Los Angeles Clippers: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has solidified spot in the starting lineup
By Aymin Bakr
Success as a starter
It should be noted that individually, Gilgeous-Alexander has performed well in whatever lineup he’s been put into. He’s played 21 total games and started 12, but has been able to impact the game across the board, regardless of where he was placed.
Whether he runs with a small-ball lineup as an off-guard or takes precedence at the 1 in terms of playmaking, he’s consistently impacting both ends of the floor, attacking the rim for crafty finishes, stripping the ball from defenders on drives and dishing to teammates for open looks.
As a starter, however, not only does his individual play become more impressive numbers-wise, but the team benefits greatly. Of the 12 games that Gilgeous-Alexander has been a starter, the Clippers have managed to come out on top in 10 of them.
Furthermore, in the nine games that SGA has come off the bench, the Clippers won just five. This is a fairly drastic difference considering how well the team is playing right now. Gilgeous-Alexander is meant to be the team’s point guard for the long-term and he’s proven that.
It’s easier to digest the 10 wins they managed with the 6’6″ guard as a starter when looking at his equally impressive stat line over that span. As a starter, he’s averaged 12.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 29.8 minutes per contest while shooting an eye-catching 47.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from behind the 3-point line.
This is by no means an All-Star level stat-line, but his maturity and effectiveness in all facets of the game have been of particular importance thus far, especially considering the fact that he recorded 16 or more points in exactly half of his 12 games as a starter.
In the clip above, the 20-year-old is seen doing virtually everything on the floor from attacking the rim for graceful finishes to affecting the opposition’s shot attempts to setting up teammates for wide open buckets. On a team with a multitude of offensive weapons like Tobias Harris, Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari, SGA won’t average an elite stat line any time soon.
However, his impact can clearly be seen on both ends of the floor, especially considering how drastically the win column is affected when he’s starting.