Lets admit the obvious: SGA is a better player than Luka

scrabbarista · Post #81 » by **scrabbarista** » Wed May 21, 2025 2:50 pm

Why'd OP remove the poll?

ImmortalD24 · Post #82 » by **ImmortalD24** » Wed May 21, 2025 2:54 pm

stuporman wrote:It's so funny the poll was removed because it wasn't going the way they wanted...

STOP THE STEAL!!!

Calm down it was only Lula 6 SGA 3 when I took it down.

ImmortalD24 · Post #83 » by **ImmortalD24** » Wed May 21, 2025 2:55 pm

scrabbarista wrote:Why'd OP remove the poll?

I put the poll back up go right ahead

scrabbarista · Post #84 » by **scrabbarista** » Wed May 21, 2025 2:57 pm

ImmortalD24 wrote:
scrabbarista wrote:Why'd OP remove the poll?

I put the poll back up go right ahead

But why?

TwitterFingers · Post #85 » by **TwitterFingers** » Wed May 21, 2025 2:58 pm

Luka is slightly better offensively. SGA is a lot better on defense

stuporman · Post #86 » by **stuporman** » Wed May 21, 2025 3:13 pm

ImmortalD24 wrote:
stuporman wrote:It's so funny the poll was removed because it wasn't going the way they wanted...

STOP THE STEAL!!!

Calm down it was only Lula 6 SGA 3 when I took it down.

Don't be a fashionist dicktater :lol:

NyKnicks1714 · Post #87 » by **NyKnicks1714** » Wed May 21, 2025 3:19 pm

ImmortalD24 wrote:I removed the poll due to it clearly being a popularity contest. SGA hate is at an all-time high will not produce accurate polling.

I don't care about this debate, but LOL at this. A sign of the times I guess

web123888 · Post #88 » by **web123888** » Wed May 21, 2025 3:20 pm

Player rankings can fluctuate year to year. Luka was better up until this season where SGA is clearly better. Can change next season also. This is SGA’s career best year and Luka’s worst.

ChumboChappati · Post #89 » by **ChumboChappati** » Wed May 21, 2025 3:21 pm

ImmortalD24 wrote:

I've been reading a lot of comments on how Luka on the Thunder in place of SGA would be a better team and I completely disagree. No team can hide Luka's inability to defend. Even Goatruso can't save him. SGA just gives you more on both ends without dominating the ball.

Talent wise Luka >> SGA.
But SGA is very fortunate to play for a team whose system and surrounding players get the most out of him. In this case, SGA is reminding me of Tatum; both of them are not as good as they are made out to be, although SGA > Tatum.

mademan · Post #90 » by **mademan** » Wed May 21, 2025 3:44 pm

Shai-Luka debate is interesting. By every metric, Shai has had a better season than Luka's best, he'll be more individually accomplished soon with an MVP and if they win the title, as huge favs right now, he'll also have more team accomplishments. And yet a non insigniciant amount of people still cant put Shai over Luka, and its because they dont value defense at all. Luka is the better offensive player, but there's clearly a much bigger defensive gap between them than offense. All due respect to Luka, but he's not a Steph or Jokic level offensive player where you can more easily brush away their defensive issues

mademan · Post #91 » by **mademan** » Wed May 21, 2025 3:45 pm

Ice Man wrote:Kinda weird timing, given that the guy went 10-27 last night. Luka can only dream of being on a team where he can go 10-27 and yet his team wins in a runaway.

Did you watch last years playoffs?

Post #92 » by **ThunderBolt** » Wed May 21, 2025 3:52 pm

Dadouv47 wrote:Luka is more fun to watch and more "skilled" but I would rather have Shai on my team.

If we throw out the foul baiting, I actually think Shai's craftiness is more fun to watch. It's why he my F(avorite)OAT player.

Post #93 » by **ThunderBolt** » Wed May 21, 2025 3:53 pm

Luka made a much bigger splash when entering in the league. Injuries and becoming a type 2 diabetic have hindered Luka. I still enjoy both players aside from Luka's complaining to the officiating.

Yuri36 · Post #94 » by **Yuri36** » Wed May 21, 2025 4:12 pm

web123888 wrote:Player rankings can fluctuate year to year. Luka was better up until this season where SGA is clearly better. Can change next season also. This is SGA’s career best year and Luka’s worst.

