BBNBA: SGA continues blazing hot start; Tyler Herro finally pops off

No joke, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is playing at an MVP level through the first two weeks of the 2022-23 NBA season. After missing significant chunks of the last two years (whether it be due to injury or his team’s affinity for tanking), SGA is being set loose in year five with the Oklahoma City Thunder. How long will it last? Odds are high that the Thunder ultimately shut the season down at some point in the year to create better odds for the chance to draft Victor Wembanyama. BUT, if Gilgeous-Alexander keeps playing like this, maybe a Play-In spot isn’t too far out of the realm of possibility.

Let’s step back for a second, though. SGA and the Thunder are coming off a 117-111 win in overtime on Saturday night against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. The victory moved OKC to 3-3 on the year, which is enough to have Thunder fans buying into what SGA is selling on the court. The former Kentucky point guard played his best game of the early season (which is saying something) against Dallas, unloading for a season-high 38 points to go along with six rebounds and nine assists in 41 minutes of action. SGA didn’t even need to hit a 3-pointer to reach 38 points; he finished 15-25 from 2-point range and went a perfect 8-8 from the free-throw line.

Through five games this season, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging career-highs in points (31.0) and assists (7.0) per game to go along with 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 steals per outing, as well. He’s shooting 49.6 percent from the floor overall, 36.8 percent from distance, and an unblemished 30-30 from the charity stripe.

Whether it be Most Improved Player, All-Star candidate, or even Most Valuable Player, SGA should be on plenty of watch lists through the early stages of the season.

Bam and Tyler come up short against Fox, Kings

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro combined for 57 of the Miami Heat’s 113 points on Saturday night, but it wasn’t enough to take down De’Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings. The Kings won its first game of the season as a result, too, taking home the 119-113 victory.

For Herro, he played his best outing of the season thus far, finally popping off as a member of the starting lineup. The 2022 NBA Sixth Man of the Year has started all seven games for Miami this season but has put up a mixed bag of results. On Saturday, however, he finally came alive, pouring in a season-high 34 points on 13-22 shooting (5-8 from deep) in 35 minutes of action. It was Herro’s first game of the season shooting over 50 percent from the floor, and a much-needed bounce back from his seven-point performance the game before.

Adebayo played one of his best games of the season on Saturday, too. The Heat big man went for 23 points, six rebounds, four assists, and a pair of blocks in his 37 minutes. On the other end, Fox played easily his worst game of the year, yet it ultimately resulted in the team’s first win. He added 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds to go along with five dimes in 36 minutes. Malik Monk registered six points for Sacramento while Trey Lyles added 10 points and five rebounds in his 18 minutes.

PJ Washington, Isaiah Jackson post huge games

A pair of former Kentucky big men, PJ Washington (Hornets) and Isaiah Jackson (Pacers) both produced impressive individual performances on Saturday.

Starting with Washington, the fourth-year forward exploded for 31 points in a shocking 120-113 overtime win for the Charlotte Hornets over the defending champion Golden State Warriors. 31 points is easily a season-high for Washington, who hasn’t scored that many points since dropping 42 in February 2021. He also added seven rebounds while shooting 13-23 overall and 1-6 from distance. This is a major year for Washington as he looks to earn his second contract; he’s off to the best start of his career because of that pressure.

Meanwhile, Jackson was thrust into a larger role during the Indiana Pacers 125-116 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The second-year center played a season-high 31 minutes, dropping 18 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block while shooting 8-13 from the field. It was only Jackson’s third start of the season, but with more outings like this one, he’ll be tough to keep off the floor, especially with the Pacers on the brink of a roster overhaul.

Stats from 10/29/22

Player	Score	PTS	FG (3PT)	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	MIN	+/-
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)	117-111 W (OT) @ DAL	38	15-27 (0-2)	6	9	2	1	3	41	20
Tyler Herro (MIA)	119-113 L @ SAC	34	13-22 (5-8)	3	0	0	0	3	35	11
PJ Washington (CHA)	120-113 W (OT) vs. GSW	31	13-23 (1-6)	7	1	1	0	1	40	2
Bam Adebayo (MIA)	119-113 L @ SAC	23	9-16 (0-0)	6	4	0	2	1	37	6
Isaiah Jackson (IND)	125-116 W @ BKN	18	8-13 (0-0)	10	4	2	1	0	31	25
De’Aaron Fox (SAC)	119-113 W vs. MIA	17	6-17 (0-2)	13	5	0	2	3	36	4
Tyrese Maxey (PHI)	114-109 W @ CHI	14	5-14 (2-6)	5	3	1	0	2	29	5
Trey Lyles (SAC)	119-113 W vs. MIA	10	4-7 (2-4)	5	0	1	1	1	18	3
Nick Richards (CHA)	120-113 W (OT) vs. GSW	9	3-8 (0-0)	8	2	0	0	1	20	-3
Jarred Vanderbilt (UTA)	124-123 W vs. MEM	7	2-4 (1-2)	7	7	2	0	4	22	-4
Malik Monk (SAC)	119-113 W vs. MIA	6	2-5 (1-4)	2	2	0	0	2	13	0
Johnny Juzang (UTA)	124-123 W vs. MEM	DNP	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Today in the NBA

3:30: Pelicans @ Clippers (Boston Jr., Wall)
6:00: Wizards @ Celtics
6:00: Knicks (Randle, Quickley) @ Cavaliers
6:00: Warriors @ Pistons (Diallo, Knox, Noel)
7:00 (NBA TV): Timberwolves (Towns) @ Spurs (Johnson)
7:30: Magic @ Mavericks
9:00: Rockets (TyTy Washington) @ Suns (Booker)
9:30: Nuggets (Murray) @ Lakers (Davis, Gabriel)