Gilgeous-Alexander is poised to become the NBA's Most Improved Player

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s third NBA season ended in disappointment when the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard suffered a "significant" tear in his plantar fascia on March 22. The injury sent him to the sidelines, and caused the 23-year-old to miss the remaining 29 games of the 2021-22 campaign, during which time OKC stumbled to a 3-26 record.

Oddsmakers don’t have much faith the Thunder will bounce back in 2021-22, but they do believe Gilgeous-Alexander will, as the flashy playmaker is co-favored to win the league’s Most Improved Player Award along with Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.

Here are three reasons why Gilgeous-Alexander is the smarter choice.

Gilgeous-Alexander took huge strides during his third season

Gilgeous-Alexander was lighting the league up prior to suffering his season-ending injury. The Canadian sensation was averaging 23.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game and was posting career-highs in field goal percentage (51%), 3-point percentage (42%), and free-throw percentage (81%).

The biggest reason for Gilgeous-Alexander’s statistical leap was his relentless desire to get to the rim. The Kentucky product led the league in drives per game, and showed an impressive ability to finish through contact. Tenacity can’t be taught, and SGA - like Russell Westbrook – has it in spades.

OKC has nowhere else to turn

Unlike the Nuggets, who boast the league’s reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic and a dynamic scorer in Jamal Murray, the Thunder have few reliable weapons. The average age of OKC’s players is 22.9 – by far the youngest in the NBA – and 14 of the Thunder’s players have three years of experience or less. Recent draft picks like Darius Bazley and Josh Giddey may be stars one day, but they’re certainly not there yet.

While Oklahoma City waits for its young players to mature, head coach Mark Daigneault will have to lean heavily on Gilgeous-Alexander, who has proven to be one of the few players in the organization who is ready for primetime. Not only did he finish in the top 25 in scoring average in just his third year in the league, but he’s already one of the more efficient high-volume scorers in the NBA.

Someone will have to take shots this season for OKC, and Gilgeous-Alexander is, by far, the best candidate.

Porter’s injury history is troubling

Although Gilgeous-Alexander was sidelined last season, the injury was something of an anomaly for a player who led the league in games played during his rookie season and missed just two contests the following year.

That’s simply not the case for Porter, who has spent more time in the trainer’s room than on the court in his brief career. The Columbia native played just three games at Missouri after undergoing lower back surgery, and then sat out the entirety of what should have been his rookie season with the Nuggets as he rehabbed.

MPJ isn’t the only Porter sibling whose body has betrayed him. Bri Porter gave up on her basketball dreams after suffering her fifth ACL injury in 2016, Cierra Porter retired from college basketball in 2018 because of recurring knee injuries, and Jontay Porter suffered a pair of ACL tears during his time at Missouri.

Surely that isn’t just bad luck, and it makes any futures wager on Porter a true gamble.

Gilgeous-Alexander is a steal at +1200

Porter is poised to experience more team success next season, but Gilgeous-Alexander is bound to shine brighter in a bigger role in Oklahoma City. Pounce on SGA's +1200 odds now before they get any shorter.