The Oklahoma City Thunder have started training camp to prepare for the 2026-27 campaign, where the Thunder are one of the favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien in June. One of the big on the court storylines this offseason has been the possibility of back-to-back NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing a larger off-ball role this season.
Gilgeous-Alexander is always looking to improve his game; this summer was no different. He waltzed into Team Canada practice on the first day of prepping for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers by asking to play off the ball on the talented international club. “Every season, and every off-season, I use it to try to find ways to become a more well-rounded basketball player,” Gilgeous-Alexander explained when asked about that decision.
The interesting part of the superstar’s response is what he compared this work to, “[Playing Off-Ball] was just an area of the game where I felt like I could be a better basketball player. And some summers, it’s defense; some summers, it’s off-the-dribble shooting; some summers, it’s posting up. And yeah, nothing more than that. Just try to become the best basketball player I can be when it’s all said and done,” Gilgeous-Alexander explained,” Gilgeous-Alexander continued.
Perhaps this scribe is digging too much into the answer; time will tell, but putting the off-ball shooting work in the same category as three elements of his game that he has made massive strides in throughout his career might be a hint at the attention to detail placed on off-ball offense this offseason.
After the pomp and circumstance of Monday’s Media Day, the Thunder got down to business on Tuesday to open up training camp. There, Gilgeous-Alexander was spotted working out after the team’s first practice with Jared McCain, long after the rest of the standard roster players had finished their post-practice routine and trotted off to the locker room.
Extra work is not abnormal for the two-time MVP. Gilgeous-Alexander is routinely the last one hoisting shots at the Thunder practice facility as the local media peppers his teammates with questions on the opposite side of the gym. What was interesting was the type of work the superstar was getting in.
He and McCain spent the entire time cycling through off-ball scoring drills, which added even more fuel to the fire that perhaps this new skill will be on display when the season rolls around on Oct. 20 with a massive clash against the San Antonio Spurs.
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