Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might have beaten Luka Doncic to his first title and MVP award, although the comparison between the two is far from over.
The 2018 NBA Draft might very well just be one of the best ever. With excellent players like Trae Young, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Michael Porter Jr., it was headlined by two all-time greats: Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
For the vast majority of their careers, it looked like Doncic had SGA beat. After all, he made five All-NBA First Teams in a row, finished in the top three in the MVP vote three times, and dragged the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals.
However, this season, Gilgeous-Alexander became the first to win MVP and the first to add a ring, passing Doncic for the title of best player in the loaded draft class, although that doesn’t mean that Doncic is behind.
Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty ImagesNick Wright defends Luka Doncic
Doncic is nearly a full year younger than SGA, and he made his first All-Star Game in his second season. It took Gilgeous-Alexander five seasons to reach that mark.
“The Luka overcorrection negativity has gone too far,” argued Nick Wright. “The five best players in the league: Jokic is 30 and won his title at 28. Giannis is 30 and won his title at 26. Tatum is 27 and won his title at 26. Shai is 26, turns 27 in two weeks, and he just won the title. Luka, the youngest of all of them, is 26.”
Both LeBron James and Michael Jordan were 27 when they won their first title, and Stephen Curry was 26 years old. The idea that, in his first few seasons, a player can lead a title squad is simply ridiculous. Since players enter the league at 18 or 19 years old, most of their development is happening on the biggest stage, not in college.
There is also an argument to be made that since Doncic dominated the league so early, some fans don’t realize that he and SGA entered the league at the same time. In the collective memory, he is older than he is.
“The idea that he is behind schedule or off schedule is incorrect,” Wright continued. “Right now, Shai’s star could not be shining brighter. I get that, and he deserves it. However, we can’t compare Luka’s and Shai’s career numbers because Luka was good instantly, and Shai grew into it.
“So, if we simply take the last two years for Shai, which are by far and away the best two years of his career, and compare them to the last two years for Luka, which include far and away the worst year of his career, the numbers are identical. Luka beats him in assists considerably and rebounds by a bit, but the scoring and efficiencies are identical.”
On top of that, SGA has had more support. One can argue that Kyrie Irving is a better player than Jalen Williams, although Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, Lu Dort, and Isaiah Hartenstein are all better than Luka’s best teammates in Dallas.
Luka Doncic’s clock is ticking
While Wright makes some excellent points, Doncic does need to prove that he is a winner.
The Western Conference is excellent, and with the Houston Rockets improving, the San Antonio Spurs on the rise, and the Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves not going anywhere, Doncic doesn’t have the luxury to wait around until the old guard retires.
On paper, though, Doncic has been a better player than SGA, even recently.
PlayerPPGRPGAPGFG%3PT%SPGLuka Doncic31.58.88.947.3%37.6%1.6Shai Gilgeous-Alexander31.45.36.352.7%36.6%1.9Luka vs. Shai: Last two seasons
Going back to collective memory, the thing about it is that it’s short. Doncic missed much of the year with injury, and all the storylines following him were about his trade, not his on-court success. Fans remember him crying upon returning to American Airlines Center more than they remember his dagger in 2024 over Rudy Gobert.
While the Thunder will be formidable next season, expect a fully healthy season from Doncic in the Purple and Gold to remind fans who the best young player in the world is.