Did OKC Thunder star Gilgeous-Alexander deserve nod over CP3 or Mitchell?
It was always going to be a long shot Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would make the team but Intentions held out hope.
The fact so many players on unseeded teams made the All-Star team this season via coaches selections is surprising.
As for the players who did make the cut in the West it’s an easy assumption Damian Lillard and Donovan Mitchell filled the two backcourt picks. Lillard was the most debated player not voted in as a starter.
Mitchell plays for the top-ranked team in the association and is the face of the franchise although there is fodder for Mike Conley to have received the nod over his younger counterpart.
Likewise, it’s understandable why the Point God got tapped as a wild card selection. His argument is pretty easy to make. Chris Paul pushed for the All-Star Game to occur and is championing the league to promote HBCUs at the event.
The work he did to help make the Orlando bubble happen is respected as is his constant work as NBPA president. More importantly, he’s doing for the Suns what he did for the OKC Thunder last season. As a result, Phoenix sits fourth in the West and has won 12 of their last 14 games.
That Zion Williamson got the nod for a wild card slot can be debated. Those who love his big dunks and are part of his popular fanbase are thrilled. The narrator would’ve picked Ingram over Zion but that’s a personal preference.
Putting aside the seeding, SGA’s importance to the Thunder is equally if not more important than Mitchell. Plus the Jazz has more talent which means Mitchell gets easier shots given players like Gobert, Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Jordan Clarkson open up the court for him.
| Rk | Player | MP | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 34.0 | 15.5 | .506 | 4.7 | .407 | 10.8 | .550 | .568 | 6.6 | .783 | 5.2 | 6.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 22.8 |
| 2 | Donovan Mitchell | 33.6 | 19.6 | .430 | 8.7 | .389 | 10.9 | .462 | .516 | 5.2 | .833 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 24.5 |
| Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full |
Provided by Stathead.com: View Stathead Tool Used
Generated 2/24/2021.
Looking at a direct comparison, Mitchell scores 1.7 points more but he takes 4.1 extra shots to that of SGA.
Moreover, SGA has more assists, rebounds, and steals. Yet it’s the efficiency that offers the best argument. I included CP3 in the mix to offer further perspective on the efficiency statistics …
| Play | Play | Play | Play | Play | Play | Play | Leag | Leag | Leag | Leag | Leag | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | FG | 2P | 3P | eFG | FT | TS | FTr | FG+ | eFG+ | TS+ | FTr+ | 3PAr+ | FG Add | TS Add |
| 1 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | .506 | .550 | .407 | .568 | .783 | .620 | .429 | 109 | 106 | 109 | 172 | 77 | 25.0 | 45.1 |
| 2 | Donovan Mitchell | .430 | .462 | .389 | .516 | .833 | .561 | .264 | 93 | 96 | 98 | 106 | 112 | -23.1 | -12.3 |
| 3 | Chris Paul | .485 | .525 | .395 | .545 | .972 | .588 | .188 | 105 | 102 | 103 | 75 | 77 | 6.7 | 14.2 |
Provided by Stathead.com: View Stathead Tool Used
Generated 2/24/2021.
Other than free throw percentage/rate and 3-point attempt rate Gilgeous-Alexander is tops in every other statistical category. The eye-opener is the last two columns of FG Add and TS Add. Those stats represent the value of added points above the league averages. The specific basketball reference glossary definition is noted below:
FG Add — Points added by FG shooting The number of extra points added by Field Goals Attempts made above league average
"TS Add — Points added by overall shooting The number of extra points added by True Shot Attempts made above league average"
That SGA performs better in these areas isn’t as surprising as the fact Mitchell registers a negative mark in both of those columns. The simple read on this is when SGA and Mitchell are on the floor Shai is the more valuable offensive player who performs well above league averages.
Next, Intentions looks at the biggest East snub who happens to be a former OKC Thunder player, and is arguably the biggest snub of all.