How Pacers can forestall (or a minimum of include) Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

You cannot forestall him. You can simplest hope to include him.

Those are phrases the Indiana Pacers must reside via as they get ready for the NBA Finals towards guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder. SGA, contemporary off his first MVP award, used to be an unstoppable drive all through the common season, averaging a league-best 32.7 issues. In the playoffs, he’s averaging 29.8 issues, 3rd ultimate within the league.

Trying to corral SGA for probably seven video games is hard, however it isn’t not possible. Playing tight protection towards stars is one thing the Pacers are acquainted with this postseason. Indiana has already defeated Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (30.4 PPG all through common season), New York’s Jalen Brunson (26 PPG) and Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell (24 PPG). Each used to be some of the top-16 scorers within the league this season.

But the 6 foot-6 Gilgeous-Alexander items a matchup nightmare for guards. What can Indiana do to sluggish him? In brief, combine it up and make him uncomfortable beginning with Game 1 Thursday in Oklahoma City (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

Who will shield SGA?

Andrew Nembhard drew prime reward for his protection on Brunson in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. According to Caitlin Cooper of Basketball, She Wrote, Nembhard defended Brunson for 55 match-ups, giving up simply 9.1 participant issues in step with 100 match-ups, a very good consequence.

This isn’t to mention Nembhard used to be blanketing Brunson for all the collection. Cooper additionally cited that he defended Brunson for 49 match-ups, permitting 51.0 participant issues in step with 100 match-ups, within the first 5 video games of the collection.

Aaron Nesmith will possibly draw SGA probably the most in conjunction with Nembhard, however Nesmith used to be hampered via accidents overdue within the Eastern Conference Finals, forcing Indiana to show to Nembhard.

How must Indy shield him?

How does Indiana stability competitive protection with out fouling? That will make or wreck the collection for the Pacers. The reason why Nembhard used to be so efficient in Game 6 is that he had six steals and Brunson simplest tried two loose throws — smartly under his moderate of 7.8 makes an attempt in step with sport all through the postseason.

Gilgeous-Alexander has a handy guide a rough first step and is just about unstoppable if the primary defender is left on an island to protect him. The Pacers should throw more than one defenders at him, be bodily with him off monitors and check out to drive him to surrender the ball.

Too regularly within the Western Conference Finals the Minnesota Timberwolves left a unmarried defender on SGA, permitting him to simply run his guy into monitors. The consequence: 30.8 issues in step with sport within the five-game collection on 42.9% taking pictures from the ground.

Even worse, Minnesota despatched Gilgeous-Alexander to the road just about 12 occasions in step with sport. He made 40-of-47 makes an attempt within the collection (85.1 %). Indiana can not permit that.

Does containing SGA imply the Pacers win the collection?

Not essentially. If Indiana bottles up Gilgeous-Alexander, he is nonetheless a very good passer. He averaged 8.3 assists within the Western Conference Finals and OKC has guns far and wide the ground. 

However, within the common season and playoffs, SGA has been held to fewer than 20 issues 4 occasions. OKC is 2-2 in the ones video games, together with a 1-2 document within the postseason. In all 4 video games, the important thing to restricting his manufacturing used to be maintaining him off the free-throw line. He shot simply 18 loose throws blended in the ones video games.

OKC is just too excellent to fold simply must Indiana execute its defensive sport plan to perfection towards the league MVP. However, if the Pacers’ protection within the collection is the rest just like the close-out Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals towards New York, Indianapolis could be keeping a parade in June.