LA Clippers rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a rough shooting night against the Phoenix Suns, but helped the offense with a career-best 9 assists.
It certainly wasn’t the rookie’s best night, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s passing prowess was on full display Friday night in the LA Clippers’ 121-111 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
The 20-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander scored just three points, but dished out a career-high nine assists against Phoenix, and he did so in just over 18 minutes of play. It was the eighth time this season that he’d recorded five or more assists, and the fewest amount of time it’s taken him to do so.
The rookie also added three rebounds and two steals, but didn’t get a lot of time on the court after he fell into foul trouble early in the first quarter. He stayed clean for the rest of the night, but for the most part, the Clippers didn’t exactly need his services. LA led by as many as 30 points, and despite an ugly third quarter, the Clippers easily kept out of Phoenix’s reach.
Gilgeous-Alexander has seen a drop in minutes lately, playing an average of 19.2 minutes over the last four games. A large part of that has been because of foul trouble, as he’s picked up at least three fouls in three of the four contests. He also hasn’t seemed as confident in his shot lately, taking just nine shots from deep since December 17.
He plays his best when he’s aggressive, though, and that’s something that he’s surely being coached on. In the 10 games he’s attempted at least 10 field goals in, Gilgeous-Alexander is shooting 53.3 percent from the floor — a mark that would place him just outside of the NBA’s top 20 in field goal percentage.
By coupling his ability to find the open man with aggressive shot-taking, Gilgeous-Alexander could climb even higher on the rookie ladder.
Plenty of Gilgeous-Alexander’s assists on Friday night were scored by Marcin Gortat, a former Sun who had the best game of his Clippers career against his old team. The Polish Hammer, as he’s so fondly called, went for 18 points and 13 rebounds in 25 minutes of action. He also threw down three dunks, bringing his mark for the season up to six.
Whether he’s the one taking shots or not, Gilgeous-Alexander has proven time and time again to be an exceptional team player. So long as he continues to grow, the rookie will have a promising start to his career in Los Angeles.