The Oklahoma City Thunder have built a strong win-loss record, and with the injury to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, some fans believed the team should embrace it as a blessing in disguise.
The 2025 MVP was diagnosed with an abdominal strain and will be out for a week, including the All-Star Game, where he was selected as a starter. He will be replaced by Alperen Sengun.
Much of the Thunder’s success this season—and last, when they won the title—has been credited to SGA’s leap. He is continuing his personal success and is currently second in scoring at 31.8 points per game. He has been carrying the load, and some thought the injury should be viewed as rest he deserves.
Head coach Mark Daigneault dismissed that take. He does not believe it is a good thing to be without his superstar.
“He’d rather play. We’d rather him play. This isn’t the best thing. But it’s the situation that he’s in and we’re in,” Daigneault said. “We always try to maximize all of the circumstances, even when it’s not a net positive.”
The Thunder fell to the Houston Rockets in their second game without their MVP.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s return
Jared McCain, whom the Thunder acquired in a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers, can be viewed as a temporary replacement for the role SGA vacated. The question now is when he will return.
Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman reported that Gilgeous-Alexander will miss at least five games before being reevaluated.
Named an All-Star starter, SGA will now miss the Feb. 15 game in Inglewood, California.
Those games include matchups against the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets (both already played), followed by the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns, and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Thunder have lost two straight, but they remain No. 1 overall with a 40–13 record.
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