OKC Thunder: 3 keys to victory tonight vs Orlando
By Mark Nilon
OKC Thunder key No. 2) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needs to hit his 3’s
As many of you already know, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a straight baller.
After a sophomore season where he posted stellar averages of 19 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 47 percent shooting from the floor and 35 percent shooting from deep, the 22-year-old comes into 2020-21 as the unequivocal top-dog on this OKC Thunder squad.
To start things off, it appears SGA is living up to all the expectations this type of role brings, as he is putting up 23.5 points, eight assists, and five rebounds on 42 percent shooting from the field and already has a game-winning, buzzer-beating jumper on the season.
Perhaps the one knock that one could give him in regard to his performance thus far is his long-range game, where he has made just two 3-pointers on 13 attempts (15 percent conversion rating).
In a league predicated on the deep ball, a shooting percentage this low will hold a player like Gilgeous-Alexander back from stardom.
Worry not, though, Thunder fans, as he has a career 3-point percentage of around 35 percent, so we know he can stroke it from deep.
In order to better position themselves for a ‘W’ tonight, however, he’ll need to showcase this skillset against Orlando.