Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins NBA's Western Conference Player of the Week award
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is 100 percent in the (very) early conversation for this year’s Most Valuable Player.
On Monday, the former Kentucky Wildcat and current lead guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week. Following an 0-3 start to the 2022-23 season, Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to a perfect 3-0 record last week, with a pair of wins over the LA Clippers and one over the Dallas Mavericks — two teams expected to make the playoffs.
During that three-game stretch, SGA put up MVP-level numbers. The 6-foot-6 floor general averaged 31.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.3 blocks per contest on a shooting split of 50.0/50.0/100.0. Behind his production, a Thunder team that came into the season expected to tank is off to a shockingly hot start.
Two-time MVP of the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, was named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
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Through five total games played this season, Gilgeous-Alexander is playing like a clear All-Star, which would be the first appearance of his career if he were to make it. He’s putting up career-highs in several categories with averages of 31.0 points (career-high), 5.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists (career-high), 2.4 steals (career-high), and 1.2 blocks (career-high) per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent from distance. He’s also yet to miss a free throw this season, going a perfect 30-30 so far.
This was just the second time in SGA’s career that he’s won a Player of the Week award, the first coming in late Dec. 2021. He’s an easy early candidate for Most Improved Player (a group of players that also includes former Wildcats such as Tyrese Maxey and Keldon Johnson) and is garnering much-deserved MVP buzz through the first couple of weeks.
It’s only November, but the 24-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander is off to the best start of his basketball life.
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