When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was traded from the Clippers to the Thunder, he was labeled as a nice young, upcoming player but not viewed as a future superstar. Nevertheless, every year since he has been with the Thunder he has improved a small aspect of his game and has become a top three player in the NBA. He went from averaging 19 points per game his first year to averaging 32.8 points this year. This year he wanted to improve his three-point shooting and he has done just that shooting 37.5%. However, that wasn’t the only thing Gilgeous-Alexander improved as his improved playmaking has gone under the radar.
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging a career-best 6.4 assists per game. Furthermore, each month since December, his assist numbers have continued to go up. In December, he averaged 5.2 assists per game he improved that to 5.8 assists in January and 6.8 assists in February, in March he averaged 7.4 assists and finished the month with a 12-assist game against the Bulls. While everyone is talking about his improved three-point shooting, his improved playmaking skills should get the same respect. Let’s dive into why Gilgeous-Alexander’s improved playmaking will benefit the Thunder in the playoffs.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Playmaking Will be Crucial in The Playoffs
Teams Will Double-Team SGA
Teams have started to double-team Gilgeous-Alexander since last year to try and get the ball out of his hands. Last year it was effective at times as he wasn’t able to use his playmaking ability to get teams out of it. In addition, his teammates weren’t able to help him out by making crucial shots. However, this year when teams have started to double-team Gilgeous-Alexander it has been less effective as the year has gone by. The major reason for it becoming less effective is he has become a better playmaker and is beating the double-teams with his passing.
Teams double-teaming Gilgeous-Alexander won’t go away in the playoffs as it might increase in the playoffs. Opposing teams want to force the other players on the Thunder roster to beat them and not Shai. However, if teams double-team him and he keeps finding the open man for an easy bucket or gets a hockey assist with the defense in rotation, then teams will start double-teaming him less and less. This will not only make life easier for Gilgeous-Alexander but also for his teammates as well.
His Playmaking Ability Will Allow More One-on-One
When teams double-team SGA it is hard for him to score as he has to give up the ball. This is exactly what teams want to happen by getting the ball out of Shai’s hands. However, even if it doesn’t show in the box score, his improved playmaking ability should force teams out of the double-team. This is very beneficial for Gilgeous-Alexander as he will be able to go one-on-one more. This is exactly what the Thunder want as Shai is one of the best iso-scorers in the NBA.
Shai can still be very effective against a double-team defense as we saw last year in the playoffs against the Mavericks. However, if SGA sees more one-on-one coverage, his playmaking will make life easier for him and he won’t have to exert tons of energy to beat the double-team every time down the court.
He Essentially Becomes Unguardable
Shai’s improved three-point shooting and playmaking as made him unguardable at times and why he is having the MVP year that he is having. He has a counter to everything a defense tries to do. If you want to double-team him he will beat you with his passing and getting his teammates open shots. Then if you want to play off of him and take away his drives to the basket he can beat you with his shooting. Finally, if you want to take away his shooting then he will get to the rim relentlessly. This also doesn’t account for all the counter moves he has when guarded one-on-one.
Shai’s improved playmaking makes him and the Thunder’s offense unguardable. Teams have tried every possible way to stop Gilgeous-Alexander this year and it has allowed him to be less aggressive at times to help his teammates get more prepared for the playoff atmosphere. This has worked as his teammates are hitting more crucial shots than they did last year and are taking some of the pressure off Shai. The Thunder have seen it all and have a counter to every defense you throw at them which is why they post the third-best offensive rating at 119.2.
The Last Word
In the playoffs, it will essentially be a chess match between Gilgeous-Alexander and opposing teams. Opposing teams will try and deploy the double teams strategically throughout the game to try and throw Gilgeous-Alexander off balance. Gilgeous-Alexander’s improved playmaking and how dangerous he is one-on-one, will help the Thunder and allow Shai and his teammates to have a rhythm offensively that will hopefully lead to a better shooting performance for the Thunder in the playoffs compared to last year. Ultimately, Gilgeous-Alexander’s playmaking ability is an under-the-radar factor that could drastically change the Thunder’s chances of winning the NBA Finals.
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