Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Believes Thunder Can Win Title This Year

During an interview with NBA reporter Malika Andrews of ESPN, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said he believes the Oklahoma City Thunder can win the championship this year. 

The Thunder are tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the best record in the West at 43-19. 

Shai was asked if Oklahoma City is capable of winning a championship this year.

“I think we’re capable of anything.” pic.twitter.com/fhSm3DA9AT

— Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) March 7, 2024

The Thunder are second in the NBA in points per game and 13th in points per game allowed. They have a talented core of Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Joe.

Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP candidate this year. He’s averaging 31.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.0 blocks while shooting 54.6% from the field, 37.7% from beyond the arc and 88.3% from the free-throw line. 

A two-time All-Star, Gilgeous-Alexander is first in the NBA in points, second in points per game, 10th in assists, 15th in assists per game, first in steals and first in steals per game. 

During a February interview with NBA reporter Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Gilgeous-Alexander admitted that he used the Los Angeles Clippers trading him to the Thunder for Paul George as “motivation” to become a superstar.

The Clippers traded Gilgeous-Alexander and a bevy of draft picks to the Thunder for George in July 2019. 

“I didn’t see it coming,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I’m not like, ‘Why would you do that?’ It made sense. I think Paul just came off like an MVP-caliber year. … I used it a little bit as motivation just to get better and really turn myself into that caliber of player.”

The Thunder haven’t made the NBA Finals since 2012. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the 2012 Finals in five games. 

“Every day we come to work the same way,” Gilgeous-Alexander said in January. “I think we all stay in the moment, and I think that’s why we’ve been able to get better. We just stay in the moment, attack the day, attack the program in front of us.”