Shai Gilgeous-Alexander already broke out as one of the league's top-five players during his electric 2022-23 season, but now, it seems like he has taken his game to an entirely different level for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander has become thoroughly unstoppable at the point of attack, and his latest performance, a 36-point, six-rebound, seven-assist night in a 127-123 Thunder win over the Boston Celtics, is the latest piece of evidence in Gilgeous-Alexander's unmistakable superstardom.

This transformation of Gilgeous-Alexander's did not happen overnight. It came as a result of his meticulous preparation, legendary work ethic, and continued drive to improve. It's the way the Thunder star conducts himself in practice that has made his status as a top-five player something that's here to stay.

“I work out really hard. When I work out, I work out like the best defender in the world is guarding me. So in moments like these, I’m in my comfort zone,” Gilgeous-Alexander said in his postgame presser following their win over the Celtics, per Brandon Rahbar of Daily Thunder.

This kind of preparation is what has molded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into a matchup-proof superstar who can carve up even the most stifling defenders in the association. The Celtics have two of them in Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, and they could even throw Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown at Gilgeous-Alexander for more size, but it did not matter for the Thunder star, who got to his spots at will.

Gilgeous-Alexander's elite ballhandling, smooth hand-eye coordination, and three-level scoring mastery is what makes him quite the confounding player to defend. Teams have a hard time taking away any options from Gilgeous-Alexander's deep scoring bag, and with the Thunder having surrounded him with high-caliber young talent such as Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, teams can't even double team him and get the ball out of his hands with confidence.

Many expected the Thunder to take the next step in their bid to return to contention after they ended last season in a play-in tournament spot. But now, they are one of the best teams in the league and one of the teams with a genuine shot at winning the championship, and it's thanks to the elite play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on a nightly basis.