Theo Pinson, a former NBA player, questioned Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II at the Nike EYBL on who has a more advanced skill set between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic.
Whose bag is deeper? Shai or Luka? inquired Pinson.
In response, Lively said that his colleague Doncic is superior to Shai because the Mavericks defeated the Thunder in the second round of the playoffs.
The center for the Mavericks simply replied with assurance, “Who won that matchup?”
It’s possible that comparing players based solely on their Thunder-Mavs series isn’t the best way to determine who is superior all around or has a more advanced skill level. Even though the Mavericks won the series in six games, Luka Doncic had a difficult time due to a number of injuries.
Doncic Luka and Gilgeous Shai Alexander statistics
Even with his struggles to score, Doncic contributed significantly to the team’s performance with averages of 24.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 8.7 assists. As the main facilitator, he was excellent, highlighting his crucial function on the court.
For the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander was dominant, averaging 32.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. Even though he outscored Luka in the series, his guard position’s offensive inventiveness constraints prevented him from inspiring his teammates to greater heights, particularly in contrast to Doncic’s breakthrough play of P.J. Washington during the series.
The Mavericks standout, Doncic, outperformed Gilgeous-Alexander in the regular season, finishing with 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists for the 50-32 Mavericks, who overcame a sluggish start to rank among the NBA’s best teams.
Shai, meanwhile, averaged 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists to lead the Thunder to the top spot in the Western Conference with a 57-25 record.
Shai may currently be viewed as having a little advantage over Doncic, as SGA came in second in the MVP voting and just beat out Doncic in third.
Despite playing through injuries that limited his scoring output, Doncic guided a less skilled Mavericks team to the NBA Finals during the playoffs.
Although Shai is not far behind and has the ability to unseat Luka as the NBA’s greatest guard right now, Luka has made a good case for himself despite his sporadic defensive effort failures.
The stacked class of the 2018 NBA Draft
The 2018 NBA Draft Class, which featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic as its top picks, has been hailed as one of the best in recent memory. With two seasons of All-NBA First Team recognition under their belts (five for Doncic), both are soon to sign new supermax contracts.
Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have the option to sign $346 million contracts with their respective teams in the summer of 2025. These deals are of an unprecedented magnitude, probably unsurpassed by any other athlete in their extremely brilliant draft class.
Former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. is not going to get a contract like this, and Trae Young has to return to the All-NBA team in order to be eligible for one.
Though Jalen Brunson was eligible for a $269 million deal next summer, he chose to sign a long-term extension with the New York Knicks at a reduced salary. Donte DiVincenzo and Mikal Bridges, two current Knicks teammates and fellow 2018 Draft classmates, are probably going to follow suit after making this decision.
As a result, Shai and Luka are expected to sign the biggest contracts out of their draft class.
