Just how good is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?

FrodoBaggins · Post #1 » by **FrodoBaggins** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 6:59 am

How does he compare to the other great guards like MJ, Kobe, Wade, T-Mac, and Harden at their best? Talking just how 'good' they are.

Including this season so far, we have a rough three-year stretch of 30.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.9 spg, 1.0 bpg, 2.5 topg on 63.2% TS [109 TS+]. I think that's a good enough sample size playing that primary option, high-volume role for us to assess his talent, ability, and impact on winning.

sashaturiaf · Post #2 » by **sashaturiaf** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 7:05 am

Won less than 10 career playoff games, he doesn't belong in the conversation yet.

One_and_Done · Post #3 » by **One_and_Done** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 8:07 am

Better than Kobe or Wade at this point, though he needs to keep it up for a while into the playoffs. Peak to peak though he's been better. Not as good as peak T-Mac. In the conversation with Harden. On paper he looks surprisingly good vs Jordan, but needs to keep this up to get into the discussion.

UglyBugBall · Post #4 » by **UglyBugBall** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 8:57 am

Those guys, minus Harden, were clearly the best guards on the league at some point. There's very little chance Shai is ever better than Luka. Harden is perhaps an interesting comp as he was probably second or third behind Steph and maybe Westbrook in his prime which is probably where Shai falls.

RB34 · Post #5 » by **RB34** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 9:43 am

He’s great and on a pretty wild run in the regular season but can we wait a little before we compare him to MJ?

Good way to assemble the haters though. (I am one)

Post #6 » by **Mavrelous** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 9:55 am

He's doing what needs to be done in RS, once his PO acheivements follow, he'll join the top 20 ranks and start climbing.

Primedeion · Post #7 » by **Primedeion** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 9:59 am

UglyBugBall wrote:There's very little chance Shai is ever better than Luka.

He was better last season and he's been way better this season. He's about to finish ahead of him in MVP voting for the third straight year. Stop it.

rate_ · Post #8 » by **rate_** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 10:26 am

He's better than Harden/McGrady IMO. MJ/Kobe/Wade I still have him.

Snake3 · Post #9 » by **Snake3** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 10:28 am

Primedeion wrote:
UglyBugBall wrote:There's very little chance Shai is ever better than Luka.

He was better last season and he's been way better this season. He's about to finish ahead of him in MVP voting for the third straight year. Stop it.

Eh. I don't know about better last year. They were about the same tier to me.

This year, SGA has been better tho. Luka been hobbling and battling injuries.

It's going to be a fun debate between the two for sure when Luka gets healthy.

dirkdiggler4177 · Post #10 » by **dirkdiggler4177** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 10:36 am

As crazy as it sounds, he is in a position to go down as one of the greatest because he actually got a team. Players like him come and go, but most of them go because they play on average on bad teams or injuries, like Tmac, Harden, Carter, Penny, Grant Hill, etc.

If he wins some finals MVPs he is suddenly up there. What also surprises me is his blocks per game, 1.2 this season. That is pretty incredible considering he is a mid-range player, not really a jump out of the gym kinda of guy.

Time will tell if he is an Iverson, Harden, Carter, or an Bean.

Wagonband · Post #11 » by **Wagonband** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 11:17 am

Amazing player. Right now he is playing at an all time level for guards. But let's see how it translates into the playoffs. There are no excuses now for OKC, they clearly have a top 2 team in the West, unless huge injury problems they must get to the finals, or people will start saying of SGA like they did of Harden; great in regular season, but no playoff success

UglyBugBall · Post #12 » by **UglyBugBall** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 11:31 am

Primedeion wrote:
UglyBugBall wrote:There's very little chance Shai is ever better than Luka.

He was better last season and he's been way better this season. He's about to finish ahead of him in MVP voting for the third straight year. Stop it.

Last season Luka sent him home on a bad knee. Let that sink in. On a bad knee Luka outplayed Shai. Luka is an all-time level player like Lebron and Jokic. Shai is an elite player, but he's not an ATG. Luka's at the level where his greatness is measured in the post season. Shai is at the stage where he's still trying to prove himself in the regular season first.

DrModesty · Post #13 » by **DrModesty** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 11:37 am

UglyBugBall wrote:
Primedeion wrote:
UglyBugBall wrote:There's very little chance Shai is ever better than Luka.

He was better last season and he's been way better this season. He's about to finish ahead of him in MVP voting for the third straight year. Stop it.

