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Los Angeles Clippers: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looking to prove himself

By Cannon Wonderlich

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 3: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the LA Clippers handles the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during a pre-season game on October 3, 2018 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 3: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the LA Clippers handles the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during a pre-season game on October 3, 2018 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 03: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers blocks a layup by Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half at Staples Center on October 3, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 03: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers blocks a layup by Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half at Staples Center on October 3, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

Projected Role

Offense

Right after he was drafted, the main harp on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was his shooting. In college, he shot 40% from three, which is great, but it was on only 1.5 attempts per game, meaning that if he were to take more three’s, that percentage would likely drop. My number one hope for him is that he becomes somewhat of a perimeter threat. The NBA is more three-point centric now than ever and SGA is going to have to be able to make his shots to stay afloat in this league.

I would imagine that he would rack up quite a few of his points in the paint, as his long arms make it so he can wrap around defenders to score. This became evident in the Clippers most recent preseason game where Gilgeous-Alexander proved he could score against the long arms of Javale McGee.

As the season goes on and he grows as a player, I’d like to see him scoring from everywhere. In a preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, SGA shot 2-3 from three point range, which left many fans hopeful that it carries on into the regular season.

Defense

Aside from Patrick Beverley, SGA should be the best defensive point guard on the team. His biggest knock will be his size, weighing in at only 180 pounds. This might lead to him getting over powered in the off chance that he defends forwards or even centers. Gilgeous-Alexander’s defensive potential will make the Avery Bradley–Patrick Beverley backcourt even deeper, meaning that opposing backcourts won’t get much breathing room. Couple that with the defensive presence of Sindarius Thornwell off the bench and teams may have a lot of issues.

It is hard to tell how he will preform in the NBA. We can predict his play based off of his college performances, but there’s no way to be certain. His ceiling is high and NBA GM’s picked him as the steal of the draft. Will he live up to that hype in his rookie season?

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