The 2021 Oklahoma City Thunder had one of the worst offenses and one of the worst records in the past few years. This chaotic team had managed to win as many games as roster members they had, with 22 of them. To add insult to injury, they finished last offensively and seventh worst defensively. The team’s near-bottom standing in every possible metric may suggest that the 2021 Oklahoma City Thunder were one of the worst assembled teams in basketball history; but what if I told you hidden under all this turmoil and havoc, rests a future superstar. Unlike the team he plays for, his statistics, percentiles and impact metrics shoot to the top of the league. Although his 2021 season's sample size is very small, his smooth and steady game style makes it hard to believe that his stats were a fluke. This young star is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 6’6 combo-guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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Overall Statistics and Rankings
(Featuring Kevin Durant, Larry Bird, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving and more)
Shai Gilgeous Alexander’s overall statistics during the 2020 NBA Season were all-star caliber. His great efficiency and underrated playmaking ability are quietly on superstar levels.
To begin with, his scoring numbers were nothing short of spectacular, averaging 23.7 PPG. SGA’s elite scoring ability ranked him at the 6th most PPG for all shooting guards and 19th overall in the league. What makes these already great rankings more impressive was the efficiency Shai scored with. In the 35 games he played last season, Shai put up these superb scoring averages on nearly 51-42-81 splits. To put that in perspective, only 4 other players have done this feat in NBA history, being Larry Bird in 1984, Kevin Durant in 2017 and 2020, Kiki VanDeWeghe in 1986, and Chris Mullin in 1992. This historic achievement is even more impressive due to the fact that SGA did this in only his 3rd season in the NBA.
Shai is also an elite three-level scorer, as his scoring ability from the paint, the midrange and three point line is nothing short of spectacular.
He attempts most of his shots in the paint area, taking one-third of his shot attempts here. Despite leading the NBA in drives per game, his efficiency is still elite, as he converts 64.3% of all his shots inside. Shai finishes at a higher rate than many elite finishers like Damian Lillard (63.1 FG%), Kyrie Irving (62.3 FG%), Russell Westbrook (64.2 FG%), and Donovan Mitchell (60.8 FG%).
SGA converts his three point shot at a high level too. After shots in the paint, three pointers are Shai’s second most common shot, shooting 30% of his field-goals from beyond the arc. Shai attempted 4.9 threes per game, cashing in 2.0 of them, giving him a superb 41.8 3P%. This 3P% ranks him 13th in the league**, and 6th among all shooting guards. This 3P% shows that SGA is very capable of hitting these deep threes.
Other Notable Percentages:
64% from 0-3 feet.
53% from 3-10 feet
42% from 24+ feet
46% from corner threes
Keep in mind, this is all with terrible spacing. (His team shot 33.9% from 3)
All put together, this elite scoring average of 23.7 PPG on such efficient percentages from all spots of the court show that SGA’s scoring ability is already so well-rounded and has no weaknesses in just his third season in the NBA.
SGA’s Scoring and Efficiency Ranks In the Current NBA:
- 23.7 PPG (6th SG) (19th NBA)
-50.8 FG% (1st SG) (20th NBA*)
-41.8 3P% (6th SG) (13th NBA**)
-62.3 TS% (+5.1 rTS%) (3rd SG) (19th NBA*)
*(Must have played 30+ games while averaging 13+ PPG)
**(Must have played 30+ games while averaging 2+ 3PM/G)
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Off-The-Charts Impact and Playmaking
As previously stated, SGA’s 2020-2021 NBA season was quietly one of the most efficient high-scoring seasons in NBA history. Not only did Shai put up these stats on excellent efficiency, but he also did it in one of the worst offenses of all time. Throughout the 32 games Shai played in, he had little to no help; this forced him to carry most of the offensive load by himself.
Shai’s impact on the Thunder when he plays is nothing short of spectacular. He had a +3.32 net rating when he was on the court. To put this into perspective, superstar guard Luka Doncic has a +3.12 net on/off rating. Also, when Shai is on the court, his team’s offensive rating shoots up to a 108.55, which is the 25th best in the league. This may seem awful, but when SGA is not on the court, the Thunder’s offensive rating drops all the way down to a 101.66 which is the second worst offensive rating by any team in the past five years.
Not only does SGA carry his team offensively by scoring, but he also helps his team with his underrated playmaking ability. Despite Shai’s hardest efforts to carry his team, his supporting cast, and offensive “help” would regularly come in last among all NBA teams for multiple offensive metrics.
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Oklahoma City Thunder’s rankings among NBA teams:
-ORTG: (Worst)
-AST% (T-3 Worst)
-AST/TO (Worst)
-AST Ratio (2nd Worst)
-TS% (2nd Worst)
-FG% (Worst)
-3P% (2nd Worst)
Despite having the worst supporting cast in the NBA, Shai still ranked top five among all shooting guards for assists per game, potential assists per game, and box creation.
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SGA’s Playmaking Ability Ranks in the NBA:
- 5.9 APG: (2nd SG) (28th NBA)
- 13.3 Pot. APG: (1st SG) (14th NBA)
- 10.7 Box Creation (4th SG) (18th NBA)
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Even though Shai played on the worst offensive team in the NBA, he still led the Thunder to a 16-19 record when he played. This 45% win percentage would translate to a 38-44 record in a regular NBA season. To put this into perspective, in the games he played, Shai Gilgeous Alexander led the OKC Thunder to the same win percentage as the San Antonio Spurs, who competed in the play-in game. I think it is safe to say that only a few players would take a team, whose second option is an aging Al Horford, to a play-in spot.
Although the Oklahoma City Thunder had one of its worst seasons of all time, it showed us that Shai Gilgeous Alexander is a certified NBA Star and is a large part of the future of the league.
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