Ten-year NBA veteran CJ McCollum had some powerful words to say about Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of Wednesday's Game 2.
“He's different and unique in his own way. Middie, free throw, paint finish, step back. I think he's 6-foot-6, I don't think so. [there’s anyone to compare him to] He is unique and unparalleled in terms of size, youth and athleticism. ”
When discussing Gilgeous-Alexander's game, McCollum thought hard about the example he would use before fading, wincing at the rarity of the Thunder star.
That's high praise from a veteran who has shared a locker room with Damian Lillard and played against every prolific scorer since his debut in 2013-14.
“It's really hard to limit a guy like this.” [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] . Just make it difficult, guard him with five guys and hope for the best,” McCollum told Inside the Thunder.
It was almost foreshadowing in the Pelicans' locker room, 55 minutes before tipoff for the Game 2 win.
While receiving credit for their mission to protect Gilgeous-Alexander, the group has largely resigned itself to the fact that their efforts are merely a speed bump for the point-scoring Cybertruck on the road. Looked.
The Oklahoma City guard has a great combination of three-level scoring ability, amazing efficiency, size for his position, endless movement, and the balance to confuse defenders with his touch through his physicality.
The Pelicans have done a better job than most teams over the past two seasons since Gilgeous-Alexander exploded in scoring to 30 points per game.
“We have big range defenders like Nanji Marshall and Herb Jones. We can throw our bodies at him and give him different looks, so we give him the same look every time. No,” Trey Murphy III told Inside the Thunder on Wednesday. The Thunder's big maker dropped 33 points in the big win.
Despite the scoring outburst, Murphy and the Pelicans aren't wrong. Jones deserves a lot of praise and was instantly noticed throughout the New Orleans locker room.
When Cody Zeller was asked about stopping Gilgeous-Alexander, all he needed was a look.
Next to the journeyman big man was a defensive ace. Zeller asked about New Orleans' success blocking the 25-year-old, and he quickly nodded.
“We have good individual defenders and that's what we really need. We need two, three or four guys who can take turns guarding him and trying to wear him down.” Zeller added.
Much like his peers in the 2013 NBA Draft class, Zeller remained mum when asked to compare Gilgeous-Alexander to another scoring threat.
However, the Indiana product ultimately landed Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic.
“[Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] Play at your own pace.He stands his ground just like Luke. [Doncic]. “He's not as good a passer as Luka, but his footwork and spin moves are really neat and his burst is better than Luka,” Zeller told Inside the Thunder.
Between Bricktown's bucket-getter and the Mavericks' prodigious scorer, there's a key element: the defensive end.
”[Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] It's a really good two-way play. He has a really good guard and his hands are great. He definitely exploded this year and had a great year,” the 31-year-old said, shaking his head as a nonverbal way to express that there are no other words to describe Gilgeous-Alexander. He shook his head and smiled as he spoke.
A player who has consecutively finished in the top five in Most Valuable Player voting will take home that honor this season, a conundrum the NBA is still trying to solve.
Now, with his status as an efficient scorer with 30 points per game and superstar performances in the postseason, Zeller, like the rest of the league, is ready to call it quits. is made of. There is no stalling for Shai.
“You're not going to stop him, you just have to slow him down.”
Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook Follow me on Twitter Check out all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
