The immense talent of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander eclipses that of his comrades, but next February, he could arrive at the All-Star Game with a teammate, Jalen Williams. In constant progress since his arrival in the NBA, the Thunder's all-purpose winger averages nearly 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, and what impresses his partners, but also observers, is his reading the game.
Whether it's finding open space at the finish, or looking for the best possible “spot” for a teammate, Jalen Williams excels. There is Draymond Green in his versatility, his volume of the game and in his reading of defenses. “I know how Isaiah Joe feels when we don’t serve him when he’s unmarked at 3-points” he explains. “I know what it feels like over time, and I’m aware of what it feels like to be ignored.” Words that Draymond Green could validate.
At Thunder, we carry out video sessions in small groups
To help Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, their two main creators, better assess the preferences of their teammates, the Thunder staff organizes separate video sessions for them.
For the Thunder winger, the most complicated thing was realizing that these sessions were not intended to gauge his game, but that of his partners.
“One of the biggest obstacles I overcame was being able to look at the bigger picture instead of blaming myself, trying to find ways to get around it and improve.”he explained during “media day”. “ With them (the assistants), I learned not to mince my words. I can tell them when I don't like a system, or don't think I'm good at a system, and I explain why. And then we start from that to work.”
This mutual frankness creates a relationship of trust between the players and the staff. “Mark (Daigneault) comes to our sessions, and he can say he was wrong” says Jalen Williams. “This allows everyone to feel comfortable, and not hesitate to say when they are wrong.”
Approach the game more thoughtfully
Same decline with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “For me, the video is eye-opening. You face things head on. It's written in black and white. If I had to be in this place, it's in front of me. If I had to shoot and I was too passive or too aggressive, I see it in front of me. For me, it's not even about being critical. »
By doing joint video sessions, the duo became more and more complicit, but also more thoughtful. “Shai also taught me to take videos with a little perspective”continues Jalen Williams. “It’s a video. Not everything will be perfect. There will be times when we make the same mistake because we are human. You must therefore be able to be picky, but also to spare yourself.”
As for SGA, he has become much more cerebral in his approach to the game.
“Now when I watch the match, I try to do some coaching – to see what I would do in this or that situation”he concludes. “I look and I try to say to myself: 'OK, on this possession, I'm going to be on defense and I'm going to try to direct what they need to do to make a save.' Sometimes I'm like, 'OK, I'm going to look at the offense and see what I need to do to find a good position.' I watch the match in a more cerebral way. I watch the match in a more cerebral way and try to understand the players' preferences. »