According to the MVP voters, SGA was already better than Luka last year :lol:

Yuri36 · Post #95 » by **Yuri36** » Wed May 21, 2025 4:14 pm

mademan wrote:Shai-Luka debate is interesting. By every metric, Shai has had a better seasons than Luka's best, he'll be more individually accomplished soon with an MVP and if they win the title, as huge favs right now, he'll also have more team accomplishments. And yet a non insigniciant amount of people still cant put Shai over Luka, and its because they dont value defense at all. Luka is the better offensive player, but there's clearly a much bigger defensive gap between them than offense. All due respect to Luka, but he's not a Steph or Jokic level offensive player where you can more easily brush away their defensive issues

By the metrics YOU chose, yeah probably

mademan · Post #96 » by **mademan** » Wed May 21, 2025 4:19 pm

Yuri36 wrote:
mademan wrote:Shai-Luka debate is interesting. By every metric, Shai has had a better seasons than Luka's best, he'll be more individually accomplished soon with an MVP and if they win the title, as huge favs right now, he'll also have more team accomplishments. And yet a non insigniciant amount of people still cant put Shai over Luka, and its because they dont value defense at all. Luka is the better offensive player, but there's clearly a much bigger defensive gap between them than offense. All due respect to Luka, but he's not a Steph or Jokic level offensive player where you can more easily brush away their defensive issues

By the metrics YOU chose, yeah probably

No. By all of them. Whether its player effeciency rating and box score metrics (BPM), advanced impact metrics or basic on/off, Shai provides more value for his team. And its, again, because fans have no respect for defense. I dont even think Luka's biggest fans can say that the offensive gap between them is greater than the defensive (and i do think Luka's a better offensive player)

Godymas · Post #97 » by **Godymas** » Wed May 21, 2025 4:22 pm

Yuri36 wrote:
Godymas wrote:I think people have a tendency to overrate Luka a little bit because of how quickly he became really good and how early his success has been.

People mistakenly view Luka as a LeBron or Jordan type player, he's not actually on that level. He's much closer to a KD or even James Harden trajectory than he is a LeBron or Jordan tier.

SGA reminds me more of like Kawhi or even Curry in some ways, just came out of nowhere and started wrecking the league. Now he's in his prime and the peak is obviously bigger than Luka so far, despite Luka's early success.

Imo if the Thunder win this year, we are going to see an OKC dynasty, it's easier to do it multiple times after you break the first wall imo, and the Thunder are built to be a dynasty when you look at the assets and ages of their team.

No they aren't and a big part of it is also how clutch and killer he's been in very high pressured situations from his rookie year (the incredible buzzer beater against the Blazers, the one against a stacked Clippers team in the Bubble and being injured).

In fact, he's already showed a clutchness and a not afraid attitude to take the last shot that even a guy like LeBron hasn't showed that much and most certainly not by Luka's current age.

And so has Damian Lillard, which is another person that is worth comparing Luka to in terms of career. Clutchness is just one factor, and the block in game 7 vs. the 73-9 Warriors is certainly a moment that Luka is not even close to

Post #98 » by **Dadouv47** » Wed May 21, 2025 4:24 pm

Just watch how Minny was able to attack the Lakers defense by going at Luka and if you still pick Luka over Shai then you are just a crazy fanboy to me.

If you want to argue about Luka being a better offensive player than Shai it's fine but as an overall player it's not close.

Shai plays for my team and I'm grateful for that but I have never been a huge fan/believer in him like some others thunder fans here but then I watch his evolution and mostly the advanced stats and reality showed me how impactul he's. I have been so wrong about Shai that I'm not surprised that some NBA fans that aren't paying more attention to OKC and advanced stats are missing it too.

NZB2323 · Post #99 » by **NZB2323** » Wed May 21, 2025 4:24 pm

SGA has certainly been better this year.

levon · Post #100 » by **levon** » Wed May 21, 2025 4:25 pm

TwitterFingers wrote:Luka is slightly better offensively. SGA is a lot better on defense

That's what I thought too but the narrative is way more exaggerated than reality. The Thunder are constantly hiding Shai and I'm seeing him getting overpowered all the time. The difference in lateral quickness is obvious, but Luka has heft and a massive wingspan himself which allows him to stay home and get boards, steals. Plug him into this OKC team and he'd also be valuable in his role. Hell even Dallas was a good defense.

Who better?