The Unstoppable Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: How the Oklahoma City Thunder Guard is Revolutionizing the NBA Game

In the second game of the NBA Finals, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder proved to be a formidable force, leading his team to a 1-1 tie with the Indiana Pacers. The 26-year-old guard has become a dominant player in the playoffs, and his performance in Game 2 was a testament to his unguardable nature. Gilgeous-Alexander's "snakeability" is a term that should be coined, as he is capable of getting to the exact spot on the floor he chooses after playing off the initial screen. He loves the midrange pull-up, a shot he goes to almost nine times per game and hits at a 48% rate. He probes the defense, gauges the defender who has switched onto him, and carefully calculates his next dribble, which determines if he steps back or goes straight up. The constant threat of the drive adds to his midrange proficiency. Defenders are well aware of his capacity of not just drawing fouls (247 made free throws this postseason) but also his ability to bend and twist himself into a pretzel just to get a shot off near the rim. During the regular season, Gilgeous-Alexander converted an impressive 74.2% of his attempts within three feet, many of which were self-created off the dribble. As defenders pick up the 32.7-point scorer, they're constantly forced to make decisions immediately as he comes off the screen. Back up, and he's splashing the jumper. Meet him early, he'll accelerate and blow by. Call for a second defender, and he'll either split the double-team or step back to generate space and find the open man. Essentially, Gilgeous-Alexander is unguardable in the sense that every decision comes with a possible negative side effect. While the Canadian is most dangerous nearer to the basket, he embraced the long ball this season to a point where it gave him a ripple effect of options. Just two years ago, he took just 2.5 attempts from long range per game. That's a mark he's close to now hitting every night, meaning defenders now have to make a calculated decision in going under the screen when that used to be second nature. The added spacing that's provided by the more dynamic 3-point volume has created a larger playground area for the lead guard, as defenders now have to meet him 25-27 feet from the basket, as opposed to 18-20 feet. While the vast majority of the conversation surrounding Gilgeous-Alexander hinges on footwork, shooting ability, and drawing fouls, there's an element that is often forgotten or perhaps conveniently ignored: his athleticism. While not always utilized at great volume, Gilgeous-Alexander will lean into his enormously fast first step and change of pace when necessary. He'll beat you with elite footwork on one possession. He might beat you with a simple shot-fake on the next, generating foul shots. And then, when you think you sorta, kinda have him figured out, he'll turn on the jets and blow right by you in a straight-line drive.