Over the past few seasons, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has proven to be one of the brightest stars in the NBA today. Originally the 11th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Shai went from barely a top-10 pick to one of the league’s MVP leaders. Because of his hard work and dedication, SGA is closing in on Michael Jordan’s record.
According to sources, Michael Jordan is currently ranked first and second and is the only player to average at least 31 points, 6 assists and 2 steals per game while shooting 50% from the field. Jordan achieved these numbers in two consecutive seasons from 1988 to 1990.
Fast forward to today and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is making history as he is now the second player in NBA history to put up similar numbers to MJ.
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As of the publication of this article, SGA is averaging 31.1 points, 6.3 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. Compared with Jordan’s two previous records, his field goal percentage was slightly higher at 54.9%.
Gilgeous-Alexander is just 2.5 points and 0.6 steals away from breaking Jordan’s second-place record. Breaking a record like this would take the Thunder superstar to a whole new level in the NBA.
The evolution of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the NBA
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has now been in the NBA for six seasons. Five of those seasons were with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he found his chance to develop into a star.
In his rookie season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Shea averaged 10.8 points, 3.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, showing his potential.
It’s clear that Gilgeous-Alexander is a well-rounded player who is efficient both offensively and defensively. Then, when he was sent to the Thunder, the Thunder assigned him a bigger role and gave him more playing time.
With more freedom to play on the hardwood, Shai has a chance to show what he’s truly capable of. In his second season, his scoring averages increased to 19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
In his third and fourth seasons, SGA improved significantly as a scorer again and increased his scoring output to 20+ points. He also became a better playmaker, averaging 5.9 assists per game over two seasons. Despite being an All-Star at the time, it wasn’t until his fifth season last year that SGA finally solidified its superstar status.
A one-time All-Star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will likely be selected to his second consecutive All-Star Game this year.
Especially considering he’s currently third in this year’s MVP race and third in NBA history as the only two players to average at least 31 points, 6 assists and 2 steals while shooting 50% from the field % of the players.