As the MVP and scoring champion, Alexander led the team to the finals and is even expected to win the championship

On June 20, in the NBA stadium for the 2024-2025 season, the rise of the Oklahoma City Thunder is one of the most exciting narratives in the league. This young army, with an average age of less than 26, swept the West with a devastating momentum under the leadership of Shay Gilgers-Alexander, and entered the finals again after eleven years. As the new regular season MVP and scoring leader, Alexander used his dominant performance of 32.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game, turning the expectation of "reasonable" into a reality - when the 26-year-old guard hit the signature mid-range shot in the last 0.8 seconds of the finals G3, the entire basketball world realized that the new dynasty belonged to the Thunder might be quietly coming with every breakthrough of the Canadian Flyers.

Retracing the Thunder's path of revival, the strategic determination of management formed a perfect resonance with Alexander's evolutionary trajectory. In the summer of 2023, when Presti refused to trade young assets as a combat power, doubts were rampant. But the general manager's blueprint was quickly visualized after the start of the season: Chet Homgren's defensive coverage reached DPOY level, Jaylen Williams grew into an All-Star wing, and Alexander completed a qualitative change from scorer to leader. According to the official NBA data, when he was on the court, the Thunder netted 12.3 points per 100 rounds, and the number one in the league even surpassed MVP competitors such as Jokic and Antetokounmpo. Basketball analyst Zach Lowe pointed out in the column: "SGA redefined the offensive and defensive dominance of modern guards. His 7-foot wingspan reduced the opponent's shooting percentage by 9.2% within 6 feet. This two-way influence is reminiscent of the peak Jordan. "

Technical improvement is even more amazing. Alexander's mid-range shooting percentage increased to an astonishing 53.7%, while delivering 39% of the three-point line, he averaged 11.2 free throws per game in the league. In the Western Conference Finals against the Nuggets, his performance averaged 12.4 points per game in the fourth quarter of the series was called "the coldest-blooded terminator of the contemporary era" by Spurs coach Popovich. But what really transformed the Thunder was the reshaping of the team's culture. The "Breakfast Club" training plan led by Alexander makes the Thunder's training hall brightly lit at 6 o'clock in the morning. This professional attitude has spawned the league's third-class defensive efficiency and the first-class fast break score. "He made everyone believe that greatness doesn't have to wait until tomorrow." Teammate Dort revealed in an interview that Alexander will even study the defensive habits of opponents' substitutes. The peak showdown against the Celtics in the finals has become the ultimate touchstone to test the quality of the Thunder. Facing the Celtics with four All-Stars, Alexander scored 43 points and 10 assists in G1, and used 7 steals to tear the opponent's pick-and-roll system. When Holiday said helplessly after the G3 game, "Defense is in place or advance", Tatum's sigh was more representative: "He is like installing an eight-fold mirror, and he can always find the nano-level gap in defense." ESPN's tactical board analysis shows that Alexander's series of shooting space was created through fake actions, which set a record in the finals in the past decade. His decision-making ability at critical moments is even more shocking - according to Second Spectrum, when the score difference between the last 5 minutes of the game is within 5 points, his real shooting percentage is as high as 71.3%. The special thing about this Thunder is that they not only continue the talented tradition of the Durant era, but also create a new paradigm for team building. Salary expert Bobby Marks pointed out: "The Thunder have 13 first-round picks in the next three years, but they are already standing at the championship door. This is a rare reconstruction template in sports history. "When Alexander wrote the three words "not satisfied" on the locker room whiteboard, it may imply a grander blueprint. As the legendary point guard Nash said: "They remind me of the Spurs in 2005 - the young core just tasted the taste of victory, and this feeling of hunger can last for ten years. "With the finals' score reaching 3-1, the basketball world is witnessing not only the birth of a champion, but also the foundation ritual of a dynasty.