Already Player Of The Week for the Western conference, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gives himself the means to keep his reward since he signs a new full game tonight with 34 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks! All at 12 of 18 on shots, and we almost forgive him for his five stray bullets. The public of OKC is not mistaken there since it was entitled to “MVP, MVP”, like Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook before him.
“It’s nice, it gives the impression of being in a video game” reacts SGA about the songs of the public. “People have always been great to me, and they continue to be. They supported me from my first year. Of course, we didn’t have good results, but they were always behind me, and it’s easy to play in a team and a city like these. »
40 out of 41 on free throws!
From his performance, we will remember several things. First his last quarter where he had fun with the defense of the Magic, always looking for his favorite place to shoot. It seems simple, especially since he does it at his own pace and he scored 13 points at 100% in the last quarter.
Then there is his progress in defense, and the 6th best scorer in the NBA (31.5 pts / m) is much more active than in the past. Finally, there is his skill at free throws. Admittedly, he missed one, but this is only his first since the start of the season. He was at 30 out of 30 before the match, and he is now at 40 out of 41… It’s precious for a team when its leader goes for so many throws, and especially when he puts them.
“He has a lot of composure” points out Mark Daigneault. “That’s probably the thing that comes out of this series. I still don’t think he plays his best basketball for 48 minutes, and I think he agrees with me. But in the 4th quarter, it is clear that he is at his best. »
Second best interceptor in the NBA
For the defensive part, it is enough to see it in defense on Franz Wagner to understand that SGA has crossed a course. He is the 2nd best interceptor in the league and in the Top 20 of the best blockers! Only big names, like Draymond Green, Shawn Marion or Kawhi Leonard, have managed to be as high in both categories. ” He’s already one of the best forwards in the NBA, and he’s been asked to set the tone on defense.” continues the OKC coach. “He is doing a very good job in this area. »
For Aaron Wiggins, his teammate’s defense has an influence on the whole group. “It’s an infectious energy. When a guy shows that much passion and focus in this area, I think everyone buys in and wants to support him. »
Asked about his defensive progress, SGA responds with the same composure: “To win matches, you have to make stops”. It’s easy isn’t it?
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2018-19 | LAKE | 82 | 27 | 47.6 | 36.7 | 80.0 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 10.8 |
| 2019-20 | OKAY | 70 | 35 | 47.1 | 34.7 | 80.7 | 0.7 | 5.2 | 5.9 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 19.0 |
| 2020-21 | OKAY | 35 | 34 | 50.8 | 41.8 | 80.8 | 0.5 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 5.9 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 23.7 |
| 2021-22 | OKAY | 56 | 35 | 45.3 | 30.0 | 81.0 | 0.7 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 24.5 |
| 2022-23 | OKAY | 5 | 37 | 49.6 | 36.8 | 100.0 | 1.2 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 31.0 |
| Total | 248 | 32 | 47.4 | 34.8 | 81.2 | 0.7 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 18.5 | |
