Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is positioned to win Rookie of the Year
By Justin Rowan
3. He fills an immediate need for the Clippers
As it currently stands, the L.A. Clippers are a team without a primary playmaker. Out of the returning players, Lou Williams averaged the most assists at 5.3 per game. As a team, L.A. still was middle to the pack when it came to assists, finishing 15th overall in team assists off the strength of its secondary playmakers.
Williams, Patrick Beverley, Milos Teodosic and even Tobias Harris have all shown a willingness to keep the ball moving within a team offense. But last season, none of them stepped up as a consistent primary playmaker.
The closest thing L.A. had was Williams, who averaged over four assists per game for the first time since the 2009-10 season. However, in a perfect world you’d like to see him play more as a play finisher, rather than creating for everybody else.
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That’s where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comes in. He has the ability to step into the lead ball-handler role that was left vacant after the trade of Chris Paul. With him absorbing a significant portion of the team’s usage, it can help the rest of the team play within their ideal roles.
Gilgeous-Alexander likes to push the pace offensively, which meshes well with the style of play the Clippers are going for. He has very good court vision and basketball IQ, which will help him find teammates in transition. His delayed release could present some problems when the game slows down, but that’s where the Clippers roster can really help shield his weaknesses.
As previously mentioned, the team is loaded with players that can provide supplemental playmaking. If defenses key in on him, his teammates can help initiate plays as long as he doesn’t hold onto the ball for too long.
In addition to that, Gilgeous-Alexander has tools to work with in the pick-and-roll. While Marcin Gortat isn’t as good overall as DeAndre Jordan, he is still a quality screen-setter and pick-and-roll finisher. At Kentucky, SGA used 38.9 percent of his possessions in the pick-and-roll. He is able to use his change-of-pace and length to get to the rim and finish at a rate of 57.4 percent. The ability to probe the defense and create opportunities for himself or his teammates will help the Clippers generate a more reliable offense next season.
While he won’t generate assists at the same rate as a Chris Paul or John Wall-type point guard, he has the tools to be a reliable primary playmaker. This will allow the Clippers to establish a more stable pecking order offensively, and help their other combo guards create after the ball swings rather than being forced to create against a set defense.