and to take it a step further you get into Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain territory.
Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32.7 points per game on the way to his first MVP award. He's averaged 30 or more for three straight seasons, the only player in the NBA to do so besides Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Thunder's superstar showed no signs of slowing down to start Oklahoma City's title defense, scoring 120 points over his first three games. Gilgeous-Alexander had a career year last year, but it doesn't look like he's reached his ceiling yet.
He earns his second MVP award
It's no secret Gilgeous-Alexander is a favorite for MVP honors alongside Jokić. However, SGA has an opportunity to become the first guard to win consecutive MVP awards since Steph Curry did so a decade ago. It won't be easy, as Jokić isn't slowing down after he put together another MVP level season last year where he incredibly averaged a triple-double. Of course, there are other candidates too, including the wild season Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama is already putting together.
Nevertheless, the rest of the league will have trouble keeping up with Gilgeous-Alexander's scoring power. He led the Thunder to a league-high 68 wins last season, and they could very well top that total. If the superstar guard continues to string together easy 30-point performances and the Thunder remain at the top of the NBA, he'll be hard to vote against come awards season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Three Bold Predictions for Thunder MVP in 2025-26 NBA Season.
