While the Thunder have almost confirmed their place in the Western Conference Finals this year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is not meeting the expectations of the people when it comes to offensive contributions in the game.
Especially in this series against the Lakers, the Thunder have somehow found a way to succeed even when their best player is not their leading scorer every night.
But Gilgeous-Alexander claims that he has no problems with scoring much less than he usually does if it means that the Thunder keep winning. He spoke to the media about it after the Thunder’s 131-108 win in Game 3 last night.
“Yeah. Obviously hasn’t been my best performance. But I think I’ve been able to help the team win, and that’s most important. As long as we win, if the rest of the playoff run or the rest of my career looks like what it looked like the past three games, I’ll be okay with it because we won games. So that’s how I view it,” said the reigning Finals MVP humbly.
The MVP frontrunner had 23 points, nine assists, four rebounds, and two blocks while shooting 7-20 from the field (35.0 FG%) and 3-7 from beyond the arc (42.9 3P%) in Game 3 of this series against the Lakers.
In the past three games. Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 assists, and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 45.8% from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc. That is significantly less offensive production than what he averaged in the entire regular season or even the first round of these playoffs.
Against the Lakers in the regular season, he averaged 27.7 points, 8.0 assists, and 4.3 rebounds (55.2 FG%, 38.5 3P%), and in the first round of these playoffs, he averaged 33.8 points, 8.0 assists, and 3.8 rebounds (55.1 FG%, 31.3 3P%). His being content with scoring 21 points per game if it means the Thunder wins shows how the Canadian guard is not chasing his personal glory but rather his team’s success as a leader.
Gilgeous-Alexander further spoke about how he prides himself in wanting to help younger players on his team excel more than looking for his own glory. He spoke about being a leader in the locker room and his mindset going into each game.
“I think it was just natural, like just being a younger player at one point in my career, understanding that side of things. Players can excel, or their confidence can be stripped and really decline. And I’ve seen both. So, it’s just like no matter what it is, I’d want to get the best out of every player I play with.”
“So, like it doesn’t and it doesn’t matter what that even looks like, I’d rather get the best out of them. And yeah, it’s as simple as that. Like, no matter who comes through this door, they um I try to help them succeed and excel in their career and in their skills and whatever it is that I can help them.”
“But, um, I think that’s something it’s just natural. Like, it’s nothing that we like talked about, or in meetings, like myself or other guys, just it is what it is,” said Gilgeous-Alexander on the atmosphere he tries to create in the locker room.
The MVP frontrunner for the season then further added on how he doesn’t want his willingness to sacrifice to be misunderstood as him no longer striving for excellence on the court.
“For me, it’s just about maximizing my potential as a basketball player. That’s what it all comes down to, personally. And like until I get there, until I start to like decline, which I will one day. I’m going to just keep trying to get better.”
“I think for me it’s just all mental, really, at this point. Like understanding the game inside the game, understanding the chess matches, understanding what the coaches, the opposing coaches are trying to, like what positions are trying to put my team in, and vice versa.”
“And then, like from there, just like trying to make sure that like every time down the floor I’m making the right basketball play. And I think, once you find the balance in all that, you really get the most out of your potential as a basketball player.”
“And there’s this thing they call flow state. So yeah, that state and that kind of feeling out there is what I’m after and trying to get to that as much as possible.”
A very humble take from Gilgeous-Alexander, a player who until last season called himself the best player in the world, is now saying he’s alright with not averaging 30 points per game if it means the younger players on his team improve, and they still win.
Clearly, he knows how to keep the team’s goals and success ahead of his own desire for the spotlight and shows growth in his approach to the game.
