With yet another majestic season in the making, it does seem that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is showing why he is the modern-day version of Michael Jordan.

It’s a season full of impressive performances for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite not being at full strength, their dominance remains on point. Part of that is SGA’s dominant performances as of late. The reigning MVP is putting up video game numbers – all while resting the fourth quarter in more than half of his games played.

At this point, Gilgeous-Alexander is surely gunning for his second MVP with the way he’s playing. He’s dropping 30 points a night, and the Thunder ends up with a big win. That’s something that OKC fans are used to now, and it also says a lot more about SGA’s impressive rise to prominence and continued dominance.

The Thunder are winning, and that’s a fact. SGA is starting to show that he resembles one of the best players the league has seen: Michael Jordan. There are strong glimpses, not just in his play style, but in the way he puts up impressive stats night in and night out — that’s MJ-esque.

Daily Consistency

From driving to the basket, scoring from mid-range and even dropping defenders to come up with an easy shot, SGA is a master of many things. This is just another proof of the reigning MVP’s massive rise to prominence in the game. He is making his presence felt with a promising consistency, one game after another.

Right now, SGA is averaging 32.0 points per game, along with 6.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game. That’s another thing to consider when you find out that he’s shooting 52.9% from the field, including 38.5% from deep. In fact, his last four seasons with the Thunder have seen him average more than 30 points, which says a lot about his impressive scoring galore.

All of that, while he has sat out the fourth quarter of the last four games he’s played. In that stretch, the Thunder remains undefeated when SGA sits out the fourth quarter. It’s a truly underestimated feat for the MVP.

The Shades of MJ

By now, you should have already seen the similarities between SGA and MJ. For starters, SGA was touching history by joining Kobe Bryant, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Jordan as the only players in NBA history with 15 or more 30+ point games in a single postseason.

In fact, SGA also averaged 32.7 points in the previous season, which was the most for a title-winning campaign. But you would not guess who held the previous record: Jordan with 32.6 points per game in 1992-93.

Of course, some would say that Jordan is also quite the same as Bryant. The fact that SGA idolizes the Black Mamba only shows a lot about how he is expected to shine like MJ as well.

If you would even look at SGA’s efficiency, you can see how well he has improved his game. He is at the top of the best 30+ PPG season with the least amount of turnovers. This year’s SGA is averaging 32 points on 1.6 turnovers per game. That’s the best mark you can get.

The second-best? 2024 SGA. But what follows is 1996 MJ with 2.4 turnovers per game on 30.4 PPG. That already says a lot about his efficiency, given the fact that he shoots the ball more and handles the ball more. Heck, SGA is even shooting at a staggering field goal percentage this season, which rivals a lot of big men’s efficiency ratings.

The MJ of Our time

Aside from the shooting stroke and the efficiency in numbers, Shai is bound to be the next MJ in leading the Thunder to surpass the 72-10 Bulls, and possibly the 73-9 Warriors. At this rate, Shai and the Thunder are bound to eclipse those records. After all, a projected 77-5 record remains in place for them.

That’s thanks to their defense, elite roster composition, and having the best player in the world – the second incarnation of Michael Jordan, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.