Over the last few year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been slowly making a name for himself as one of the elites of the NBA. The Oklahoma City Thunder point guard broke out last season as an All-NBA caliber PG, but fans doubted his ability. “What good is a star,” they said, “if he can't bring glory to his team?”. Simply put: they thought he was an empty-stats guy.

However, we're seeing this season what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can do with a team around him. With Chet Holmgren emerging as an elite weapon and Jaylin Williams' ascension, the Thunder have claimed the top spot in the Western Conference. Along the way, SGA is getting the recognition he deserves. Gilgeous-Alexander was named as an All-Star starter for the first time in his career. The star talked about his selection to the prestigious game in a press conference, per the Thunder's X account.

Gilgeous-Alexander is having a mighty fine season for himself. The Thunder star is currently averaging 31.1 points per game with 5.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. Not to be outdone on defense, SGA also has 2.3 steals per game, a league-leading stat. It's easy to forget now that he's a consistent 30 PPG scorer, but Gilgeous-Alexander's calling card as a rookie was his defense. If not for a certain Cameroonian center dominating in Philadelphia, SGA would likely get more votes for the MVP award.

The Thunder have burst onto the NBA scene as one of the hottest young teams in the league this season. If not for another team in the Timberwolves breaking out this year, OKC would be holding onto the number one seed with conviction. SGA's core teammates have been on fire this season, and they're not showing any signs of slowing down. It's truly remarkable how this team turned from a perennial lottery contender to the best team in the NBA.

Of course, when you're having a season like this, All-Star appearance and All-Pro awards start to become consolation prizes. The real goal for the Thunder this year is to finally win it all. After coming painfully close to a championship 11 years ago, this year's OKC squad is looking to make the killing blow. Can SGA finally lead this team to the promised land?