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Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams’ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for MVP endorsement for his teammate is one thing, but his head coach Mark Daigneault put things into perspective. Gilgeous-Alexander’s come a long way from the young prospect traded from the Los Angeles Clippers in a blockbuster deal. And it’s a never-settled approach that led to him turning in an MVP-caliber season in 2024-25.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s 40 points led the Thunder to a 113-105 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which led to All-Star Anthony Edwards naming Gilgeous-Alexander NBA MVP. Then, Daigneault discussed the steps Gilgeous-Alexander took to reach this point.
“All of his improvement has been gradual, consistent, and compounding in nature,” Daigneault said. “So, it’s never an epiphany moment. He just grows consistently in every part of his game and his life, and what you’re referring to is leadership; he’s grown as a leader consistently in time. He’s used all of his experience to do that. But he’s been on that path for a long time. This wasn’t the first time he’d thought about it.”
For Mark Daigneault, the expedited process began for Gilgeous-Alexander when he joined the Thunder.
“From the first time that we traded those guys, and he kind of had the ball for the first time in his career, he’s had to grow into that role, and he continues to do that,” Daigneault added. “Just like in every part of his game, one of his best qualities is his humility to look in the mirror and constantly look to improve. He never sits on his successes. He always wants to get better.”
Amid averaging 31.0 points, 6.2 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, Gilgeous-Alexander is having the best year of his career. And he’s scored 35+ points in four of his previous five outings, including tying his career-high 45 points in a 120-114 win against the Pacers.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reacts to Anthony Edwards’ MVP claim
Fellow All-Star endorsed Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards. It’s something that Gilgeous-Alexander admits means a lot to him, coming from an All-Star caliber player who can relate to the yearly day-to-day grind of leading an NBA team.
“It’s a really good feeling. No offense to you guys in the media, but the best satisfaction is when your peers and the guys that do the same thing for a living at a very high level that you do recognize and respect your craft and your talent,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That’s a really good feeling.”
The Thunder play the Clippers on Thursday.
