- Obi Toppin was asked to pick who has a deeper bag between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic
- Obi Toppin chose Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as his answer, which was surprising
- Luka Doncic has been scoring at the highest level longer than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic formed the backcourt on the All-NBA First Team last season. And despite Luka Doncic having been elite since his sophomore season in the NBA, some think Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is catching up.
Obi Toppin, formerly of the New York Knicks and now an Indiana Pacer, was asked about which of the two has a deeper bag. And his answer may surprise some people.
Speaking on his podcast, Theo Pinson asked Obi Toppin, “Who has a deeper bag? Luka Doncic or Shai Gilegous-Alexander?”
After seemingly thinking it over for a couple of seconds, Toppin replied, “A deeper bag? I’ll say Shai.”
Obi Toppin says Shai has a deeper bag than Luka
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— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 3, 2023
Obi Toppin has developed into one of the better defenders in the NBA, and as such has guarded both Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at different times. He knows what he’s talking about but it’s hard to objectively agree with him on this one.
Luka Doncic has been playing at a higher level than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for many years, and even last season averaged more points, rebounds, and assists than him. But that doesn’t necessarily define a deeper bag.
Donovan Mitchell Is Another That Has Suggested That Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Has A Deeper Bag
This is one of the questions that Theo Pinson is asking guests on his podcast often. And Obi Toppin is not alone in saying that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a deeper bag than Luka Doncic.
Donovan Mitchell was on the show and he was asked about whether Kevin Durant or Luka Doncic has the deeper bag. He picked Luka, but when asked the same thing about Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell chose Shai.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can score from all three levels. Last season, he averaged 31.4 points per game, shooting 51.0% from the floor and 34.5% from three-point range.
In comparison, Luka Doncic averaged 32.4 points per game shooting 49.6% from the floor, and 34.2% from the three-point line.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander attempted four more two-pointers than Luka Doncic per game though, meaning that he does a lot of his work inside and from midrange, relying less on the three-pointer. That could be indicative of a deeper bag.
Luka Doncic’s Big Advantage Over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
If a bag is limited to strictly getting a shot off, then picking between Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is like splitting hairs. Both young stars have shown they can get buckets any way they please.
But there is one reason that makes Luka Doncic a bigger offensive threat than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and that is his passing. The Slovenian averages 3.5 assists per game more throughout his career and can simply make plays no one else can.
This contributes to him having a deeper bag because it means that defenders guarding Luka have more to worry about than just his shot. The sort of passes he makes can spell trouble for any team and result in wide-open buckets.
Ultimately, it’s a question of preference in style, and anyone choosing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander certainly has a great case. However, Luka Doncic has proved more on bigger stages so far and their budding rivalry promises to be a fun one to follow.
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