Insulation, if it is widely used in the NBA, has a bad press among purists, fans of slick team play or even among Euroleague fans, to the great regret of Evan Fournier, critic of this “war of two bullets” between the two worlds. For Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder, it is second nature.
Indeed, with 15.5 possessions of this type on average this season, no team uses this weapon as much as Oklahoma City. A trend confirmed since, last season, the Thunder were fourth, behind the Clippers, the Mavericks and the Celtics.
Isolation as a way to create gaps and have good shots
And if we go into detail, it is obviously Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who benefits the most, with an average of 6.9 points scored in isolation. Only Jayson Tatum (7.8) has done better in the NBA since the start of the 2024/25 financial year. The Canadian star's dribbles, feints and finishes at mid-distance or near the circle work wonders and he, like his team, would be wrong to deprive themselves.
“I think the best shots are the ones that are in the racket”, ensures “SGA”, the outside player who scores the most at this point of the pitch. “The highest shooting percentage is in the paint and the best 3-point percentage is after penetrations, when we bring the ball out. We have several players who understand it and that's a bit like how our team is built. It is a part of our identity. We penetrate and we go in the paint like no other team. And it gives us ways to have open shots, to make the right choice. »
Penetrations are also a strong mark in Oklahoma City. Under the orders of Mark Daigneault, year after year, the franchise is constantly at the top of the ranking of teams that penetrate the most.
“The idea is efficiency. We want an effective attack,” analyzes the Thunder coach. “We can do it in different ways. Usually, we rely on the strengths of our workforce. Then, diversity is a good thing. You can play fast, but even if you do it very well, you end up being embarrassed. Attack, basically, is about creating advantages. You have to have the advantage to be effective. »
A certain dependence on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Any observer of the Thunder notices that the ball circulates but less than with other teams. The number of passes per match is one of the lowest in the league this season, but nevertheless, one-on-one is not widespread and collective play exists. With isolation, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates can overwhelm their defenders and thus create gaps that lead to movement. If done well, then in a few passes, a good shot can be found.
The proof: the Thunder are 16th in assists while being last in assists, with the fewest lost balls as well. “Everyone wants to see a magnificent movement of the ball but, sometimes, more often than not, a beautiful movement of the ball only happens after you have taken the advantage”summarizes Mark Daigneault.
Efficiency therefore takes precedence in Oklahoma City and this means giving the ball to the Canadian. So much so that, when he is on the floor, the Thunder scores 119.6 points over 100 possessions. As soon as he is on the bench, this efficiency drops to 99.7 points. In the first case, OKC would be the third offense in the league when, in the second, it would be the last…
An observation which confirms that Mark Daigneault is right to rely on the qualities of his best player, an NBA reference in isolation. “We are aware that this is our strength as well as the most effective way to score points”confirms Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
