CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 15: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder signs autographs prior to the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on November 15, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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When an NBA player reaches the pinnacle of individual and team success, getting better year-over-year becomes one of the hardest things to do in sports. After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP campaign last season, followed by an NBA championship, the natural question was whether there was even another level for him to reach.
Through the first 15 games of the season, he’s answered that clearly. He’s absolutely taken another step forward. And while winning a second consecutive MVP is somewhat out of his control given the nature of the award and its comparison to other players, he can control his own performance.
So far, he’s been better than he was last season.
Gilgeous-Alexander has played in all 15 games, which is impressive in its own right. The consistency, the durability and the ability to keep the Thunder afloat without Jalen Williams for the entire season and without Chet Holmgren and Lu Dort for stretches matter. Gilgeous-Alexander has been the constant. No matter which starters are missing, including the second and third best players in the rotation, he continues to drive the Thunder to wins.
His overall minutes per game are down roughly one minute, which might sound insignificant but definitely isn’t. Those minutes aren’t coming off the top of the game. They’re coming from the fourth quarter. In fact, he’s sat out nine fourth quarters in the first 15 games. He’s fueled the Thunder to such dominant early leads that he simply hasn’t needed to step back on the floor late.
And for superstar players, the fourth quarter is usually where a significant chunk of their shot attempts, usage and counting stats come. So playing less while maintaining or improving production isn’t normal. It’s extremely impressive.
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He’s taking 1.6 fewer field goal attempts per game but getting the same work done in fewer minutes and fewer possessions. On a per possession basis, he’s scoring more points than last year, dishing out more assists, and pulling down more rebounds. Across the board, he’s been a better player than he was in his MVP and scoring title season.
His efficiency has also taken a jump. Gilgeous-Alexander is shooting 53.1 percent from the floor, including 59.1% on twos, 38.6% on threes, and 90.4% from the free throw line. He’s firmly in the mix for a 50-40-90 season, which is incredibly difficult to do given the amount of physical and schematic pressure he faces every night. His usage rate sits at 33.5%, yet his turnover percentage is just 6.7%. The 27-year-old has turned it over only 26 times in 15 games, less than two per game, which is absurd for a player who handles the ball as much as he does.
The 3-point development is another major leap. Gilgeous-Alexander started the season 1-for-9 from deep on opening night against Houston, but since then he’s shot nearly 42% from beyond the arc. That’s a 14-game sample that suggests he’s functioning much closer to a true 40% shooter this year. Considering he shot 37.5 percent last year, hovered around 35 percent the two years prior, and was at 30 percent the year before that, the progression is clear. And the higher up the ladder a player climbs, the harder incremental improvement becomes.
Gilgeous-Alexander keeps delivering it anyway.
We’re only 15 games into the season, so the MVP race will continue to evolve and ultimately be influenced by variables Gilgeous-Alexander can’t control directly. What he can control is his own dominance, and he’s doing everything required to make another strong case. He’s led the Thunder to wins through injury adversity, he’s improved statistically, he’s more efficient and he’s doing more in less time.
There isn’t much more you can ask for from a player who already sits near the top of the league.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholascrain/2025/11/19/thunders-shai-gilgeous-alexander-has-reached-another-level-following-mvp-campaign/
