• Slovenia saw their FIBA World Cup run end at the hands of Bronze medalists Canada in the quarterfinals
• Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a head-to-head battle as the two best point guards from the NBA
• Doncic lost but had immense praise for Shai after the fact
Luka Doncic knows there’s a Western Conference point guard that will likely be his rival for most of his career, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Doncic and SGA were both drafted in 2018 and faced off in the FIBA World Cup, as Shai’s Canada easily got past Luka’s Slovenia.
The matchup prompted Doncic to call Shai one of the best in the world.
“They have one of the best players in the world and it was really tough to guard him.”
Shai dropped 31 points on 8/12 shooting from the field and 14/16 from the free throw line. Doncic was decidedly less impressive, getting 26 points on 8/20 shooting and 6/7 from the free throw line. It was a controversial matchup as Doncic implied skewed refereeing that denied him opportunities to go the free throw line.
Can The Thunder Outrank The Mavericks?
The Oklahoma City Thunder are bound to rise up the standings next season. They have brought along their young core and developed them into becoming winning players. It’s a question of them putting it together over the next season and competing for a top-six spot, something the Mavericks will have their eyes on as well.
The Thunder have a fun core featuring the likes of Shai, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and many more. They drafted in the lottery this year and selected Cason Wallace, ironically swapping their picks with the Mavericks to get him at 10 and eat the contract of Davis Bertans.
The Mavs have veteran talents like Luka, Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr., and more, but the Thunder have one of the youngest and hungriest rosters in the NBA.
There’s a lot of talent, but with a lot of youth on the Thunder. There is pressure to win, as Shai is entering his prime and would want to maximize playoff appearances after a three-season drought.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Hoping To Be An MVP Candidate
Shai wasn’t tipped to have the season he had last year, primarily due to the expectation that the Thunder would tank for Victor Wembanyama. Shai made them far too good for that, dragging them to a play-in spot and ensuring the team couldn’t even try and tank for Victor Wembanyama. His performances earned him an All-NBA First Team spot, even though he didn’t end up making the playoffs.
With Shai getting crowned the best guard in the NBA alongside Doncic, he has to take the step towards MVP contention that is natural for generational players. If the Thunder are among the most competitive teams in the league, Shai would make his case pretty obvious because of his all-around statistical impact.
If the Thunder shatter expectations and compete for a top-four seed, there’s an outside chance that SGA will be considered in the MVP race. That seems a bridge too far right now, but if it happens, Shai will establish himself as one of the top 10 players in the league.
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