Mark Daigneault ‘reinforced’ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s understanding of growth
OKLAHOMA CITY — Like Oklahoma City Thunderis the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderconsidered an early contender to win the prestigious award in back-to-back seasons, Coach Mark Daigneault solved the growth he saw. Gilgeous-Alexander is considered the clear favorite for MVPespecially after Nikola Jokic’s recent knee injury in the Denver Nuggets All-Star game, which will keep the center out for at least a month.
After the Thunder defeated the Atlanta Hawks 140-129 on Monday, Daigneault discussed the steps he saw in Gilgeous-Alexander’s offensive approach.
“He’s solidified his foundation as a player. The best guys who can score night after night, they have a fixed income that they get every night that’s easy, reliable and always there,” Daigneault said. “I think his commitment to it — his strength — helped with that, with some rebounds and some things around the basket. Then, I think he’s just getting better with his skills and (developing) his game.”
“The best offensive guys have a certain base and then they have stuff on top of that, and I think he’s starting to mold into that. I think we’re starting to see that with him.”
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 39 points on 15-of-24 shooting, including 2-for-5 from deep and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 1st to 1k in Thunder win
Thunder head coach Mark Deno watched the All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the first to reach 1k points this season. In just 32 games, Gilgeous-Alexander exceeded 1,000 points in Monday’s win against the Hawks.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander becomes first player with 1,000 points this season (1,030) ⚡
And it’s not 2026 yet! pic.twitter.com/RiNNNdk82t
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 30, 2025
Shai is also shooting a career-high 3-point percentage (41.9%) while averaging 32.2 points per game on a career-best 55.9% shooting percentage.
2025-12-31 13:27:00
