Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Lead guard · MVP
32.4 PPG · 6.1 APG · 5.3 RPG
Best mid-range scorer in the league. The Thunder's half-court engine when the game tightens.
History is the only thing standing between OKC and a repeat. A Game 1 stumble at home flipped homecourt to San Antonio — but the Thunder have been here before, and they have the league's most complete roster.
The three names that have to play like themselves — and the x-factor who tips it either way.
Best mid-range scorer in the league. The Thunder's half-court engine when the game tightens.
Rim protection that turns drives into prayers. Pulls Wembanyama away from the paint when he stretches the floor.
Switchable, can run the offense when SGA sits. The closer-grade second creator most contenders don't have.
What has to happen — and the one thing that could blow it all up.
Wembanyama is the one player in the league who can shrink OKC's spacing advantage. If he plays 40+ minutes in a Game 7, the model gets shakier than the moneyline suggests.