The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the most impressive teams in the NBA this season. Entering the NBA All-Star break, they are in second place in the Western Conference at 37-17.
The Thunder are a young team full of budding stars. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as one of the best players in basketball, averaging 31.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game. The 25-year-old is shooting 54.6 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three. SGA is an MVP candidate following a season where he earned All-NBA First Team Honors.
Gilgeous-Alexander leads the way for the Thunder, and he has young stars growing alongside him. Chet Holmgren is having a great rookie campaign, averaging 16.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.6 blocks per contest. The 21-year-old center is shooting 53.5 percent from the floor and 39.3 percent from downtown. Holmgren has been impactful as a scorer and shot blocker. He is battling San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama for the Rookie of the Year award.
The Thunder also have forward Jalen Williams, who is having a great campaign in his second season. There are a lot of players who hit a sophomore slump, but that has not been the case for J-Dub. The 22-year-old is averaging 19.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.0 steal per game. He is shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 45.3 percent from distance. Williams' two-way play makes him one of the bright young stars in today's game.
Oklahoma City has a quality core around Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren and Williams. They can make a deep playoff run with their talented roster. With that said, let's move on to our bold predictions for the Thunder after the 2024 NBA All-Star Break.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins MVP
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having a phenomenal season and could come away with the MVP award. The 25-year-old star guard is currently in second place on the MVP ladder, only trailing Nikola Jokic. The Denver Nuggets big man has won two MVPs and was the runner-up for the award last season. He is averaging 26.1 points, 12.0 rebounds and 8.9 assists while shooting 57.7 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from behind the arc.
It's hard to argue with Jokic's numbers, and he has led the Denver Nuggets to a 36-19 record. However, Gilgeous-Alexander has a great case to win the award over Jokic. SGA is second in the league in points per game on great efficiency. He has also proven that he can be impactful on the defensive end of the floor, as he leads the league in steals per game. Despite having a young team, Gilgeous-Alexander has propelled them to the second-best record in the West and are only 1.5 games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for first in the conference.
If Gilgeous-Alexander can lead Oklahoma City to a better record than Denver and continue to play at a high level, he should come away with the MVP award.
Thunder hold onto 2nd in the Western Conference
The Thunder are in the midst of a tight race for the top seed in the West. Only three games separate the top teams in the conference: the Timberwolves, Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers and Nuggets.
Oklahoma City has shocked the NBA by being the second seed in the standings. However, in the second half of the season, the Thunder will have to fend off the veteran teams in the Clippers and Nuggets. Los Angeles and Denver's rosters both have much more experience, and they could overcome Oklahoma City with how close the standings are.
The Thunder will need their young stars in Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren and Williams to continue their excellent play in the final stretch to hold onto second place in the West. They have the talent to get it done, and every game will be pivotal as they fend off the Clippers and Nuggets.
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