[Katz] SGA has taken the fourth-most stepback 3-pointers in the NBA this season, and he’s shooting 52% on them. For reference, the three players who have taken more (Dončić, Harden, and Maxey) have made 34, 36, and 30% of their stepbacks, respectively.
This is from Fred Katz’s latest article for The Athletic, where he talks about how lethal Shai’s stepback 3 has become. Some excerpts:
The 3 ball, which was often his weak point, is at another level. Add one more item to the list of anxieties for any team facing the 21-1 Thunder: Gilgeous-Alexander’s stepback 3, which has never been so dangerous.
Last season, if Gilgeous-Alexander went right, he was more prone to pass or continue to the hoop. If he went left, he would get to his stepback. However, chucking so many stepback 3s and splashing in such a high percentage is giving defenses fits.
But here’s where Gilgeous-Alexander is making defenses go haywire. The stepback can arrive at any point now.
No one changes speeds with more precision than Gilgeous-Alexander does, but his skill set has never been this lethal so far away from the basket.
He has taken the fourth-most stepback 3-pointers in the NBA this season … and he’s shooting 52 percent on them. For reference, the three players who have taken more (Dončić, Harden and Tyrese Maxey) have made 34, 36 and 30 percent of their stepbacks, respectively.