Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has impressed plenty of NBA stars, but Dwyane Wade came out impressed after the second-year guard posted consecutive 32-point games, the last coming against Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Shai came into the league with the pace of a veteran. This kid is special https://t.co/rqhz5v1gqB
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) December 23, 2019
Gilgeous-Alexander seems to have the poise of a more experienced veteran — from his sense of timing in the pick-and-roll to his aggressiveness in the clutch, willing to take the shots that count the most.
The Thunder were largely counted out of contention after dealing their two best stars in George and Russell Westbrook, but they have managed to hang onto the seventh spot in the West with a 15-14 record this season.
The win over the Clippers put the Thunder over the .500 mark for the first time this season, a direct byproduct of a season-high four-game win streak and help from their 21-year-old leading scorer, Gilgeous-Alexander.
SGA had not reached the 30-point mark at all this season before the last two contests, but many knew he was capable of scoring in bunches once he gets in a groove.
The 32-point efforts were a career-high for the 6-foot-5 guard, who had already scored 25 and 22 points against the Golden State Warriors in a tense first-round series.
The opportunity is surely here for SGA, given how the Thunder view him as a catalyst for the future, and one that will have plenty of time to develop next to wise veterans like Chris Paul and Steven Adams.
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