The 2018 draft can be said to be a very high year in recent years, comparable to the 2009 class, and many of the players selected have begun to emerge and become a new generation force that cannot be ignored. Doncic was able to let the boss Cuban visit with a sky-high contract, and new stars such as Trae Young and Porter Jr. also won hundreds of millions of fat contracts, and of course, Bridges also received early contract renewals. But there is a very low-key small forward that is often easy to overlook, that is, Alexander, who entered the league with the 11th pick in the first round, also received a five-year early contract extension of 172 million this year.
After a season with the Clippers, Alexander fell prey to the team's trade with George and entered the Thunder's rebuilding period, after all, the old Westbrook had also left the team for Houston, fortunately he was lucky enough to meet Paul unexpectedly. Although Alexander was not the top pick in that draft, he was the first to win the favor of the goddess of destiny before many people, and reached the playoffs in the 18-19 season of the first year, and it was a showdown with the peak Warriors.
He averaged 13.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1 steal per game, shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. You know, he averaged 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals in the regular season that season, shooting 47.6% from the field and 36.7% from three-point range. The scoring and three-point shooting targets are relatively improved, which shows that this is a player who can play a hard battle in the playoffs, and it is also a rare single defense tip, and its steal-steal ability can be seen.
After a season of fighting with Paul, Alexander's regular season average increased to 19 points per game, and the average number of assists per game became 5.9, which can be said to have improved his offensive ability and organizational ability. In the first round of the 19-20 series against the Rockets, he averaged 16.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1 steal per game, which is the result of seven games against opponents, and second-year Alexander has shown a sense of resilience. In addition, perhaps because of Paul's subtlety, he also has a little more maturity and stability beyond his age.
After two seasons of playoff experience, Alexander averaged 23.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game in the regular season in the 20-21 season, shooting 50.8% from the field and 41.8% from three-point range, which is already a quasi-All-Star statistic, but he has not been able to make the playoffs. In the regular season of the 21-22 season, the superstar averaged 22.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, but the shooting target has declined, probably because of the absolute core of the team, which led to the opponent's heavy guard for him.
Although his on-field performance was not as explosive as Doncic and Trae Young, he was stable and resilient enough to quietly cut a 30+ point performance. In the game against the Kings on the road, Alexander played 35 minutes, shooting 9-of-24, 1-of-5 from three-point range, 14-of-17 from the free throw line, contributing 33 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, and the team scored 1 point during the game. Although the Thunder eventually lost to the Kings 111-117, Alexander played a performance that convinced the fans, and 17 free throws in the whole game stole Harden's stunt, enough to maintain the production of points, which is where his progress and evolution are.
He may not be the brightest rising star of the 18th class, but he is also an unquestionable rising star, and his influence on the field is second only to the two superstars of the same year who debuted at the peak. While most of the fans' eyes were focused on doncic and Trae Young, the two super giants, Alexander quietly completed his self-transformation, and while his personal ability continued to be fully refined, he could improve his skills such as foul making, which made him worthy of the title of "Paul's disciple".