After bringing a surge of power and focus to the defensive finish of the ground this season, the Thunder’s franchise centerpiece, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is on tempo to re-write the NBA’s file books.
After a monster 15-game stretch to kick off 2022-23 that might function the prologue to a Most Improved Player award, the Canadian scoring machine has an opportunity to match some distinctive thresholds solely beforehand crossed by Michael Jordan, Dwayne Wade, and George Gervin.
On the season, Gilgeous-Alexander is at present averaging 31.1 factors, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. Those numbers on their very own are spectacular in their very own proper. And if the season ended right now, his averages would account for one in every of simply 52 to accomplish the identical. But the 6-foot-6 guard’s defensive numbers are what actually vault him towards the distinctive alternative.
Leading Oklahoma City’s defensive renaissance, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 1.8 steals and 1.4 blocks per sport this yr. Those numbers may not seem to be troublesome to obtain at first, however there are solely 38 seasons the place a participant averaged that many blocks and steals per contest. Here you see names like Draymond Green, Shawn Marion, and Andrei Kirilenko amongst different greats.
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But while you mix Gilgeous-Alexander’s offensive and defensive statistics, they merge to present a set of information that may solely be in contrast to a number of the biggest guards to set foot on a courtroom. The skillful and slippery guard’s manufacturing of buckets, steals, and blocks mixed are what does the trick.
If Gilgeous-Alexander continues on his present tempo and ends the season averaging no less than 29 factors, one steal, and one block per sport, he’ll be part of Jordan, Wade, and Gervin as one in every of solely 4 gamers listed beneath 6-foot-8 to accomplish that. Removing peak from the equation, that listing grows to simply 12 gamers. Half of these gamers are enshrined within the Hall of Fame and 5 of these gamers are digital locks to be part of their firm.
Could the Thunder’s new star be subsequent?
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