Clippers rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is ready to contribute at the NBA level. That much is clear from his preseason performances. He scored efficiently, dished out dimes and caused turnovers with his length.

But he is still a rookie, and as every first-year player learns early on, preparing for pros is much different than preparing for March Madness.

"It’s definitely faster," Gilgeous-Alexander told Sporting News after the Clippers' preseason win over the Nuggets. "The physicality and the pace of the game are noticeable. You have to be able to make much faster decisions."

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Gilgeous-Alexander seems to be adjusting quite well for a 20-year-old. He averaged 9.2 points, 3.8 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals over five preseason games. His versatility was on full display — at 6-6 with a 7-0 wingspan, he can finish at the basket and bother opposing guards defensively.

And yet, Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates are flying way under the radar out West. With LeBron James in town and the Lakers hype train moving at full speed, once again the Clippers have been forced to take a back seat in Los Angeles. But with Gilgeous-Alexander showing the rest of the league what the Clippers already know, people are just beginning to take notice.

The former Kentucky star is one of the main reasons that this Clippers team is choosing retooling over rebuilding. The No. 11 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft has earned rave reviews from his teammates and those close to the organization. In the annual NBA.com GM survey, he was voted the biggest steal of the draft, and he is quickly becoming a trendy sleeper pick for Rookie of the Year.

"That’s not my main focus," Gilgeous-Alexander told Sporting News. "I’m just trying to get better every day. And I think if I do so, the accolades, the awards, the accomplishments will come."

While Gilgeous-Alexander is already a veteran when it comes to the typical "get better every day" cliches, it is hard to deny that his potential is paramount to the future of the Clippers organization.

The Clippers suddenly find themselves as a desirable destination for stars around the league. For the majority of the franchise's existence, the Lakers have been the only LA team able to attract marquee free agents. That's largely still the case — Magic Johnson did snag LeBron, after all — but players are making it clear that the Clippers are a viable option as well. They are now the favorites to land Kawhi Leonard next summer once he becomes a free agent. Jimmy Butler has also expressed interest in leaving for LA, giving Clippers fans dreams of an incredible one-two punch on the wing.

This will put added pressure on Doc Rivers and the Clippers to quickly develop Gilgeous-Alexander. The Clippers are in a unique position — not unlike the Lakers last year with Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma — to showcase their young talent to future free agents.

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None of that concerns Gilgeous-Alexander yet, though. He prefers to keep his eyes on the season ahead over what next summer may hold.

"We don’t focus on it at all. That’s in the future," Gilgeous-Alexander said when asked about the Clippers becoming a destination. "The only thing we can control is the present. And that’s all that we are worried about this season."

Rivers has long been known for sitting his young guys while leaning on his veterans. That can make it difficult to project how Gilgeous-Alexander's first year will play out, but it seems that Rivers understands how special Gilgeous-Alexander can be.

"Every coach will tell you what they really want is four or five guys to completely separate themselves from the whole group," Rivers said. "And then, in that group, one or two guys separate themselves from even that group. Then you know who the stars are and you know everything else... We’ve had some separators."

It appears Gilgeous-Alexander is one that has separated himself from the pack. He will be in the rotation along with Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari, but he is far from a finished product like those vets.

That group will not inspire much fear in the competitive Western Conference. The Clippers will enter the season under the radar — as will Gilgeous-Alexander. The rookie will surely be humbled on certain nights against the best the league has to offer.

But he has the potential to help acquire more talent and drive the Clippers into a new era of sustained success. It won't take long for the rest of the NBA to realize it.