Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Trainer Dismisses ‘Free Throw Merchant Tag’

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Every week, Mark Medina shares his thoughts and insights on the latest NBA topics for RG. In this installment, Medina has an exclusive interview with trainer Nate Mitchell on Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.

What do you think have been the main factors that explain his growth and winning regular-season MVP this season?

Mitchell: “It’s a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication and a lot of consistency and deliberate practice. I don’t think it’s something that is linear. This is something that happened over the course of years that has organically happened. He and his teammates have gotten better. The coaching staff has gotten better. There have been more accomplishments with the team. All of that has contributed.

The ability to continue to grow and perform has definitely led into that. But I think it started with the consistency and deliberate practices he’s put in over the course of his career. I’ve dealt with him for the last eight or nine summers. I don’t think this summer was any different in terms of the work than last summer in terms of dedication.

But I think our vision of what we wanted to come into the season with to become a better basketball player was probably different. So was the season before that when he wanted to add and correct things that he was either struggling with or that he could do more of to be efficient and a better basketball player.”

What has the hard work and deliberate practice looked like?

Mitchell: “6 a.m., 7 a.m. on the court. 10 a.m. weights. 4 p.m. shooting. Repeat Monday through Friday. No mishaps, no taking weeks off. That was every day in the summer from after he lost the last game of the playoffs against Dallas. He took a 10-day refresh break and then built back into that habit with his body. That’s what it’s been.

What’s also been good for him is he’s been able to put some of these things into play with the [Canadian] national team. He gets to see some of those things, even if it’s in a small sample size. Then he can go back and say, ‘That worked, that didn’t work,’ and continue to build. That allowed him to grow well into the season.”

What was the vision last summer in the context of the Thunder’s shortened playoff run, the Paris Olympics and this season?

Mitchell: “Some of it was the thought process of the game. Sometimes it’s not always, ‘I’m going on the court to work on an individual skill to improve and then transfer it to the game.’ There’s that part, and then there’s assessing, ‘What is the defense giving me, and what am I willing to take so it’s still an efficient shot for my team?’

One of those things he always thought he needed to get better at—and this summer it was a big focus—was shooting the 3. Shooting the 3 in different ways: pick-and-rolls, one-on-one, in transition, and catch-and-shoot.

In the past, he’ll say it himself, he passed up catch-and-shoot opportunities that probably hurt his team, hurt his efficiency and possibly put more mileage on his body than needed. Sometimes he passed up a good shot for a drive where he got into the paint and battled bigs. Sometimes he came out with free throws or a layup, but sometimes not.

I think that’s one of the things Coach [Mark Daigneault] said he needed to improve. Last year, he didn’t shoot enough 3s to make enough and keep the defense honest. This year, you saw a guy willing to take them, confident in making them, and it didn’t hurt his efficiency.”

How has the commentary landed with you during the playoffs that Shai’s being a free-throw merchant?

Mitchell: “I think it’s good. If nobody’s talking about you, then your team’s not doing well enough. I don’t really need to speak on it—but I will. The explanation has been put out enough. A lot of sports science people and TV analysts talk about the amount of drives he has per game and how that compares to foul-per-drive rates. He’s not even top five in the league.

If you take away his free throws and everyone else’s free throws, he’s still leading the league in scoring. If you compare his free-throw rate to that of former MVPs, he’s not in the top 10. It’s not comparable to Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant or James Harden. I think people are reaching.

In this era, where 3-point volume has increased, the free-throw rate has decreased. So when you have a player replicating what the game used to be with a mix of the new-school game, you’re seeing someone dominate. Players in earlier eras were doing the same thing, but more often. Because today’s game has so many more jump shots, it just looks like he’s getting more calls. But the numbers say that’s false. More players are getting fouled at a higher rate on fewer drives. That leads me to believe there are more ‘free-throw merchants’ before you even get to him.”

I read the Athletic’s story about the ‘Sunrise Training’ workouts. Can you paint a picture of what the highlights of those workouts have been?

Mitchell: “It’s been a consistent base of friends in his circle that have been dedicated to his craft and getting up early. It used to be 7 a.m., now it’s 6 a.m. because of the birth of his child, so he can spend more time with family.

He has a friend who coaches at a Canadian university who helps. We have a 6-foot-8 guy who played Division I ball who defends him daily. That lets him simulate midrange work and post-ups against length. That helps prepare him for NBA defenders. I’ve coached at a high level, so I’ve been able to dictate scenarios and prepare him to read defenses. Even without NBA players in the gym, he’s learning how to back down defenders, shoot over length, and hit tough midrange shots. That work is directly transferable.”

What did Shai’s shoutout to you in his MVP speech mean to you?

Mitchell: (laughs) “It was good. I appreciated it. I told him he didn’t have to do that. I actually preferred he probably didn’t. There are so many people, starting with his parents and coaches, who laid the foundation—from AAU to high school.

I met him when he was 17. The work that came before that is huge. But I appreciated it. It highlighted the work we’ve done. He also mentioned the other guys involved in our training group.

I told him, ‘Don’t share all our secrets next time.’ He’s mentioned my name in three or four postgame pressers, too. But the highlight of the day was him being with his wife and kid. That was way more important than hearing my name for two seconds.”

What do you expect from Shai in the Finals—both from how he’ll play and how the Thunder will fare?

Mitchell: “I’m hoping they win. I expect him to perform in a way where, no matter the outcome, he won’t feel like he didn’t do enough. That’s always been the thing with him.

When we were with FIBA or at the Olympics, I’d say, ‘Don’t leave this game thinking, If I’d just done this.’ That’s big for him. He’s faced enough pressure to know what that feels like. And I believe in his preparation. If he’s prepared mentally and physically, the performance will follow.

For me, I’ve been involved with all four Canadians in this Finals—Shai, Lu Dort, Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin. I started working with Andrew when he was 14. They’ll be matched up. So our country wins either way. But for Shai, it would mean the most. To finish the season like this would be historic. I hope it all works out.”