A new generation of NBA porcelain kings was born, and this year the NBA revised the rules, and many stars did not want fouls. Harden has been affected by the rules, the offensive efficiency has dropped significantly, and the Thunder player Alexander is in very good shape this season. This season, he has averaged 24 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists per game, and Alexander averaged 30 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists in February. He has averaged a career-high 7.3 free throws per game this season, with Alexander scoring 40 in his last four games. Considering that he is a defender, the frequency of such free throws is already very impressive. For comparison, Hawks guard Trae Young, known for making fouls, has averaged fewer free throws per game than Alexander this season, at 7.1.
Why has Alexander increased the number of free throws per game so much? In the words of his teammate Beziley: Alexander learned from Louis Williams. Louis Williams is a very good guard player and probably the strongest 6th man the NBA has ever had. Williams is not tall, a little thin in size, but has a very strong ability to score, scoring no less than 20 points in many seasons of her career. In fact, relying on his accurate ability to create kills, Williams is very good at creating fouls, knowing how to rationally use physical confrontation and small actions to deceive opponents in attack. It has to be said that Alexander also has some williams shadow on him.
Alexander's ability to make fouls is not only related to Williams, but of course to himself. After all, Alexander is not a diminutive defender, Alexander is 1.98 meters tall, and there is no problem in playing three positions on the outside line. Alexander is actually very tough, after all, he played the playoffs in the first season of his career. Facing the Warriors that year, Alexander, a rookie, was able to score nearly 14 points in the playoffs.
There is a big premise for making fouls, this player must be tough and not afraid to fight. If you create a foul just for the sake of making a foul, you will not be able to kill. The two stars who have made more free throws in the NBA this season, such as Embiid and Alphabet Brother, play the court and are not afraid of confrontation. Opponents often can't stop them before they lose fouls. Alexander actually did the same.
Of course, Alexander's offensive skills have become more now, and it is actually very difficult to defend him. Alexander, for example, has averaged more than 11 points per game this season and has ranked in the top 15 of the league. Alexander's finishing tactics in close proximity were many, such as his good throw. Alexander's breakthrough has a characteristic - the rhythm is clear, he may quickly break through the opponent and then immediately slow down, the opponent will be rear-ended if he is not careful. Thanks to the growing shooting skills, opponents did not dare to let Alexander go easily. Alexander is an offensive kaleidoscope, otherwise he wouldn't have averaged 24 points per game. Don't forget that the Thunder have such an offensive point as him, and the opponent's defensive pressure on him is very large.
Is Alexander going to be the NBA's next generation of porcelain kings? Probably not, because Alexander is not a player who particularly likes to make fouls, in fact, his play is more inclined to technology and finishing. Alexander is likely to be a good scorer in the future, and if the Thunder improve his ball right a little, I am afraid that 25 points will be commonplace in the future. Dear readers, how do you evaluate Alexander's performance this season?