Shai Gilgeous-Alexander appears to be headed in a direction that should keep Oklahoma City from leaning too hard on one man to do everything.
That matters, because The Athletic’s Sam Amick recently pointed out that SGA “can’t go five years playing Luka‑style basketball” and expect to avoid the kind of wear and tear that can chip away at a player’s longevity and durability. The warning is pretty straightforward: if the Thunder keep asking Gilgeous-Alexander to live in isolation and carry such a massive usage load, the toll can eventually show up.
But Gilgeous-Alexander already seems to be adjusting before that becomes a real problem.
Reports earlier this summer said the Thunder star had been working on his off-ball offensive game, and Gordie Herbert, who coaches him for Team Canada Senior Men’s Basketball, believes that kind of growth would make him even “tougher to guard.”
The timing makes sense. Gilgeous-Alexander just finished a 2025-26 season in which he ranked fourth in usage rate among players with at least 60 games played, marking his third straight year above 31.0 percent.
He also landed in the 92.6 percentile in isolation sets. That’s a heavy burden, even for a player as efficient and polished as he is.
The encouraging part for Oklahoma City is that the roster looks built to absorb some of that load. On a recent episode of the Kevin O'Connor Show, Kevin O'Connor suggested the Thunder could be in for “a very subtle shift” offensively this season.
That idea centered on the help around Gilgeous-Alexander. Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, Ajay Mitchell, and even rookie Aday Mara all bring enough creation ability to take on more responsibility, whether that means scoring out of isolation or handling some of the playmaking.
If Gilgeous-Alexander starts seeing more catch-and-shoot chances and fewer possessions where everything runs through him, that doesn’t have to mean a dip in production. In fact, his efficiency could actually get better if Oklahoma City makes that adjustment.
In Other News...
Kawhi Finally Returns To OKC In A Full Circle Thunder Moment
Kawhi Leonards name still sits in the middle of one of the most consequential detours in recent Thunder history, because his push for a co-star helped set in motion the Clippers move for Paul George. Oklahoma City cashed in on that chain reaction in a way that reshaped the franchise, turning those dealings into the foundation for a roster built around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.
Now Leonard is set to come through Oklahoma City again with the Toronto Raptors, a reminder of how much has changed since the Clippers era that once revolved around him. The Clippers later cap-circumvention penalty only deepened the strange full-circle feel around the whole saga, but the next chapter for Thunder fans is the visit itself, and what kind of reception follows when Leonard steps back into that building. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Spurs Suddenly Feels Like The NBAs Biggest New Grudge Match
The Thunder and Spurs have gone from intriguing Western Conference powers to the kind of matchup the league can market around, with their seven-game Western Conference Finals in 2026 still fresh enough to give every meeting some carryover. Oklahoma City and San Antonio enter this season as co-favorites for the title, and the appeal is obvious: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on one side, Victor Wembanyama on the other, two franchise players who give the rivalry both star power and a real sense of direction.
There is also the schedule itself, which will keep the conversation alive even before the stakes rise again in the spring. The teams will see each other only a handful of times in the regular season, and the first one already has the feel of an event, a reminder that these meetings are starting to matter well beyond one playoff series. If the last postseason was the introduction, this season is shaping up to be the stretch where the NBA learns whether this is a one-off showdown or the start of something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Get One Massive Home Test Against LeBron And New-Look Sixers
Philadelphia is entering the new season with a dramatically different look after landing LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in an offseason swing that sent Paul George and future draft picks to Boston. The result is a roster that suddenly feels built for the spotlight, with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe expected to headline a starting group that will draw plenty of attention every time it takes the floor.
For Oklahoma City, the appeal of this matchup goes beyond the names involved. The Thunder will get one of the marquee dates on the calendar when the Sixers come through in February, part of a schedule that already has Philadelphia lined up for plenty of national TV exposure. It is the kind of game that can reveal a lot about how the Thunder stack up against a retooled contender, even before the broader race in the league starts to sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]