Replace Shai with Luka on the Thunder. What happens?

[NBA_is_cringe]

Sga comes to work every day and plays ball the right way, hangs out with his teammates and makes them feel like they are part of something great.:: his mvp speech

cringe

[Mephariel]

I take SGA over Luka in a vacuum, and he has already demonstrated perfect chemistry with his teammates so it's a no brainer for me who I'd go with

For me, I'll take Luka in a vacuum probably. But on the OKC team, I'll take SGA in a heartbeat. He is a proven leader, and fits well with the defensive, all hands-on deck approach this team has. SGA is also better playing off ball and initiates better cutting actions.

[CobraCommander]

Sga comes to work every day and plays ball the right way, hangs out with his teammates and makes them feel like they are part of something great.:: his mvp speech

cringe

It was definitely cringe and corny but most good leaders are both… tell me I’m lying

[mpoo_sin]

OKC would be unfair. Killing everything for the next 4 years.

There is a sizeable gap between the best versions of Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander. If both are at their peak Doncic is way better.

This ain't it chief

Sure it is.

SGAs best season (his mvp season) was significantly weaker than Doncics 2023/2024 campaign. I m not saying that these were their ceilings. Both can and probably will play better this year already but Doncics potential is greater than Gilgeous-Alexanders.

[jg77]

I take SGA over Luka in a vacuum, and he has already demonstrated perfect chemistry with his teammates so it's a no brainer for me who I'd go with

For me, I'll take Luka in a vacuum probably. But on the OKC team, I'll take SGA in a heartbeat. He is a proven leader, and fits well with the defensive, all hands-on deck approach this team has. SGA is also better playing off ball and initiates better cutting actions.

Why?

[Patches Perry]

SGAs best season (his mvp season) was significantly weaker than Doncics 2023/2024 campaign.

significantly????

[mpoo_sin]

SGAs best season (his mvp season) was significantly weaker than Doncics 2023/2024 campaign.

significantly????

in a sufficiently great or important way as to be worthy of attention.

[Patches Perry]

SGAs best season (his mvp season) was significantly weaker than Doncics 2023/2024 campaign.

significantly????

in a sufficiently great or important way as to be worthy of attention.

Now that you know what it means, do you stand by it?

[Raps in 4]

OKC would be unfair. Killing everything for the next 4 years.

There is a sizeable gap between the best versions of Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander. If both are at their peak Doncic is way better.

This ain't it chief

Sure it is.

SGAs best season (his mvp season) was significantly weaker than Doncics 2023/2024 campaign. I m not saying that these were their ceilings. Both can and probably will play better this year already but Doncics potential is greater than Gilgeous-Alexanders.

Luka never had the impact metrics SGA had last season.

[CobraCommander]

SGAs best season (his mvp season) was significantly weaker than Doncics 2023/2024 campaign.

significantly????

in a sufficiently great or important way as to be worthy of attention.

So sga fmvp mvp scoring title and championship year was worse than a year where Luka got the scoring title cause embiid didn’t qualify


Honestly what does SGA have to do to be better than Luka in your opinion- all the advance stats say sga

[Lalouie]

they're both great
but luka might take ball time away from the okc egalitarian system and i don't know if shai can pull the lakers.
luka makes everyone better. we know this already. i cannot say shai would have the same affect because he has evolved along WITH the core group and that groups is what bumped okc from 24wins to 40wins

but luka has PROVEN he's a franchise changing goat all by himself. he IS the guy.

shai i've only seen as an important piece in presti's masterplan,,,he didn't take over the clips did he.
and when shai went to okc in his first year there, '21, okc dropped from a previous 44win to low 20s.

so shai had good numbers but he wasn't the SOLE reason for okc getting from 24wins to 40wins in just one year.

okc was 22wins and 24wins with shai - don't bother i already looked it up. :D their basic core came AFTER shai was already there

luka is a totally different arc,,,and that is why he's in the generational conversation

[robbie84]

Regular season Shai is better. But Luka's passing and playmaking are just a better skill set going into game 5/6/7 of a playoff series. When defenses lock down, pace slows down and Shai has to go 1v1 without getting to the line as much, that's where they are at more risk IMO

[madmaxmedia]

I think the real world question is, if you traded Chet Holmgren and a 1st for Luka, what would happen?

[Xatticus]

Lakers fans would instead pray at the Altar of Reaves and infect every thread with admonishments for the non-believers.

[dn0774]

OKC would be unfair. Killing everything for the next 4 years.

There is a sizeable gap between the best versions of Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander. If both are at their peak Doncic is way better.

This ain't it chief

Sure it is.

SGAs best season (his mvp season) was significantly weaker than Doncics 2023/2024 campaign. I m not saying that these were their ceilings. Both can and probably will play better this year already but Doncics potential is greater than Gilgeous-Alexanders.

Yea i'm just not seeing that. SGA last season was channeling shades of prime MJ. If you want to go full 90s and put counting stats over everything then sure Luka looks better, but we have advanced stats nowadays and those paint a different picture. Much better team/team success and better availability as well.

[mpoo_sin]

significantly????

in a sufficiently great or important way as to be worthy of attention.

So sga fmvp mvp scoring title and championship year was worse than a year where Luka got the scoring title cause embiid didn’t qualify


Honestly what does SGA have to do to be better than Luka in your opinion- all the advance stats say sga

Mvp is just a narrative driven award. Getting to the finals with the team Doncic had in 24 is a greater achievement than Gilgeous-Alexander winning the Chip in 25 with his superteam.

[MoneyTalks41890]

in a sufficiently great or important way as to be worthy of attention.

So sga fmvp mvp scoring title and championship year was worse than a year where Luka got the scoring title cause embiid didn’t qualify


Honestly what does SGA have to do to be better than Luka in your opinion- all the advance stats say sga

Mvp is just a narrative driven award. Getting to the finals with the team Doncic had in 24 is a greater achievement than Gilgeous-Alexander winning the Chip in 25 with his superteam.

Luka got carried by his role players. Shai outplayed him significantly in the WCF in 24.

Luka got passed by two years ago and hasn’t been close to Shai since.

Just availability puts Shai over the top. Or defense. Or leadership. Because their offense has been comparable for a while now.

With Luka on a mediocre team now, it’s unlikely Luka can close the significant gap.

[ChumboChappati]

Offense: Luka >> Shai
Defense: Luka <= Shai
Passing / Rebounding etc.: Luka >>> Shai

OKC would be a dynasty with Luka.

I disagree with a lot in your post but I simply con't accept the fact that you put a <= on defense. In what world could they ever be seen as defensive equals

Luka's defensive rating is pretty good especially in playoffs

[Optms]

Shai on the Lakers would be averaging something like 36/6/8 on elite efficiency and two ability. I am starting to think OKC is holding back his true powers.

[mademan]

This is really becoming the Lebron-Kobe discussion from the early 2010's, with Shai as Lebron and Luka as Kobe. Shai outpaces Luka in all advanced metrics and impact stats for, now, 1 and a quarter seasons while Luka has the aesthetic appeal that Kobe did (oddly tho, considering he's just as much of a FT merchant). Kobe at least had titles for his fans to fall back on. The argument for Luka at this point is just non existent.