Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Really Play All Five Positions? The Truth Behind the 'One-to-Five' Debate
The Myth of the ‘One-to-Five’ Player
Let’s get one thing straight: no NBA player truly plays all five positions at an elite level. But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? He’s pushing that boundary harder than most. As a 6’7” guard with elite ball-handling and defensive instincts, he routinely runs point against smaller guards — but also handles stretch-four duties against bigger lineups. Is he really a one-through-five threat? Let’s crunch the numbers.
Positional Flexibility: What the Data Says
Over the last two seasons, Shai has played over 15% of his minutes at power forward — more than most traditional wings. His true shooting percentage in those games? 62%. That’s elite for a non-big. When defending 4s or even centers (yes, really), he averages 1.8 steals per game and holds opponents to under 40% shooting on drives.
But here’s where it gets spicy: when paired with Anthony Davis or LeBron James in small-ball sets, his usage rate spikes by nearly 10 points — proving coaches trust him to carry offense in any role.
What If KD Joined the Lakers?
Now let’s lean into the fantasy: what if Kevin Durant came to L.A.? Would Shai still start at three? Statistically speaking — yes. He posted a +12 net rating when playing alongside Davis and LeBron last season vs. only +6 when replacing either as primary wing. Why? His defense is less about size and more about anticipation — something KD values too.
And here’s my take as an analytics guy who lives for spreadsheets: Shai doesn’t need to be perfect at every position. He just needs to be good enough while being great at his core role — scoring and ball-handling.
Why This Matters Beyond Hype
The real story isn’t whether Shai can play all five positions — it’s that teams now expect their star guards to adapt like this. With modern basketball favoring switchability and pace, players like Shai are redefining what “versatility” means.
He may never block shots or grab boards like a traditional big man — but he covers ground faster than anyone in the league when guarding multiple spots.
So is he truly one-to-five? Not literally. But functionally? In today’s NBA landscape… maybe closer than you think.
StatHawkLA
Hot comment (5)
Chơi được thì có, nhưng mà ‘đẹp như mơ’ thì chưa chắc! Shai cao 6’7” mà cứ như người đa năng trong trò chơi điện tử: chạy điểm, đánh nhỏ, phòng thủ cả trung phong nữa! Thống kê nói rõ: khi đá vị trí PF, anh ghi 62% TS – ngon hơn cả món bún bò Huế!
Có khi nào KD đến Lakers rồi lại để Shai đá ba? Đúng là ‘một tay làm năm việc’, dù không block hay rebound như trung phong thật sự.
Câu hỏi cuối: Nếu bạn là HLV, có dám để Shai làm đội trưởng toàn vị trí không? Comment đi nào! 😄
On dirait un super-héros du basketball : 6’7”, avec un dribble de malade et une défense qui devine les pensées des adversaires. Il joue pivot contre les géants ? Oui. Il fait l’ailier dans un petit cinq ? Bien sûr. Mais attention : il ne bloque pas de shoot comme un vrai centre… il court plus vite que la plupart des gardes !
Alors oui, il n’est pas vraiment un « one-to-five », mais fonctionnellement ? Il tient la barre du “peut-on faire mieux ?”.
Et vous ? Si vous étiez coach… vous le mettriez à tous les postes ? 😏
ชัยเล่นได้ทุกตำแหน่ง? เอ๊ะ! เขาเล่นได้เหมือนแมวที่เดินบนสายไฟ… แต่ไม่ใช่ว่าจะยิงเข้าหมดนะครับ 😅
เวลาเขาเป็น PF เขาก็เหมือนนั่งพักผ่อนบนเก้าอี้ตัวใหญ่ แต่พอเป็น PG… โอ๊ย! ลูกบอลมันหายไปไหนแล้ว?
คนทั่วไทยเรารู้ดีกว่า — สุดยอดคือ ‘ความเหมาะ’ ไม่ใช่ ‘ความสมบูรณ์’
คุณเคยเจอเพื่อนที่พยายามเป็นอะไรก็ได้… แต่อันไหนก็ทำไม่เสร็จไหม? 🤔👇
Bisa main semua posisi?
Ya bisa—tapi jangan kira dia jago semua! Shai memang nyaris jadi satu-satunya yang bisa main sebagai nomor 1 sampai 5 dalam satu pertandingan.
Data nggak bohong
Dari data: dia main di posisi power forward lebih dari 15% waktu—dan tembakannya? 62%! Lebih tinggi dari banyak pemain besar!
Tapi… bukan berarti hebat semua
Dia nggak bisa blok shot kayak big man atau rebound kayak robot—tapi dia cepat banget ngejar lawan! Jadi defense-nya bukan karena tinggi, tapi karena antisipasi—seperti pelatih yang udah baca gerakan lawan sebelum gerak.
Kalau KD ke Lakers?
Kalau Kevin Durant ikut gabung? Shai tetap starter di posisi tiga! Net rating-nya lebih bagus ketimbang ganti peran.
Kesimpulan?
dari segi fungsi—bisa dibilang “one-to-five” secara praktis. Tapi dari segi kualitas? Nggak perlu sempurna—cukup cukup baik sambil tetap jadi bintang scoring.
Kalian pikir dia benar-benar bisa main semua posisi? Comment dibawah!
Shai kann zwar alle fünf Positionen spielen — aber nur, weil der Trainer ihn nach der Pause einfach mal als Torwart einspringt. Er ist kein Big Man, sondern ein kleiner Genie mit Ballhandling und einem Faible fürs Bier. Wenn er blockt, dann eher den Kellner als den Gegner. Seine Stats? Übertrieben. Seine Seele? Immer noch die gleiche wie beim letzten Freitagabend im Stadion. Und ja — wenn er mal einen Triple-Point wirft: Dann ist es kein Basket mehr… sondern ein Bierfass.
Was sagt deine Mutter? “Hast du auch schon mal versucht, den Ball zu halten… oder lieber den Heimweg?”
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