Is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing vs Rockets? Latest on OKC Thunder star's status (Apr. 4)
As the regular season comes to a close, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder find themselves facing off against one of their Western Conference rivals. Despite having such a sizable gap in the standings, it doesn't look like the team plans on resting guys just yet.
On Friday night, the Thunder will travel to Houston to take on the Rockets. This is a notable late-season matchup, as it features the top two teams in the Western Conference standings. That said, trailing by 14-and-a-half games, it's impossible for Houston to close the sizable gap between them and the Thunder.
The Thunder have a handful of names on their injury report against the Rockets, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is not one of them. He will remain in the lineup for OKC as he continues to build on his already strong MVP case.
SGA has been a driving force in the Thunder's success this season, putting together one of the best scoring seasons in NBA history. Through 73 appearances, he is averaging 32.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists. With just a handful of games left on the schedule, Gilgeous-Alexander remains neck-and-neck with Nikola Jokic in the MVP race.
While this game doesn't mean much in regards to standings, it will still be a good measuring stick matchup for both sides with the postseason looming.
Carmelo Anthony compares Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to multiple past superstars
After being a lottery pick in 2018, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's career has had an interesting trajectory. He started out with the LA Clippers, where he showed flashes of becoming a high-level talent. However, when he was traded to the OKC Thunder for Paul George, he emerged as a bonafide superstar.
As he puts together another MVP-level season, many have sung the praises of the Thunder's star guard. During the latest episode of his 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, Carmelo Anthony compared SGA to multiple star guards from previous generations.
"He's found his groove," Anthony said. "He has a little D-Wade.
"He is the evolution of a Penny Hardaway, a D-Wade all mixed together. He's a 2.0, and he's James [Harden] a little bit. He's a modern day just something different."
Over the past three seasons, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has cemented himself as one of the top offensive talents of his generation. He's on pace to average at least 30 points for a third straight season and secure his first scoring title. On top of all this, his impressive campaign has resulted in a historic season for the Thunder.
As Anthony mentioned, SGA is the modern archetype of what a star point guard has become in the NBA. Along with being able to set the table for those around him, he's capable of putting up big scoring numbers on any given night.