Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 3-Point Resurgence Coming at the Perfect Time
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hasn't been an elite 3-point shooter over the last few seasons, but he hasn't needed to be. The Thunder's superstar point guard has cruised to 30-point averages without a reliable outside jumper and has figured out a way to score in bunches.
It feels like a knockdown 3-point shot is the last thing needed to complete his game, and shades of that are starting to flash through. Gilgeous-Alexander has been a sniper from deep, and his averages are creeping up to his early days in Oklahoma City.
In his second year with the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander shot 41.8% from long range. After the 2020 season though, his shooting percentages dipped as his rise to stardom continued. 2021 was the low-point, as he shot just 30% from the outside.
Slowly but surely though, it has been back on the rise. Last season there was slight improvement at 34.5%, and after a slow start, it's spiking up again.
Over the last 15 games, Gilgeous-Alexander is shooting 53.5% from 3-point range on 2.9 attempts per game. His step-back is falling at a high rate and he's comfortable stepping into open looks.
The percentages pop off the page even more over the last 10 games. It's admittedly a small sample size, but the efficiency is striking. He's knocking down 63% of his triples during that stretch.
On the season, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points, 6.6 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. He has been a two-way force, which has catapulted him to the top of the MVP conversation. His recent stretch of hot shooting could take him to new heights.
His ability to knock down the deep ball helps the Thunder's offense tremendously. His step-back 3-pointer with the shot clock running out has become Oklahoma City's bailout shot. And over the last half month, its been falling more times than not.
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