Would It Benefit Thunder If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Led The League In Usage?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are going to need Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to be a little more selfish. Not necessarily in a bad way, but in a way that recognizes the reality of what this team is dealing with right now.

With Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren all expected to miss significant time, Oklahoma City has lost three players who play important roles on both ends of the floor. That’s a lot of production, defense and playmaking to replace, and there isn’t one player on the roster who can simply step in and make up for all of it.

That leaves the obvious question: Would it benefit the Thunder to let Gilgeous-Alexander lead the NBA in usage?

Honestly, there is a pretty good argument for it.

For most of his time in Oklahoma City, Gilgeous-Alexander has played within an offense that emphasizes getting everybody involved. Even after becoming one of the best players in basketball, he hasn’t needed to dominate every possession for the Thunder to win. Oklahoma City has had the luxury of surrounding him with players who can create their own offense, make plays and take some of the pressure off his shoulders.

That luxury isn’t quite there right now.

Williams is one of the few players on the roster who can take some of the offensive burden off Gilgeous-Alexander. His ability to attack mismatches, create shots and make decisions with the ball is difficult to replace. Holmgren also gives the Thunder another scoring option who can stretch the floor and make defenses pay for giving him space.

Wallace brings a different element, but his absence matters just as much when considering the number of reliable perimeter players Oklahoma City has available.

At some point, somebody has to pick up those possessions. And realistically, that somebody should be Gilgeous-Alexander.

He has earned the right to have the ball in his hands as much as he wants. He’s a back-to-back MVP for a reason. Whether it’s getting to his spots in the midrange, attacking the basket or putting pressure on defenses by getting to the free-throw line, few players can consistently create offense the way he does.

There shouldn’t be a concern about him taking more shots or becoming the focal point of nearly every defensive game plan. That’s what having a superstar is about, especially when the roster around him is dealing with this many injuries.

But there’s a fine line between asking your best player to do more and asking him to do too much.

The Thunder still need Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain and Isaiah Hartenstein to have meaningful offensive responsibilities. Mitchell has an opportunity to continue growing as a playmaker, McCain can provide some much needed scoring, and Hartenstein can help create easier opportunities through his passing and presence around the basket.

Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t need to turn into someone who touches the ball every possession. Oklahoma City still has an offensive system that works, and abandoning that completely would probably create more problems than it solves.

There’s also the bigger picture. The Thunder aren’t just trying to get through the next few weeks. They’re trying to compete for another championship. Wearing down Gilgeous-Alexander by asking him to carry an unreasonable workload for a few months would be a dangerous gamble.

Still, this is a situation where Oklahoma City has to be willing to adjust.

If Gilgeous-Alexander ends up leading the NBA in usage because the Thunder need him to take on more responsibility, that shouldn’t automatically be viewed as a problem. It could be exactly what this team needs while it waits for its injured players to return.

The Thunder built this roster around having multiple weapons. Right now, several of those weapons aren’t available.

Sometimes, you simply have to give your best player the ball and let him go to work. And there aren’t many players in the league you’d trust to do that more than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.