"Stat Just Happened" is our series where we pair an important stat with how it actually unfolded on the floor. Our aim? To answer key questions, uncover hidden truths and peel back the curtain on why some numbers matter more than others.
Today, Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes the spotlight.
24.3
According to NBA.com, that's how many drives per game Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging this season.
Why is that notable? It's the most in the NBA by a mile.
The player closest to Gilgeous-Alexander is Ja Morant (21.0). Luka Doncic (20.6) and Jalen Brunson (20.1) are the only others driving at least 20 times on a nightly basis. Morant, Doncic and Brunson each generate more assists off of their drives, but Gilgeous-Alexander generates by far the most scoring of the four.
| Rank | Player | Drives per game |
| 1 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 24.3 |
| 2 | Ja Morant | 21.0 |
| 3 | Luka Doncic | 20.6 |
| 4 | Jalen Brunson | 20.1 |
| 5 | Trae Young | 18.5 |
| 6 | Darius Garland | 17.3 |
| 7 | Cade Cunningham | 16.6 |
| 8 | Zion Williamson | 16.2 |
| 9 | Damian Lillard | 15.7 |
| 10 | De'Aaron Fox | 15.5 |
This isn't actually new territory for Gilgeous-Alexander, who led the NBA in drives per game in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. He even averaged slightly more drives per game in 2020-21 (25.2) than he is this season, but the 16.8 points per game he's scoring off of them is the most in his career.
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There are a few things that have helped Gilgeous-Alexander establish himself as a relentless driver. The first? Well, he's relentless, but he's also in the conversation for the shiftiest player in the league.
He might not be the most athletic or quickest player at his position — especially if you compare him to someone like Morant, who can outrun and outjump pretty much anyone — but staying in front of Gilgeous-Alexander is a nearly impossible task for even the best defenders. Beyond being a big guard who has great body control and a tight handle, he blends speeds incredibly well.
One second a defender thinks they have him covered. The next — vroom, he's gone.
Two, Gilgeous-Alexander is as crafty as it gets.
Floaters, scoop shots, wrong-footed layups, eurosteps, up and unders. You name it, Gilgeous-Alexander probably has it in his bag. He'll even string them together to pull off some truly mind-boggling things. You often have to rewatch what he did several times to truly appreciate the degree of difficulty of some of his moves.
Like, look at this:
Nope, not a travel.
And this:
That's a euro-step into a wrong-footed, left-handed scoop over Aaron Gordon, who's a pretty good defender.
And this:
I mean, yeah, he's special.
That ties nicely into the last point: Gilgeous-Alexander capitalizes on his drives at a high rate.
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His shot chart below tells you everything you need to know. He's a threat from basically everywhere on the court, but he's a good finisher at the rim and an excellent finisher from floater range, where he uses his size and length well to shoot over opponents.
The combination has turned him into one of the most dominant paint scorers in the NBA. Only six players are currently scoring more than him from the restricted area and floater range this season. That's quite impressive considering the Thunder aren't exactly loaded with snipers.
Oh, and just because he doesn't create quite as much offense off of his drives as Morant, Doncic and Brunson doesn't mean that Gilgeous-Alexander doesn't, you know, create offense for others. He averages 8.4 passes per game off of his drives, which is the highest mark in the NBA. Nearly two of those passes turn into assists, which is one of the highest rates in the NBA. Sell out on him, and he will make you pay.
The Thunder are already proving to be a feisty team, and yet they are far from fully formed. The No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Chet Holmgren won't take the court until next season due to an injury, and Oklahoma City is going to have plenty of opportunities to add more young talent — or pursue the next disgruntled star who becomes available — with all of its draft picks in the coming years.
No matter what they look like next season and beyond, one thing seems certain: Gilgeous-Alexander will be at the center of all the Thunder's success, one herky-jerky foray to the basket at a time.
The proof is in that one key number...
