Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recently expressed interest in signing a long-term extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder. On January 9th, he told the media that he didn’t want to leave Oklahoma City.
“I can only speak for myself. I love Oklahoma City and I can’t see a world where I’m not in Oklahoma City,” he said. “I’m comfortable where I am. I like where I am. I love the people in the organization, love the people around me, and those are the things that matter”.
“I go to work every day with a smile on my face. Me personally, the market doesn’t matter. The money doesn’t matter to a certain extent. But as long as I enjoy what I’m doing at a very high level, I love the people that I’m around doing it.”
Shai’s comments indicate that he is on the same page regarding his future in the organization. On May 29th, 2024, Thunder general manager Sam Presti acknowledged the team is prepared to give Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a super-max extension to keep him.
I hope I’m not breaking a rule. But if Shai earns something like that, we need to be in position to provide that and not at the expense of the other players on the team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s shoot-first mindset
The mutual commitment between Thunder and Gilgeous-Alexander will make it harder for Oklahoma City to achieve its goal of winning a championship. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a player who likes to hold on to the ball, looking for a good shot attempt.
Shai has held the ball for an average of 5.7 seconds per touch since the 2020-21 season, which is the seventh highest in the league. Gilgeous-Alexander’s propensity to hold the ball has resulted in him taking 42.6% of his shots after seven or more dribbles, averaging 8.2 per game since the 2020-21 season.
Shai’s habits have led him to be third in isolation possessions since the 2020-21 season, averaging 6.2 per game. His shoot-first mindset leads him to only involve his teammates when he has nowhere to go and wants to reset the offensive possessions.
Thunder vs Rockets
For example, with 2 minutes left in the first quarter against the Rockets on December 14, 2024, he had the ball at the top of the key. Gilgeous-Alexander waited there until Isaiah Joe came over to act like he was going to set a screen. Joe’s fake screen allowed Shai to switch defenders from Tari Eason to Jalen Green.
Shai dribbled the ball to his right elbow before stopping his momentum and turning around. He passed the ball to Kenrich Williams, who stood behind the arc, to reset the offense, but Steven Adams blocked his path to the basket.
These possessions have him only averaging 45.8 passes per game, generating 15.6 points for the team. Consequently, opposing coaches will have an easier time creating a game plan to stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the playoffs.
They can send a double team every time he gets the ball, as he will look to pass the ball to the closest teammate to reset. Therefore, the Thunder’s offense will be less effective as they reset more frequently.
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