Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on why controlling his pace is the secret behind his dominant play originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Over the years, Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has gone from a promising guard to becoming the league's best player. He is the reigning regular-season and Finals MVP, so he has a claim to being known as the league's top star.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt is an impressive run to the top because Gilgeous-Alexander does not fit the typical mold of a star. Most people would point towards the athletic guards like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as the prime examples. SGA is not that, but he does emulate the more methodical parts of their game.
Gilgeous-Alexander does not need elite athleticism to stand out
It can be challenging to be considered the league's best player. A lot of people have misconstrued SGA's play style as being a player who baits for fouls. That is not the case because Gilgeous-Alexander is a fantastic player who can break down any defense with the control of his pace.
He is not the type of player who will blitz past opponents with his speed. The Thunder star is mostly a controlled player who uses twitchy movements to throw off defenders and get better looks at the rim with either a layup, floater, or a pull-up jumpshot.
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It has worked out well for Gilgeous-Alexander because he has a championship, an MVP, and a Finals MVP to his name. In fact, he is the favorite to win all of those accolades again this season because of what he is doing for the Thunder.
"First and foremost, I have the utmost confidence in my game. I know that no matter what happens tonight, I have to put my head down and get better tomorrow... Everybody's trying to speed it up. I'm not Usain Bolt. I'm not about to outrun anybody. I gotta slow down. It's that simple. You run fast, I go slow," Gilgeous-Alexander said on NBC about his game and how people look at his style.
It is a fantastic approach to basketball because it shows that he keeps working hard to boost his chances of winning games. No one can speed him up because he wants to dictate the game at his own pace, which is the secret behind his dominance.
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