The NBA is back and Oklahoma City has had a strong start to the 2026-27 campaign, knocking off Denver and San Antonio to open the season.

Despite a few offseason changes, the Thunder appear to be in rhythm already, even after a poor shooting performance against Denver. Alongside the return of Jalen Williams, star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's performance has unsurprisingly been a key factor in OKC's first two wins.

The superstar struggled against Denver, but hit a few crucial shots down the stretch to help seal the game for Oklahoma City. Against San Antonio, the back-to-back MVP led all scorers with 32 points as the Thunder defeated the regining Western Conference champions.

Gilgeous-Alexander received plenty of praise for his performance against Victor Wembanyama and company and was also lauded by Charlotte's Kon Knueppel in the days following OKC's victory.

While the 2026 Rookie of the Year didn't specifically highlight Gilgeous-Alexander's performance against the Spurs, Knueppel noted that his first experience against the Thunder star stuck with him.

"We played Oklahoma City in the preseason," Knueppel said. "All of a sudden I was guarding SGA in transition, I was just like, 'Man I got no chance.' I don't know, it was a preseason game, and I was just like, 'Oh my goodness.' ... The difficultly of the shots he shots that he makes look easy, is probably the thing that's most impressive about (Gilgeous-Alexander), but just like, his pace too, with the ball. He doesn't go that fast, but he's so hard to guard."

In addition to his praise for Gilgeous-Alexander, Knueppel also highlighted standout defender Cason Wallace's talents.

"He’s one of the best defenders in the league, but I think he’s very good offensively too," Knueppel said. "I think he’s one of the tougher players to play against."

Wallace earned Second Team All-Defense honors in 2026 and signed a five-year, $139-million contract one day before the 2026-27 season tipped off. Two games into the new campaign, Wallace is averaging 7.5 points, two rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.5 steals per contest while shooting 37.5% from the field and 30% from 3-point range.

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 24.5 points, four rebounds, 3.5 assists, two blocks and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 41.3% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc to start the season.

Knueppel hasn't played yet this season, but managed to log 23 points, five rebounds and five assists in a 27-point win against Oklahoma City as a rookie in 2025-26.