In basketball, the more you ask a player to do, the less efficient they become. It is a simple rule followed by most. Typically, as a star player’s usage rate reaches the mid-30s, fatigue creeps in, forced shots surface, and shooting percentages tend to decline. However, if you look closely at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s 2025-26 season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, it becomes clear the 27-year-old guard does not abide by this rule.
How Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Broke the Usage Metric
At a time when high usage typically yields diminishing returns and more errors, Gilgeous-Alexander completely redefined superstar efficiency. Maintaining top-level point-per-shot metrics and incredible ball security, his workload did not become a detriment to Oklahoma City’s offense. Instead, his usage did the exact opposite.
Defying Basketball Logic
Generally, a high usage rate results from a team’s lack of secondary creators. A lack of alternative options leads to a primary producer shouldering more of the burden. Interestingly, the Thunder possess multiple weapons. Still, Gilgeous-Alexander’s usage continued to increase this past season.
In an early-season double-overtime slugfest against the Indiana Pacers, he recorded a 46.9% Usage Rate while still posting a 131 Points Per Shot Attempt. Against today’s NBA defenses, that stat line should not be mathematically possible. Still, Gilgeous-Alexander defied logic and thrived under an intense workload.
When the postseason arrived, this trend only solidified. In a first-round road victory over the Phoenix Suns, his usage rate sat at 35.9%, but his PSA jumped all the way to 170.8. Posting 41 points on just 18 shot attempts, he refused to settle for low-value contested perimeter shots when the game slowed down and his team needed him the most. Conversely, he utilizes pacing and strength to guarantee high-value looks.
Ball Security Under Intense Pressure
Another major factor in Gilgeous-Alexander’s basketball law-defying ways is his ball security. Playmakers known to dominate the ball generally factor into a few transition points for the opposition each game. Having to handle the ball a tremendous amount is bound to lead to some turnovers. However, he operates with mechanical precision, keeping possessions nearly equal.
In a late February overtime tilt against the Denver Nuggets, Gilgeous-Alexander registered a 51.9% Usage Rate while recording an astoundingly low 2.5% Turnover Percentage. Remarkably, he controlled over half of Oklahoma City’s offense plays while rarely turning the ball over.
Even during an eventually disappointing Western Conference Finals against an elite San Antonio Spurs defense, he maintained monumental poise. In Game 2 at home, he played 38 minutes with a 32.1% Usage Rate and only registered a minimal 3.4% TOV%.
These numbers translate directly into a winning formula. By guaranteeing a quality shot attempt on most possessions, he forces opponents to attack a set half-court defense consistently. Gilgeous-Alexander completely denies teams simple, live-ball transition points they count on to build leads.
No Defensive Possessions Off
Let’s transition to his defense. In today’s game, superstar players carrying a substantial offensive load are often less relied upon defensively. Generally, coaches hide them on the weak corner shooters so they can catch their breath.
Luckily for the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander does not take defensive possessions off. Instead, the numbers demonstrate that he actively utilizes his length to frustrate the opponent’s point of attack. While playing 51 minutes in an intense double-overtime contest in Game 1 against the Spurs, he still posted a 4.7% Steal Percentage. Because Oklahoma City’s primary scorer actively jumps passing lanes and causes turnovers, the Thunder do not have to scramble on defense to protect him. Instead, the team can play a straight-up scheme that keeps everyone connected.
The Last Word
When evaluating the NBA’s elite contributors, we often become distracted by narratives. However, when you erase the noise and glance at the numbers, Gilgeous-Alexander’s 2025-26 campaign is in a league of its own.
He successfully demonstrated that a player can indeed command close to half his team’s plays, score at a phenomenal rate, protect the basketball, and still impact the game defensively. His significant workload does not come at the expense of his team’s success. It is the key component of their elite-level play.
All advanced stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass.
© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
