Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the NBA in steals (135), steals per game (2.1) and is tied for second in steal percentage (2.9). This has helped the Thunder be one of the best defensive teams in the NBA as well as getting out and running in transition to the tune of 1.146 points per possession in transition.
This is part of an overall defensive leap from Gilgeous-Alexander that has drawn some first-team All-NBA buzz for the Thunder superstar. At practice on Wednesday, OKC bench boss Mark Daigneault gave a unique perspective on his point guards steal numbers.
"We have played 60 games, so 60 [times] 2.1 is 120-ish he probably has and that is like more than a full game of the season that have ended on zero points for the other team because we have the ball. That is a full game, there's 105 possessions in a game he has 120 steals, one full game of defense is represented with them getting zero points in a position because he stole the ball. That is the value of a steal," Daigneault said.
As everyone debates what stats mean, which should you take to heart, the Thunder head man gave a unique perspective on Gilgeous-Alexander's knack for forcing turnovers. When you take a step back and view it through that lens, it is easy to see this is more than just a flashy stat.
Other Practice Notes:
Daigneault was asked about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's case for the Most Valuable Player award.
"What [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] has done in his career to this point, what he has done for our team this season does not need to be validated by an award. It stands on its own two feet. If he wins it, great and that is down stream of our team and him. But if he doesn't win it, it does not take away from the impact he has had," the Thunder head coach said.
Daigneault was also asked about the team's uptick in shooting this season, citing it is more than just the addition of legendary shooting coach Chip Engelland to the staff. Sometimes, shooting percentages improve in the more simple ways.
"[Chip Engelland] has a lot of wisdom, he has a very simple approach to it. He works very intimately with a few players. But [Shooting percentage improvement] is a cumulative effect of a lot of things. Some of it is the individual improvement guys has made, the staff that has worked with the players has not been limited to Chip [Engelland]...Some of the shooting improvement is shots we are not taking...A guy like [Luguentz] Dort we have talked ad nauseam about. He is shooting 40 percent [on 3 pointers] as much because of his improvements as a shooter but also because the of the ones he is laying off of," Daigneault explained.
Lu Dort also spoke to the media at practice where he was asked about his efficiency uptick, where he was extremely candied saying "I used to take some wild shots," the Arizona State product has turned into a prototypical 3-and-D weapon for the Thunder.
Dort was also asked about his teammate Gilgeous-Alexander and how he has seen the superstar improve saying "His leadership. Him being vocal, getting us going before games and stuff like that has been huge. How he approach games at the same time is really big. Us as teammates we see that and can't wait to go to battle with him. It has been impressive.
As it is natural to look ahead, the OKC Thunder will still utilize these last 15 games before the postseason to "firm up their habits" and test out lineups according to Daigneault.
The Thunder have enjoyed a rare three days off stretch which was used mainly as rest days to refill the gas tank ahead of Wednesday's matchup with the Utah Jazz inside the Paycom Center.
More must-reads: