Oklahoma City’s superstar is playing like a serious MVP candidate, and people are starting to notice. Following the Thunder’s perfect 4-0 record and several close victories, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was voted the Western Conference Player of the Week.

Tyrese Haliburton of Indiana won the award for Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Throughout the 2023–24 campaign, both of these young guards are having incredible success.

For the past four games, Gilgeous-Alexander has been on fire, averaging 33.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.3 rebounds. During that time, he drove the Thunder over Brooklyn, New York, Minnesota, and Denver.

Gilgeous-Alexander was at his best in those games against Minnesota, Denver, and Oklahoma City, who are all at the top of the Western Conference. On 28 of 39 shots, he scored 74 points in total, or 71.7%, on average.

SGA has improved to 31.2 points, 6.3 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 54.6% shooting on the season. Despite a high usage rate and a lot of isolated drives, one of the most underappreciated aspects of his season has been his ability to handle the ball. Just 2.0 turnovers per game are his average.

During the first half of the season, Gilgeous-Alexander’s outside shooting, which stands at 31.7%, has been the only weakness in his game. But he seems to be getting hotter. SGA has been playing with confidence and is shooting 41.6% from outside the arc over the past four games. He is almost unbeatable as a scorer if his 3-point percentage keeps rising.

Plus, he’s accomplishing all of this without frequently going to the free throw line. In the last four games, he has only tried ten free throws once. For the season, he is now averaging 8.4 attempts from the charity stripe. Gilgeous-Alexander attempted 10.9 free throws per game the previous season and was given a relatively favorable whistle by the referees.

The popularity of Oklahoma City grows along with Gilgeous-Alexander’s incredible performances. He is a strong contender for MVP, and the Thunder follow his lead.