Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault believes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s absence during the last four games is a major factor in their recent defensive drop-off (0-4 record/giving up 123.5 PPG).
(via Oklahoma City Thunder):
“Whatever five guys are on the court, we’re capable of being a better defense than we’ve shown in the last couple games. But I do think it’s a testament to Shai’s progress on that end of the floor that it’s noticeable. He brings length, he’s a really good shot contester, he competes, he knows the schemes really well, and he’s out there for a lot of minutes. So I do think that’s one takeaway from this stretch, not necessarily how the team’s playing, but just reflecting on the impact he’s had on the defensive end of the floor independent of the monster offensive year he’s had just speaks to his impact as a player.”
