Leading a team to the NBA Finals is one thing, but creating or breaking a record is what Shai-Gilgeous Alexander is currently doing. After the first two games in the series, the score might be 1-1, but the Thunder guard has scored a whooping 72 points. For context, it’s more than any player has ever in their Finals debut. 38 points in game 1 and 34 points in game 2 indicate the Pacers are yet to find a solution for him. So, Metta World Peace, former Indiana star and a candidate who is currently pitching himself for the Knicks job, had some strategy to stop SGA.
On his Instagram story, he added, “Spoken from a top 5 wing defender ever.” The reaction from the DPOY was to a clip from the OG’s podcast featuring a former star known for his astute defending. Tony Allen, a 6x inductee in the All-Defensive team in his career, was famous for his suffocating on-ball pressure. So, his opinion on guarding SGA, who relies on traditional NBA scores with high percentage shots from the paint, makes the most sense. The former Grizzlies star added, “If I had to start with Shea, I’m definitely sending them to his right hand. It’s a lot of his shots, he just make it look easy going left.”
The midrange step-back going left is an easy example of the Thunder guard’s ability. That’s why Allen added his opinion, “I would like to see that going to the right hand. And not only that, since they letting us be physical now, let’s get our bigs up a little more.” But the task won’t be easy to stop the Canadian superstar, as Allen predicts.
“If you could brace that, be able to gather your upper body up, brace that and still be willing to contest for a 48-minute game, I don’t see him being effective.” But did you know that Shai-Gilgeous Alexander previously used his right hand predominantly? “I was very right-hand dominant from until I was, like, 9 (years old),” Gilgeous-Alexander said to The Athletic, a few months ago. But he was determined to change that
So, he put himself through dribbling drills using only his left hand, layups only with his left, and floaters only with his left. As per the article, SGA, when driving this season, goes left 57 percent of the time. That’s why Allen and Metta World Peace feel the Pacers should force the 2025 MVP on his right. This all going on when the latter is making multiple public speeches to confirm his availability for the Knicks job.
Metta World Peace is ready to take the next step
He recently added, “I’m ready, I’m cerebral, I have a high IQ,” stated the 45-year-old. Ever since the Knicks fired the fourth-winningest coach in franchise history, Tom Thibodeau, MWP has shown interest in the job. But let’s not forget, the task ahead of him is monumental, as Thibodeau led New York to back-to-back 50-win seasons that hadn’t happened since 1995. But the former NBA star is ready to take over.
In fact, the former player even changed his social media handle to Coach Metta. With his roots connected with the Big Apple, it’s hard to ignore him outright. Metta World Peace played college basketball at St. John’s from 1997 to 1999. Being a Queens native, his early childhood memories are of playing in those areas. So, that’s why the connection is 100% there. But not everything else ticks about.
The 2004 DPOY is also a former champion during his time with the Lakers. For the same franchise, he even dabbled in player development coach for the South Bay Lakers in the NBA G League from 2017 to 2018. But there is no head coaching experience, so will the Knicks rely the same way on Metta World Peace as the Lakers showed support for JJ Redick?
The post Amid Knicks Coaching Campaign, Metta World Peace Highlights Shai-Gilgeous Alexander’s Weakness Through Ex-Grizzlies Star appeared first on EssentiallySports.