One could excuse Shai Gilgeous-Alexander if he were to at least take his foot off the gas pedal this preseason for the Oklahoma City Thunder. After all, he is coming off an incredible 2024-25 campaign that only a few players could realistically achieve: he was the regular-season MVP, won an NBA championship and the NBA Finals MVP award — securing his legacy as a winner and one of the biggest success stories the league has ever seen.

However, Gilgeous-Alexander did not make it to where he is right now by being complacent. In fact, he is taking the preseason very seriously ahead of what will be a heated title defense for the powerhouse Thunder. On Tuesday night, Gilgeous-Alexander was in midseason MVP form in OKC's 116-112 preseason win over the Milwaukee Bucks, recording 23 points, six rebounds, and three steals while shooting 8-10 from the field and 6-8 from the foul line in just 19 minutes of play.

Gilgeous-Alexander is able to get to his spots at will against the best of defenders in the NBA, so it was rather easy for him to do so against the Bucks' relatively soft perimeter defense. It is also a good sign for the Thunder that Gilgeous-Alexander doesn't even have to go all-out to achieve these numbers, setting them up for another strong season atop the Western Conference.

As much criticism as Gilgeous-Alexander is drawing for his foul-baiting tendencies, this guy is arguably the best pure scorer in the NBA right now. And he proved on the biggest stage that he can deliver for the Thunder. Now that he's gotten over the championship hump, there might be a higher level for him to unlock, similar to how LeBron James seemed to achieve a higher apex after he won a title with the Miami Heat in 2012.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spearheads Thunder's title defense

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Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander smiles during warm ups before a game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

This Thunder squad is set up to win multiple championships, and as evidenced by his latest preseason performance, Gilgeous-Alexander is certainly not content with winning just one.

The blueprint for OKC to win a title this season is clear. They must keep all their key players healthy the way they were in last season's playoffs. Perhaps the Thunder will be more brazen in resting their star players, Gilgeous-Alexander included, especially when their bench mob won plenty of games on their own last year.

The Thunder will have one more preseason game before the regular season begins, taking on the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.