Should Shai Gilgeous-Alexander play more off-ball next to Josh Giddey?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are sitting at 13-26, fourth in the NBA reverse standings with a 12.5-percent chance at the top overall pick. Earning lottery luck, unlike the 2021 NBA Draft lottery, would go a long way to jumpstart this rebuild for Sam Presti and the Thunder organization. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey are already proving to be foundational pieces of what we all hope is the start of a championship-level core.

The OKC Thunder have three first-round picks coming their way during the 2022 NBA Draft, owning their pick (as long as the team misses the postseason), the unprotected L.A. Clippers pick, and the Pheonix Suns selection. Plus, a mountain of draft assets for Sam Presti to wheel and deal for a future disgruntled star which is always around the corner in the NBA.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is not duplicated his All-Star level season from a year ago thus far. SGA has dealt with an ankle injury all year, missed a game due to the health and safety protocols, and is experimenting with a shiny new step-back three-point shot which has caused a dip in his efficiency numbers. He is also getting used to playing alongside Josh Giddey.

Giddey, the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, is playing with another lead guard for the first time in his entire life. Granted, he is only 19 years of age, but that is still a huge adjustment for someone who has played professional basketball overseas and is now getting used to life in the NBA.

The NBL star and first-year guard has already become the youngest player in NBA history to log a triple-double, posted a double-double without registering a point, and is averaging 11 points, seven rebounds, and six assists per game while starting in all 34-games he has been active for.

Should Shai Gilgeous-Alexander play off-ball next to Josh Giddey moving forward?

As the Oklahoma City Thunder fanbase goes crazy over their latest addition to the core, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still playing well. It was not long ago SGA posted a triple-double, won Western Conference Player of the Week, and was a nominee for Western Conference Player of the Month in December. Though, as we see Josh Giddey get the ball in his hands more as a creator throughout this season, it is allowing our minds to wonder what could best maximize this team moving forward?

This is a delicate balance for the organization to walk as you always want to please your star, max contract players, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has made it known he views himself as a point guard and wants to be the best point guard of all time. You can not accomplish that by not playing point guard. However, throughout his NBA career, especially Gilgeous-Alexander’s first year in Bricktown, we have seen the Kentucky product dominate as a secondary playmaker. SGA is versatile and can plug and play in either spot at an All-Star level.

Well, both players are really good creators, both players view themselves as point guards, and both players have an argument to be the point guard. That is why you have seen OKC Thunder bench boss Mark Daigneault preach position-less basketball, and multiple creators since before Giddey was even drafted.

The bottom line is, for as long as Giddey and Gilgeous-Alexander are together the organization will walk a tight rope of getting both lead ball-handler minutes. That best suits each player, and best suits the organization as a whole.  The question is what does that look like?

Well, it looks the same as it has through the first 34-games of Giddey’s career for the foreseeable future. I do not believe much will change throughout this season stylistically. What truly matters is what happens when this team wants to win games and compete for titles? Do they stagger the guard minutes? Who closes tight games off-ball? Does this evolve into an awkward pairing of your turn my turn? We will not truly know the answer to any of these questions until the rubber meets the road and OKC is forced to try to win games.

The encouraging part of this pairing is that everyone from Sam Presti, Mark Daigneault, Josh Giddey, to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has made it clear they all want this duo to work at a very high level. The pair of players have shown incredible work ethic throughout their short career so far, so the easy answer is it will all work out, at least there is no reason to believe it will not right now.

As for predicting the future, I think in the long run we will see the best lineups, the best outcomes happen when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is being set up by Giddey and SGA operates as a secondary creator while also getting staggered minutes on his own as the lead guard. With Josh Giddey’s inbounding and set up ability, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s bucket getting ability, it might make the final shot decision some of the easiest in the NBA.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander catch and shoot three-pointers go in at a 42.9-percent clip, though he only gets 0.8 of such looks per game. When SGA shoots with just one dribble taken, that number is 29.4-percent from distance his second-best percentage behind a catch-and-shoot look. His percentage from deep when he holds the ball for less than two seconds is 38.9-percent. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is shooting 33-percent from three when Josh Giddey passes him the basketball, 37-percent from the floor on Giddey passes.

When you compare that to Giddey, his catch-and-shoot percentage from deep is 25-percent. His three-point percentage climbs the longer he has the basketball. Giddey is shooting just 18-percent from three-point land on passes from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Both players are capable playmakers that everyone would want to lead their team for a long, long time. You can not go wrong with either option and if I had to bet right now, this will be a duo that truly pans out. Mark Daigneault points out how they need to work together more, stating multiple times Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needs to be “part of the party” more often when Giddey has the basketball in his hands. That is something to watch for the rest of the way.

Who do you think should be the point guard of the future, or do you believe in the OKC Thunder’s vision that both can be labeled point guards for years to come?