A Look at the Oklahoma City Thunder's Player Usage
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Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has the fifth-highest usage rate in the NBA this season, trailing only Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Ja Morant and Trae Young.
A player's usage rate calculates the percentage of a team's plays that the player was involved in. An average NBA usage rate is around 20%.
Gilgeous-Alexander's only season with a usage rate below 20% was his rookie year with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Averaging over 30 points per game while functioning as OKC's primary offensive option, Gilgeous-Alexander maintains a whopping 32.7% usage rate. Given the Thunder's youth, it makes sense that the Kentucky product shoulders so much of the load.
Gilgeous-Alexander's command of the offense has yielded good returns so far for OKC this season, as the budding star is averaging 31.1 points and 6.2 assists per game.
Second-year guard Josh Giddey has Oklahoma City's second-highest usage rate at 25%, up from 22.2% last year as a rookie. Giddey's increased involvement has led to higher point totals for the Australian playmaker this season, but the 6-foot-8 ball handler still struggles with turnovers, averaging 3.5 per contest.
With both of the team's usage leaders missing significant time due to injury last season, it has taken time for the two to adjust to the other having such a large hand in OKC's offense. The Thunder are determined to figure out the proper system, however, as Giddey and Gilgeous-Alexander are viewed as two of the franchise's cornerstone players for the future.
Off the bench, fellow second-year guard Tre Mann has Oklahoma CIty's third-highest usage rate. The 18th pick in the 2021 draft is involved in 20.5% of the team's plays, down from 22% as a rookie.
The Florida alum has displayed flashes of offensive brilliance on multiple occasions dating back to his rookie season, giving Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault the confidence to trust Mann as the second unit's leader on offense.
Of players with 130 or more minutes logged this season, defensive standout Lu Dort has OKC's fourth-highest usage rate at 19.9%. Former Philadelphia 76er Isaiah Joe holds a 20.3% usage rate, but has only played 121 minutes compared to Dort's 605.
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