Part of the problem when it comes to discussing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is that several aspects of what makes his game pristine are lost among the byproduct of his uniqueness (i.e., the fact he moves unlike any other in the modern NBA – let alone, in NBA history – gives him a unique whistle).
Step back – eliminating any sort of bias and preconceived notion from your consciousness (albeit, a difficult thing to do for most people) – and internalize how absolutely mindboggling and sublime it is to see a 6-foot-6 guard with a slender build move like he does in the possession below:
When Shai took Jaylen Brown out of the frame in this slow mo wow pic.twitter.com/Ed7M1Ts1L4
— Hoops (@Hoopss) December 1, 2025
Gilgeous-Alexander can be described as the NBA’s most transformative player in several regards. Coming into the league as a wiry, herky-jerky guard who forced his way into head coach Doc Rivers’ rotation as a rookie with the Los Angeles Clippers, he remains a wiry, herky-jerky guard who is forcing his way into the collective consciousness of the NBA hive-mind, bringing with him the Oklahoma City Thunder and their attempt to produce the best regular-season record in NBA history.
Perhaps, the only difference being his brand of unique hoops has evolved to a point where it is nigh non-replicable and impossible to draw comparisons from past players (despite many attempting to describe his game along the lines of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and even Kyrie Irving). It would be remiss to describe the reigning MVP as a Canadian *insert all-time-great guard here*. Rather, it would be more appropriate to appreciate his place in history for what it is: perhaps, the first and only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in history.
A Distinctly Dominant Scorer
Of course, the numbers speak for themselves. Averaging 32.8 points per game places him second behind Luka Dončić, to go along with 6.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds. Behind such a high points-per-game average is the efficiency that tells the real story of Gilgeous-Alexander’s potency. His 68.6 percent true shooting is 10.8 points higher than league average, buoyed by raw shooting splits nearly unheard of: 59.5 percent on twos, 44.3 percent on threes, and 88.1 percent on free throws.
The Thunder are walloping teams during his minutes this season, generating 124.5 points per 100 possessions with plus-19.2 point differential. Even when two of his main running mates, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, rest, the Thunder still manage to hang 121.1 points per 100 possessions in such minutes (plus-15.4 point differential).
Gilgeous-Alexander is putting up such numbers while averaging 66.8 touches per game. Among the perceived four best players in the league (Nikola Jokić, Gilgeous-Alexander, Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo), that number figures as the lowest. It’s another notch in his ever-growing case as the league’s most efficient weapon, in the sense he is providing an exceptionally large amount of offensive impact with as little touches relative to his peers.
Peep through his play-type data provided by Synergy tracking and it reads like an efficiency nerd’s version of the Holy Bible. On pick-and-rolls as the ball handler and finished by either himself, his screening partner or a third teammate, the Thunder score 1.154 points per possession.
Ball-screen actions have served as the perfect platform through which Gilgeous-Alexander can showcase his craft, patience and guile, both as a scorer and as a playmaker. No one will readily place him among the highest echelons of passers in the league but there is little need for him to be flashy or exceptionally beguiling in that regard. The simple read – gaps widened through the threat of his scoring – and making the simple pass are often enough, especially whenever he is doubled around a screen.
— ‘Murica Film Room (@muricafilmroom) December 10, 2025
Gilgeous-Alexander has been doubled on 18.41 percent of his touches this season, seventh among 10 players who have been doubled on the highest percentage of their touches. Among those 10, Gilgeous-Alexander turns the ball over the least (3.89 percent), is the third-most-willing passer (56.54 pass percentage) and the Thunder score the highest points per direct shot whenever he is doubled (1.34). Seeing two or more bodies slanted his way triggers an automatic decision, one most often the simplest and most prudent to make.
Gilgeous-Alexander saves his imaginative thought process for his individual exploits. On his isolation possessions this season featuring him or a teammate finishing, the Thunder score 1.180 points per possession. He showcases how solid he has been through the fluidity of his one-on-one scoring.
Through a variety of dribble moves powered by a strong lower base, flexibility in seemingly every joint of his body and change-of-pace craft accompanied by sudden shifts in direction, it is darn near impossible to dictate Gilgeous-Alexander’s movements on the court. Instead, it is him who has had full control of his defenders through possessing full control of his space.
Thriving At All Three Levels
It is this ability to have full command of separation which has allowed Gilgeous-Alexander to thrive in isolation. It gets him to his sweet spots, one of them being the midrange, where he is in the 93rd percentile among point guards in terms of attempts (50 percent of his total attempts) and in the 95th percentile in terms of makes (55 percent), per Cleaning the Glass.
— ‘Murica Film Room (@muricafilmroom) December 10, 2025
And yet, the midrange feels like an extremely deadly Plan B to what Gilgeous-Alexander seems to always want to primarily achieve: get all the way to the rim. Unlike the past five seasons in which he led the league in drives per game, Gilgeous-Alexander is a “mere” fourth so far this season, with his 17.7 drives signaling a downward trend in his up-close exploits. Defenses attempting to crowd the paint, show more help on his drives and occasionally commit to throwing more obstacles his way have somewhat tempered his driving volume.
Whenever Gilgeous-Alexander does arrive at the rim, he remains as elite as ever when it comes to finishing. Per Databallr, his 8.1 “finishing” true shot attempts per 100 possessions is in the 72nd percentile. Meanwhile, he has a relative “finishing” true shooting percentage of plus-18.3 percent (i.e., his finishing efficiency is 18.3 percentage points better than league average), which is in the 100th percentile.
The way he slithers his way to the rim, preceded by the plethora of moves he strings together in order to keep his defenders guessing and out of balance, continues to amaze:
— ‘Murica Film Room (@muricafilmroom) December 10, 2025
Just as everyone thought Gilgeous-Alexander had reached his ceiling last season – in which he entered an exclusive club of being the scoring champion, league MVP and NBA champion, with the other occupants being Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal — he added another dimension to his already multifaceted scoring repertoire: a consistent 3-point shot.
His 44.3 percent mark on threes (5.0 attempts per game) is pacing toward a career-best. A majority of his looks from long range have been on pull-ups, of which he is shooting a blazing 46 percent.
With an arsenal that is, by and large, nearly unguardable, Gilgeous-Alexander adding the one-dribble step-back three is as unfair of a development you will ever see in the NBA:
— ‘Murica Film Room (@muricafilmroom) December 10, 2025
Gilgeous-Alexander is, quite literally, in a class of his own as a self-creation wizard. When comparing self-created field goal attempts per 100 possessions vs. effective field goal percentage on self-created attempts, only Dončić is anywhere close to his vicinity. Yet Gilgeous-Alexander still occupies a space perhaps only he will continue to lord over for the rest of his prime playing years.
Self-created landscape among players who are in the 75th+ percentile in total self-created FGA pic.twitter.com/1APEVk66g4
— ALL NBA Podcast (@ALLCITY_NBA) December 10, 2025
Unlike a certain record-shattering guard 10 seasons ago, to whom Gilgeous-Alexander’s 2025-26 campaign is drawing comparisons, there remains stiff competition in terms of the MVP race. If he were to win this season’s MVP award, it being unanimous would lean heavily on the Thunder’s regular-season record (i.e., if they surpass the 73-9 standard set by the Golden State Warriors in 2016). There’s also the matter of Jokić and Dončić, who both will have much to say about the Canadian guard’s frontrunner status.
Gilgeous-Alexander (plus-10.7) and Jokić (plus-9.0) remain quite close in Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM), a testament to how difficult it has been to choose the better season — let alone, who is currently the best player in the world. But Gilgeous-Alexander is creating his own path through his rapidly skyrocketing self-creation exploits, a path with seemingly no plateau in sight. In his wake is a blaze that will make it difficult for any peer to catch him at this rate.
