Shai Gilgeous-Alexander In Midseason Form During Preseason Debut

You know how to tell the hype for Oklahoma City Thunder rookie big man Aday Mara has reached peak levels?

The Mara mania has become so intense that the back to back Most Valuable Player made his 2026-2027 preseason debut by playing a perfect game and nobody is really talking about it.

Now, I suppose you could chalk that up to the general public taking Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's greatness for granted. But I want to believe that the basketball stratosphere isn't so spoiled by the Thunder superstar's consistent elite level of play that we don't even bat an eye when he drops 17 points on just 5 shots.

Gilgeous-Alexander made his preseason premiere on Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks in the friendly confines of The Paycom Center. In 18 flawless minutes, the new Time Magazine cover model scored 17 points while shooting 5 of 5 from the field, 3 of 3 from deep and 4 of 4 from the free throw line. He dished out 5 assists against 0 turnovers. And just for good measure, he added one demoralizing block on Tyler Herro at the rim.

Despite it being his debut, Gilgeous-Alexander played like he was in midseason MVP form. But with an added bonus of a new skillset he seems to have unlocked.

Those three made 3 pointers were all of the catch and shoot variety. It's the most efficient deep range look in basketball but one that Gilgeous-Alexander has not had the opportunity to take very often during his career. As an on-ball offensive engine, he is typically the one setting teammates up for catch and shoot attempts. It's a skill that the Hamilton, Ontario native worked on over the summer with Team Canada. Fans and analysts wondered if that might carry over to the Thunder. It's an extremely small sample size, but the early results seem to be tilting towards yes.

"Every season, and every off-season, I use it to try to find ways to become a more well-rounded basketball player. And that was just an area of the game where I felt like I could be a better basketball player," Gilgeous-Alexander said during Thunder Media Day of his off-ball work. "And some summers, it's defense; some summers, it's off-the-dribble shooting; some summers, it's posting up. And yeah, nothing more than that. Just try to become the best basketball player I can be when it's all said and done."

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the best basketball player in the world the past two seasons. He looked the part once again in his preseason debut. But with one more weapon added to the deepest bag in the league.