Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander provided stellar all-around averages of 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists. 1.3 steals and 1.6 three-pointers per game. His shooting percentage declined from the season prior, but it still wasn't bad at 45.3 percent, and he also shot 81.0 percent from the charity stripe. Even his 30.8 percent usage rate was the highest mark of his career. The problem was that he only played in 56 games. Over the last two seasons, he's combined to play 91 games. Some of his absences have been because of legitimate injuries, but others were likely the Thunder using "injuries" as an excuse to sit their star player and improve their draft positioning. Will they change those ways this season, especially with Chet Holmgren set to miss his entire rookie campaign? Given the prize jewel that is Victor Wembanyama on the horizon for the 2023 Draft, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Thunder again try to lose as many games as possible. With that in mind, Gilgeous-Alexander could continue to be a risky fantasy option.

Gilgeous-Alexander appeared in just 35 games last season, as a foot injury kept him out from late-March onward. However, he was excellent when he played. The third-year guard ranked 32nd in per-game fantasy production behind 23.7 points, 5.9 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 combined steals-plus-blocks. And despite being a high-usage player for an awful team, Gilgeous-Alexander managed to be efficient, with shooting splits of 51/42/81. After being drafted 11th in 2018, the 23-year-old has developed into one of the most promising two-way guard prospects in the league. Last season, he truly demonstrated his ability as a three-level scorer. In addition to his great three-point shooting, Gilgeous-Alexander made 49 percent of his floaters and shot 61 percent at the rim. His length and athleticism make him difficult to guard, as evidenced by his 6.5 free-throw attempts per game. He also drew a non-shooting foul on 3.4 percent of OKC's plays -- in the 95th percentile for point guards. At this point, the biggest step will be developing into a better playmaker and increasing his shot volume, perhaps at the cost of some efficiency. Given the state of the Thunder as a rebuilding team, fantasy managers should have no concerns about the guard's usage. He'll continue to be the unquestioned No. 1 option and has potential to build upon his numbers. Optimistic managers can justify taking Gilgeous-Alexander as high as the late second round.

Gilgeous-Alexander had a strong sophomore campaign, gaining some All-Star buzz amidst the Thunder's unexpected success. Shifting from point guard to shooting guard, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.2 threes and 1.8 combined steals-plus-blocks in 34.7 minutes. He also racked up nine double-doubles and one triple-double, including his monster effort against the Timberwolves (20 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and one block in 36 minutes). With Oklahoma City transitioning into a full-scale rebuild, SGA should be the focal point of the team's offense. That could mean the 22-year-old will transition into a bigger role as a ball-handler and possibly shift back to point guard. If that's the case, Gilgeous-Alexander should see his assist numbers rise, and his scoring could increase, as well. There's not much of a sample with SGA on the court alone from last season, as he played just 36 total minutes with Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari and Dennis Schroder on the bench -- averaging 23.8 points, 9.9 rebounds and 8.9 assists. Those numbers probably aren't perfectly indicative of what will happen this season, but the increased usage is practically certain. With that in mind, Gilgeous-Alexander should be a popular target come draft day in most fantasy leagues.

The Kentucky product had a much more productive rookie year than anticipated with the Clippers, and his role is likely to grow with the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander was traded to Oklahoma City in the offseason as part of the Paul George deal, and he's slated to be the Thunder's starting two-guard for the upcoming season. He averaged 10.8 points, 3.3 assists, 2.8 boards and 1.2 steals as a rookie, logging 26.5 minutes per night and appearing in all 82 regular-season games. He looked more comfortable as the season went on, finding his rhythm within the offense and making solid contributions in the playoffs, including a career-high 25 points against Golden State on April 21. He shot a respectable field goal percentage (47.6) and three-point percentage (36.7) in his first season, and he should be afforded more shots per game with OKC. Though he'll likely start the season at shooting guard opposite Chris Paul in the backcourt, Paul's continuing inability to stay healthy may thrust Gilgeous-Alexander into the point guard role at some point, which would increase his value. Expect the second-year guard to take on a prominent role with the rebuilding Thunder, making him an interesting late-round selection in standard fantasy formats.

Gilgeous-Alexander played just one year of college ball at Kentucky, but showed plenty of upside as an all-around prospect and averaged 14.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.7 steals across 33.7 minutes. He's an underrated shooter after knocking down 48.5 percent of his field goal attempts and 40.4 percent of his three-pointers, while he's also got very good size for the point guard position. Gilgeous-Alexander stands 6-foot-6 and has a seven-foot wingspan, which should give him the ability to matchup with a handful of different positions on the defensive side of the ball. Considering the fact that he was selected with the 11th overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, Gilgeous-Alexander will likely be expected to contribute right away, though he'll be stuck in a bit of a logjam at the point guard position. The Clippers dealt Austin Rivers to the Wizards this offseason, but still have the likes of Patrick Beverley and Milos Teodosic in the fold, as well as fellow first-round pick Jerome Robinson. For that reason, Gilgeous-Alexander may be stuck with minutes in the teens to open the season while being mentored by Beverley. The 20-year-old rookie has plenty of room to develop and does need to add some weight, so a bench role could be beneficial in the long run.