Clippers: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander exudes confidence in Summer League
The Los Angeles Clippers’ 11th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has set himself apart from other rookies in Summer League.
The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Washington Wizards in the first game of the 2018 NBA Summer League playoffs, 89-74. The blowout was fueled by a strong all-around performance from point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
He finished with 17 points, six assists and three steals en route to finishing a game-high +23. Through four games, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 19.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists on 45.8 percent shooting from the field
He continues to improve in terms of his production and efficiency. Ignoring his worst performance, his Summer League debut against the Golden State Warriors on July 6, this is made clear. In the three games since, he has averaged 21.0 points per game on a 52.8 field goal percentage.
One reason for his improving play is clear-cut confidence. He’s taken 18.0 field goal attempts per game and is clearly comfortable with the ball in hands.
There are many strengths to his skill-set, including his polished offensive game. He has great footwork, adjusting for easy layups and short jumpers. It’s because of this that most of his shots are at a high percentage.
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His court vision is also NBA-ready, making smart passes to find the open man in transition. He is seemingly always calm and has his head up, not forcing the issue but instead looking to make the right play.
On the other side of the ball, he uses his 6’11” wingspan and physicality to force mistakes as a defender. He’s skilled at using his length to produce averages of 2.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.
All of this and more are clear reasons why Blake Murphy of Uproxx has him touted as the best point guard at Summer League:
"“His feel for running an offense is obvious, and against Houston he struck the right mix of initiating for himself and finishing around the rim and using that penetration to spray out to teammates. In just a few short days, Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to navigate in the pick-and-roll and decision-making attacking in isolation have taken steps forward — he can get to the rim at will when he identifies a seam early, has elite body control on the move and in the air, and is very creative on the move — and as the game slows down further, the Clippers believe his feel for how and when to take over will let him be a general for their offense.”"
The 20-year-old still has some areas to improve. For one, his 27.2 3-point percentage needs to improve. Every elite guard has had a reliable perimeter shot to complement his game, especially for those that aren’t freakishly athletic.
Although Summer League isn’t a complete indicator of what to expect at the NBA level, it’s nice to see Gilgeous-Alexander make plays on both sides of the ball. He still has many growing pains ahead of him, but his play gives the Clippers fanbase hope at the point guard spot.
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The Clippers’ next game is against the first-seeded Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. This is just another opportunity for him to perform at a high level.