As the NBA season aims to resume play in Orlando at Disney World. The OKC Thunder are in a prime position to make a serious playoff push this postseason. On the season before the coronavirus, OKC was 40-24 in the Western Conference. One reason for the OKC Thunder’s success this season was because of the emergence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The second-year player came to OKC to get better and that’s exactly what he did this season for the Thunder. Shai has one of the smoothest games that you will see in the game and his layup package is extremely impressive.

It was obvious that the LA Clippers didn’t want to give Shai away last summer and the Thunder fans were able to see why. Numbers don’t lie and in the case of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, you can clearly see that over his two seasons. Last year on the Clippers, Shai averaged 10.8 ppg in 26 minutes per game. This season with the Thunder, Shai averaged 19 ppg in 36 minutes per game. It was clear that with opportunity and more playing time the sky’s the limit for Gilgeous-Alexander. He came to OKC on a mission to prove to everyone that he’s an elite guard in the NBA and did just that. Another part of the OKC situation that has helped Shai continue to grow within his game is the fact he has Chris Paul as a mentor. When you have one of the best point guards in NBA history showing you the ropes and constantly believing in your game you have unlimited confidence.

The OKC Thunder have been able to exceed all expectations from all of the NBA media and sports outlets. A lot of outlets wrote the Thunder off as soon as Russell Westbrook & Paul George left but they’ve surprised everyone and will enter the playoffs as a dark horse. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made a 9 point jump in his point performance during his two-year span in the NBA. During the 2019-2020 campaign, Shai was able to get his career-high 32 points in back to back games against the Suns & Clippers. Shai was showing a lot of promise and glimpses of greatness and promise as the season continued to go on. The way that the Thunder team was built it benefits their three point guards, especially with the ball movement. Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dennis Schröder made it hard on any opposing team because you didn’t know who’s night it was to shine.

Heading into Orlando we’ve seen a lot of footage from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander working on his game in the free time away from the OKC Thunder. One this that was noticeable is that he’s toned up and he’s polished up a lot of his moves getting ready for that championship run. Shai was known for having the biggest wingspan in his draft class and as he continues to get better in the NBA he will have to use that length to continue to execute at a high level. Shai has a smooth game and he’s shown different levels that he can reach within his game on a nightly basis. The confidence that he’s shown in his game over the year has been impressive as his jumper has improved just as much as his finishing at the rim. The Thunder have the face and future of this team as a baby in NBA years and OKC fans will have to get used to seeing what Shai has to add to his game. Look for Shai to continue his greatness on the court just as much as he does off the court with his game-day drip. Below are the Top 10 sneakers that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander graced the court with this season for the OKC Thunder.