Since the inception of the league, tall point guards have been one of the topics of discussion. Although it is not scarce, it is also a relatively rare tactical resource. Most teams like to find one or two such players to hold in the absence of suitable candidates. If two players have the same ability, the tall point guard is generally the team's first choice! The reason is simple, the tall man has obvious advantages in alignment, and the field of vision is better. Coupled with good passing ability, as long as the agility and speed are passable, the team can have an organizational advantage. Many management can still see this clearly.
In the younger generation, there are also many good seedlings that are tall point guards. For example, the three goals that have been touted by everyone during this time are the most typical examples. If you don't consider the shooting ability, Simmons can also be a good tall point guard. At least his misalignment advantage should be the strongest of all the tall point guards. However, there is another high point guard in the league, limited by the team's record, which has led to being forgotten by many people, and his ability is actually not bad, but in the existing system, his ability cannot be fully exerted. He was one of the most important chips in the Clippers Thunder deal, and now the Thunder's successor, Alexander.
To be honest, after Paul left the Thunder, everyone's attention to the Russian city was very low. No record, no outstanding stars. Except for a group of die-hard fans, basically no one will be nostalgic for such a small team. There is no traffic in The Little Ball City, which is a normal thing. It is only because of this factor that there is a clear misjudgment of Alexander's abilities. At least now, everyone's understanding of him is lower than his real level.
Alexander showed great talent in his rookie years, which is one of the reasons why the Thunder needed him by name. Without Alexander, George would not have been able to successfully deliver to the Clippers. At that time, the Clippers' management tried to persuade the Thunder, but unfortunately, the eye of the detonator could not be shaken. In the end, there was no way, for the sake of the current combat effectiveness, the Clippers could only send Alexander to the Thunder.
Many friends may not know that in the first year of rookie, Alexander appeared as the most important core identity of the team. Although the Clippers' defensive line was more complicated at the time, Alexander could still get a place. Many people were curious before, saying that the Clippers at that time still had some veteran point guards, why should the newcomer Alexander be the starting point guard? The reason is that the Clippers' other guards, the quality of the point guard is not pure enough.
For example, Lou Wei, anyone who has seen Lou Wei play know that this is a sixth man, a scorer. He can't be used exactly as a point guard. And Lou Wei's threat is only limited to the offensive end, and his organizational performance is not enough to drive an entire team. Alexander, on the other hand, showed a strong sense of point guard smell in a very short period of time after entering the league. At least most of the time, everything on the team is organized. This can be confirmed by the fact that this is a qualified point guard with great training value. The Clippers' management isn't stupid, and they know what players are good to use and what players aren't. Letting Lou Wei play as a point guard does not essentially further induce the original chemistry.
In the rookie regular season, Alexander averaged 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, which can only be regarded as decent. In the playoffs, Alexander played six starts, averaging 13.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. From the data, it can be seen that in the high-pressure environment of the playoffs, Alexander has actually evolved. It's only a little bit, but it's good for a rookie. After all, everyone's expectations for Alexander at the beginning were not as high as those of doncic in the same session.
Alexander is one of those players with solid basic skills. So after entering the team, you don't need to learn a lot about adapting to the strength of the league, just correct some things that you haven't paid attention to before according to your existing habits. In other words, it's a player who can be used when he comes. Save trouble and effort, and don't have to worry about the team.
What is even more rare is that Alexander is very smart on the pitch, and he is a player who can use his brain to play. Alexander knew what his strengths were and how to use his height advantage combined with skill to end his opponents. That's why we like Alexander. As we said earlier, tall point guards are not particularly scarce, but being smart and knowing how to use their advantages is a scarce strategic resource. Alexander knew that his shot point was relatively high, and under this height advantage, it was difficult for opponents to directly interfere during the march. Therefore, Alexander often makes a sharp stop jump shot after the breakthrough, or undertakes a jump shot after the turn. The soft feel and good offensive skills made Alexander very difficult to defend after taking out this method. There is no way, the defender who can keep up with his footsteps often can't complete the cover directly on the front.
As a point guard, Alexander has his own unique understanding of the way he handles the ball. He knows how to use his strengths and has a clear understanding of his opponent's route of travel. Alexander does not blindly shoot, as long as he does not have a better chance, he will prioritize the position of his teammates. This season, Alexander averaged 5.9 assists per game, but only 2.8 turnovers, on par with Fox, and even lower than Sams and three goals.
Alexander's game is very smooth and watching him play, you will feel that this game is a perfect example. So if you take apart an offensive round, you may think that this is what a defender should do. But put it in the game, that's a fluid component. Perhaps this is also derived from Alexander's unique charm.
Judging from the current situation, the market for big point guards is larger, and there are already many player models in the league to give suitable cases, and excellent big point guards will inevitably be an important resource for various teams to compete for. So for the foreseeable future, this type of player could be one of the trends. In the small-ball era, the point guard is an indispensable role. At the same time, the big point guard who can guarantee the speed advantage will most likely continue to affect the progress of the league in later games. If this trend is driven, the future of the game will become more exciting. And what zen masters call positionless basketball, there is a high probability that it will be realized in this atmosphere.