So, nobody wants to say it, huh? Yeah, of course, Jokic is still HIMothy, and Joel Embiid is having one of the greatest seasons I have ever witnessed. Anthony Davis is playing like somebody told him, “You're not really even like that.” Giannis is absolutely dominant. Luka is doing very Luka things on a nightly basis. I could really keep going on and on, but if you are watching the NBA this season, I think it is very clear that the league is in a great place with talent and parity across the board.
I say all of that to say this: One of the most underrated deals of the last 10 years is starting to bear the fruit of labor. Allow me to refresh your mind on this trade package. The Clippers traded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, a 2022 first-round pick, 2024 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, 2021 and 2023 picks via Miami, and the rights to swap picks with the Clippers in 2023 and 2025 for Paul George. I mean, that is just ridiculous; Sam Presti is a mad genius!
Even with all of that, at the time, people thought it was crazy to give up PG; he was a top 5 player in the league with the Thunder. What people could not see is that the Thunder were now set up for a chance at a DYNASTY. The 2022 first-round pick ended up being Jalen “JDUB” Williams; he finished second to Paolo Banchero in the ROTY race and is currently averaging 17.4 and 4. In that same draft at number two, the Thunder selected Chet “Youbetcha” Holmgren, and he is averaging 17, 7.5, and 3 for this season. Josh Giddey and Lou Dort are also studs in their lineup every night.
Shai Gilgeous–Alexander has improved every single season, and not in baby steps; he has taken massive leaps into superstardom. Shai was a 10 PPG scorer in his rookie season and, following his trade to OKC, immediately jumped to a 19 PPG scorer in his second season, then to 23 PPG, and for the last two seasons, he has been a 31 PPG scorer. He is the clear leader of this team, the most valuable player, and the obvious reason why the Thunder are a legitimate title contender this year and probably for many years to come.
I believe that he should be in the top 3 contenders for the league MVP this year. The numbers and wins add up to an impressive resume, and if this level of play continues, I feel like he deserves a shot at his first MVP! Loud City has already produced 3 MVPs with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden; could SGA be the fourth? I will definitely be staying tuned to see, and you should too. This team is electric and incredibly fun to watch and Shai is leading the charge!
Until next time.
- Doc