Remember this name - Shea Gilgers Alexander!

Shortly after the NBA free market opened, the Thunder could not wait to contact Alexander. The Thunder management was full of sincerity and presented Alexander with a five-year, $172 million contract renewal. The Thunder's move undoubtedly formally established the cornerstone of the team's team building, and the future of this young man is unlimited!

Alexander's full name is Shay Gilgers-Alexander, from Canada, and is a swingman in the front guard. He was selected by the Clippers with the 11th pick in the first round of 2018. After spending a season with the Clippers, he was traded to the Thunder and wore the No. 2 jersey with the Thunder. Alexander has grown rapidly in recent years. His progress has allowed the Thunder to see hope for the future. He is the person with the most hope to revive the Thunder. Naturally, the Thunder will not miss it.

It is worth mentioning that Alexander's contract is not just about 5 years of US$172 million, but this contract contains a 30% incentive bonus. In other words, if Alexander can be selected as MVP, DPOY, selected as the best team, and selected as the All-Star in the next few seasons, he can trigger the super rookie clause. This contract can reach up to 5 years of US$207 million, and also includes 15% of the transaction margin.

The Thunders gave Alexander a contract, which means that he really valued him, otherwise the amount of the contract would not have to be so large; secondly, the Thunders wanted to use the contract to inspire this young man, allow him to grow rapidly, and help the Thunder complete the reconstruction quickly. It is no exaggeration to say that Alexander's contract is comparable to Doncic and Trae Young. The two of them are both the rookies in the same class who have been discussed. Having said that, is Alexander's performance sufficient to compare with these two? Let’s take a look at Alexander’s data below!

Last season, Alexander played 35 games for the Thunder, and his attendance rate was not high. Is it because of injuries? No! The reason why Alexander missed so many games was not physical, but his appearance disrupted the team's plan! By the way, what are the plans for Thunder? Just show it badly! Alexander scored 30+ 10 times in 35 games he played last season, and the Thunder lost only one of these 10 games. When the detonator saw that it would not work like this, he was tossed by this kid and entered the playoffs, so he quickly reduced his number of appearances, but occasionally let him on the court to maintain his feel.

The Thunders had a record of 16 wins and 19 losses in the game with Alexander, with a winning rate not high, only 45.7%. But look at the game without him, you can clearly feel how much he has helped the Thunder! In the 37 games he missed, the Thunder won 6 wins and 31 losses, with a winning rate as low as 16.2%! Next, let’s really get to know this young man!

Last season, Alexander averaged 23.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, shooting percentage of 50.8%, three-point shooting percentage of 41.8%, free throw shooting percentage of 80.8%, and real shooting percentage of 62.3%. Judging from the data, except for the low free throw shooting percentage, Alexander's other shooting percentages are all top in the league. This is just the third season of his career, and he can play such a high-yield and efficient game, with a bright future!

If Alexander was just Chris Paul's "assistant", then he completely demonstrated his leadership last season. Alexander's growth was something no one expected, including Thunder Management. The reason why Alexander has been able to get so many opportunities to play is thanks to the Thunder's "showing a bad plan". The Thunder's performance gave young people more opportunities, and Alexander seized this rare opportunity. The Thunder's plan to play badly was not going well. Last season, I wanted to recruit Chris Paul to lead the young people, but this area brought the Thunder into the playoffs. Although he quickly traded Paul, he turned out to be another Alexander. I don’t know if the Thunder should be happy or uncomfortable, but the Magic expressed their envy.

Alexander is a player with extremely obvious characteristics. Although he has a good shooting percentage of three-pointers, he prefers to use breakthroughs to create opportunities. Last season, his breakthrough ability was reflected, with averaging 25.2 breakthroughs per game, ranking first in the league. Not only did he have a high number of breakthroughs, but his ability to finish at the basket has also improved. He shot 237 times in a 5-foot range in the basket in a single season, with a shooting percentage of up to 61.2%. Alexander's mid-range end was also very good. According to statistics, Alexander made 41 shots in 5-9 feet, with a shooting percentage of 52.6%. These two ranges of attacks are Alexander's favorite and most common attack positions, accounting for 55.8% of his total attacks.

Alexander has become one of the more threatening defenders in the league, and this does not mean that he will not make three points. Alexander is not very talented in three-pointers. He only hit 36.7% when he first entered the league, and is at the middle and lower level among the NBA defenders. But he knew the importance of overcoming his shortcomings, and after entering the league, he deliberately trained his three-pointers. The three-point shooting percentage finally ushered in a qualitative change last season, from the initial 36.7% to the second season 34.7, and soared to 41.8% last season. No one knows how hard he worked. It is worth mentioning that although Alexander's three-point shooting percentage is high, his confidence in shooting from the outside needs to be improved. He averaged only 4.9 three-point shots per game last season, and he will increase his number of shots outside the three-point line in the next step.

Alexander's offensive talent is obvious to all, and his organizational ability is also gradually improving. Last season, Alexander averaged nearly 6 assists per game, with an assist rate of 31.1%, ranking 21st in the league. Alexander is expected to grow into a swayman with both offense and defense and organizational skills. I think it's worth it this time that Thunder bets the right treasure, Alexander!

Alexander's starting point was not very high. He was selected as the 11th pick in the first round, so he could only barely count as a lottery pick. However, his physical talent is excellent, with a height of 1.96 meters, an arm span of 2.12 meters, and he can run and jump well. As a defender, Alexander's dynamic talent is at the leading level. If the draft rankings of that year are rearranged, Alexander will at least have the top five. There is no need to consider renewing a player like this, because even if you don’t want it, some teams are rushing to ask for it. This is the case. During this offseason, many teams have provided quotations to the Thunder, but they have been rejected one by one by the Thunder. The Thunder's attitude is very clear, and Alexander is not a seller.

For Alexander himself, it is naturally a good thing to get the maximum salary at a young age, but at the same time he also faces considerable challenges. Among the young Thunder Legion, he is only 23 years old, and it is really a veteran. It is really a big challenge to lead such a young team to achieve results. Overall, the Thunder's future is bright. They have a lot of draft picks in their hands. If Alexander continues to perform well next season, it is not impossible for the Thunder to exchange the draft picks in their hands to compete for the championship directly. The Thunder's reconstruction speed is really surprising. It took only three years to complete the handover from Westbrook to Paul to Alexander, which also makes me look forward to the future of this Thunder even more.