Last season Luka sent him home on a bad knee. Let that sink in. On a bad knee Luka outplayed Shai. Luka is an all-time level player like Lebron and Jokic. Shai is an elite player, but he's not an ATG. Luka's at the level where his greatness is measured in the post season. Shai is at the stage where he's still trying to prove himself in the regular season first.

This comes across like you didn't watch the games. Shai outplayed Luka in that series, but Dallas's role players hit open 3s while OKC's role players were stone cold from distance, and the Dallas centers dominated the boards.

RB34 · Post #14 » by **RB34** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 11:54 am

rate_ wrote:He's better than Harden/McGrady IMO. MJ/Kobe/Wade I still have him.

Cmon man, Harden was putting up 60 point triple doubles and taking a top 2 team all time to the brink in the playoffs.

I think SGA has a little bit more work to do.

76ciology · Post #15 » by **76ciology** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 11:55 am

Guard version of Prime Kawhi

FrodoBaggins · Post #16 » by **FrodoBaggins** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 12:04 pm

76ciology wrote:Guard version of Prime Kawhi

I like that. Some stylistic differences but on a general level the two-way impact is similar. Kawhi in those last two seasons with SAS was special.

Post #17 » by **zimpy27** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 12:12 pm

Modern day Jordan but a little lighter on the defense

doogie_hauser · Post #18 » by **doogie_hauser** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 12:37 pm

Has yet to deliver the goods/perform in the playoffs on a consistent basis

For some reason, I honestly can see him and OKC crumble under such massive expectations again come playoff time..

I am yet to be convinced he is not a slimmer James Harden in many aspects. (Also please Zimpy27, never blatantly flopped/played for F/T's like SGA has, Jordan was a once in a lifetime (not just generation, I am talking about a 50 year plus span) player and talent, SGA doesn't come remotely close to the impact and general awe that Jordan brought to the game..

There is just a hollow/shallowness to SGA's game that I just cannot appreciate.

dirkdiggler4177 · Post #19 » by **dirkdiggler4177** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 12:45 pm

UglyBugBall wrote:
Primedeion wrote:
UglyBugBall wrote:There's very little chance Shai is ever better than Luka.

He was better last season and he's been way better this season. He's about to finish ahead of him in MVP voting for the third straight year. Stop it.

Last season Luka sent him home on a bad knee. Let that sink in. On a bad knee Luka outplayed Shai. Luka is an all-time level player like Lebron and Jokic. Shai is an elite player, but he's not an ATG. Luka's at the level where his greatness is measured in the post season. Shai is at the stage where he's still trying to prove himself in the regular season first.

Shai proved himself, he averaged 32 points on 50%, 8rpg, 7 apg 1.2spg and 2.3bpg while Luka played very well as always, he only averaged 25 points, not doing anything special by Luka standards.

Now considering OKC had these players, Jalen at 22, Chet at 21 as a rookie, Dort was 24, Giddey at 21 and they were two points away from a game 7. They are now one year older and finally added a backup big and veteran in Hartenstein, as well as Mr. Caruso. Meanwhile, the Mavs are going to defend Shai with a one-legged Klay Thompson.

It's funny how Mavs fan is so high on themself, forgetting Luka was losing to the Clippers two years in a row. It's a team game.

dirkdiggler4177 · Post #20 » by **dirkdiggler4177** » Wed Jan 1, 2025 12:48 pm

doogie_hauser wrote:Has yet to deliver the goods/perform in the playoffs on a consistent basis

For some reason, I honestly can see him and OKC crumble under such massive expectations again come playoff time..

I am yet to be convinced he is not a slimmer James Harden in many aspects. (Also please Zimpy27, never blatantly flopped/played for F/T's like SGA has, Jordan was a once in a lifetime (not just generation, I am talking about a 50 year plus span) player and talent, SGA doesn't come remotely close to the impact and general awe that Jordan brought to the game..

There is just a hollow/shallowness to SGA's game that I just cannot appreciate.

Shai is closer to Kawhi than Harden though. They both play a fundamental mid-range game. Harden best scoring season I think averaged less than 2 mid-range shots per game during the regular season. The mid-range becomes gold during the playoffs.

And the reason why it took so long to make the playoffs was not him, but the GM.

Like Jordan made the playoffs with a 30-52 record. It was first when he got a team he started to win in the rs and playoffs.