(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Back in October, the prevailing wisdom around the NBA was that the Oklahoma City Thunder would be a poor team that would have nothing to play for other than extra ping-pong balls in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
Their season was seemingly doomed during the summer when big man Chet Holmgren, the second player taken in the 2022 NBA Draft, suffered a severe foot injury during a pro-am game.
But the Thunder overachieved by finishing a 40-42 record, and they proceeded to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans in Tuesday’s play-in tournament game.
On Friday, just hours before their second play-in contest versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Thunder learned that three of their own had been nominated for awards.
Just announced by @NBA
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finalist for Most Improved Player.
Jalen Williams finalist for Rookie of the Year.
Mark Daigneault finalist for Coach of the Year.
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 14, 2023
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been their franchise player for the last few years, and although he was already a good player, this season he became a big-time player who put up big-time numbers.
He averaged 31.4 points a game on 51.0 percent shooting, which was a big improvement over the 24.5 points a game and 45.3 percent shooting he posted last year.
Gilgeous-Alexander has also improved a unique facet of his game — his ability to get to the free throw line and convert there.
Last season, he shot 81.0 percent on 7.2 free throw attempts a game, but he upped those numbers to 90.5 percent on 10.9 attempts a contest this year.
Those numbers are remarkable when one considers that the 6-foot-6 wing weighs just 180 pounds.
Jalen Williams, a 6-foot-6 wing himself, is in the running for the Rookie of the Year award after averaging 14.1 points a game on 52.1 percent shooting during the regular season.
Head coach Mark Daigneault, the 37-year-old who is in his third year at the helm in Oklahoma City, has a shot at the Coach of the Year award for getting his team to rise above the sum of its parts.
He may be a longshot to actually win the award, but there is no doubt he has done a remarkable job.
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