Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is heading into his ninth season with a clear message: he’s not done leveling up.
Before the Oklahoma City Thunder opened preseason against the New Orleans Pelicans, the reigning MVP talked about the work he put in over the offseason and during training camp. His focus wasn’t on chasing a flashy new wrinkle so much as sharpening the same core traits that have made him one of the league’s best.
“I feel like I'm a better basketball player - more versatile as a basketball player - and in better shape, too,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I would say those two things. My versatility, offensively and defensively.”
That growth matters for a Thunder team trying to push toward its second championship in three seasons. Even after parting with three rotation players, including starting guard Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins, Gilgeous-Alexander said the group still has the kind of familiarity that can speed up the process.
“For us, it's more about getting the things - our pillars - firing on all cylinders. This group, especially, we understand what it takes to win,” Gilgeous-Alexander added.
“We know what it's going to look like, whether it's in the middle of January or in the middle of June; we know what it takes to win. It's just about how fast we can get to that.
How fast can we be on the same page? How fast can we get our communication firing?
And then also, how fast can we implement the things that we've learned from last season?
“For us to get better as a group, we kind of applied them to this season. It's less learning and more everybody sharpening their individual blade, and blade as a team, and getting those things going.”
The Thunder will host the Pelicans in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Tuesday, though Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and several other rotation players will be out.
In Other News...
How Sam Presti And SGA Built The Thunder Title Run
Shai Gilgeous-Alexanders rise in Oklahoma City was never built on hurry. The Thunder trusted his development early, and general manager Sam Presti made that clear in a way only this organization might, presenting the guard with a tortoise statue as a symbol of patience. Long before the rest of the league fully caught up, Gilgeous-Alexander was already becoming the kind of player the franchise could build around for the long haul.
That faith went both ways. Gilgeous-Alexander signed a $172 million extension in 2021 before he had even made his first All-Star team, and the bet paid off as he moved from promising centerpiece to the face of a champion. Oklahoma Citys climb peaked in 2024-25 with a title run that also brought Gilgeous-Alexander MVP, scoring title and Finals MVP honors, the kind of finish that makes the early patience look even smarter in hindsight. [Read more 🡒]
Shai Just Gave Thunder Fans A New Reason To Respect Him
Shai Gilgeous-Alexanders scoring run had become one of the most remarkable constants in the league, so when it finally came to an end in the Thunders second game of the 2026-27 season against Denver, it carried some extra weight in Oklahoma City. He finished with 17 points, then spent the late stages of the fourth quarter on the bench as the game unfolded and the rotations shifted, ending a stretch that had quietly defined his consistency for a long time.
Mark Daigneault made clear he appreciated the way his star handled the moment. For Thunder fans, the bigger takeaway might be less about the streak itself and more about what Gilgeous-Alexander chose not to do in order to protect it, a small decision that said plenty about how he views the game and the standard he wants to play by. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder May Face A Brutal Otega Oweh Decision Soon
A week before the 2026-27 NBA season, Otega Owehs path with the Thunder turned into a complicated roster problem when the two-way guard suffered a torn Achilles. Oweh had been part of Oklahoma Citys two-way group, but the injury changes the calculation entirely for a team that is trying to manage every spot with care while building out its depth for another long season.
The timing matters because the Thunder are already operating at their two-way limit, a restriction that previously kept them from adding Dalton Knecht. With that kind of roster squeeze, Owehs situation is no longer just about recovery, but about whether Oklahoma City decides it can afford to keep a spot tied up by a player who is expected to miss significant time. [Read more 🡒]