The conversation for the best guard in the NBA has been fascinating in the last two seasons, with two Draft classmates from 2018 leading the conversation right now. Luka Doncic has been coveted as one of the best guards in the NBA for many seasons while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has stormed into the conversation over the last two seasons.
Shaquille O’Neal has said that he would take SGA over Doncic, much to the surprise of Candace Parker and Jamal Crawford.
“I’m gonna have to take [SGA]. Luka is a fabulous player but this kid? He plays the right way, gets his teammates involved, he puts his head down, and goes to the basket. I’m taking him right now. He’s emerging as my favorite player to watch. I like stories like this where guys come out of nowhere and become a force to be reckoned with. He’s a hell of a player right now.”
Shaq says he’d take Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over Luka Doncic 👀
“I’m gonna have to take [SGA]. Luka is a fabulous player but this kid? He plays the right way, gets his teammates involved… I’m taking him right now… He’s a hell of a player right now.”pic.twitter.com/WGSOSADSgO
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 17, 2024
Shai is averaging 31.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists this season, leading the Thunder to the No. 2 seed with a 27-12 record.
Luka is averaging 33.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 9.1 assists this season. The Mavs are the sixth seed in the West and have a record of 24-17.
Both players shared the two guard spots on last season’s All-NBA team and will likely do it again this season as both are MVP candidates. Shai’s rise to the top has been slower but the Thunder’s team success has prompted people to start taking him over Luka, who has somehow gotten better every single year since being drafted but the Mavs team success is holding him back.
Until we see Shai make the playoffs, it’s hard to put him over Luka. He was carrying less-talented teams to the playoffs from his sophomore season, even making a historic Western Conference Finals run in 2022. Last season’s disaster has pegged him down a few spots but the Mavs’ performances this season despite consistently missing three or more rotational players due to injury are remarkable.
Shai is the most plausible rival for Doncic right now, with Luka already separating himself from players he has been pitted against previously, like Devin Booker and Trae Young.
Luka Doncic And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: The Next Great NBA Rivalry?
The Thunder haven’t established any rivalries in the NBA with their new core, with the Clippers being the only plausible answer due to their trade history. The Mavericks could become that team with a series of incredible regular season contests over the last two years. This includes a 16-point comeback win in four minutes for OKC last season and a narrow win this year where the Mavs went on a 30-0 run in the fourth quarter.
Doncic already has four All-NBA First Team and All-Star nods while Shai has earned each achievement once. Shai is capable of being a guard inclusion in the All-Defensive team, something Doncic likely won’t do. If the teams end up meeting in the first round of the playoffs, a lot of these questions will be answered.
For now, Doncic’s load and superior playmaking has to give him the nod but Shai is having a season where he could easily usurp Luka in the eyes of many. After all, it’s already begun.
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