Charles Barkley says Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reminds him of 2x NBA Finals MVP
OKC Thunder superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received high praise from TNT's Charles Barkley during Thursday's season opener against the Denver Nuggets. The Hall of Famer likened Gilgeous-Alexander's playstyle to LA Clippers superstar forward Kawhi Leonard's.
Gilgeous-Alexander has cemented himself among the NBA's premier players over the past two seasons, securing back-to-back top-five MVP finishes. That includes finishing as last year's runner-up behind Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic.
With OKC leading 58-51 at halftime of Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic's opening-night showdown, Barkley raved about the former's play. He ranked the two-time All-Star among his top seven players, adding that his controlled, smooth offensive game reminds him of Leonard's.
"I think he's, in my opinion, one of the five or seven best players in the world," Barkley said. "He is so smooth, he kind of reminds me of Kawhi Leonard in his prime, to be honest with you. Like, he never rushes. He goes at his own pace the entire time."
When healthy, Leonard is considered one of the league's best two-way players. He led the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors to championships in 2014 and 2019, winning NBA Finals MVP both years.
While not the flashiest superstar, Leonard has garnered a reputation for remaining even-keeled and getting to his spots no matter the circumstances.
Despite being a guard, Gilgeous-Alexander (6-foot-6) is only one inch shorter than Leonard (6-7), arguably adding credibility to Barkley's comparison. However, Gilgeous-Alexander has already surpassed Leonard's top scoring seasons, averaging 30-plus points per game in each of the last two campaigns. Meanwhile, Leonard's career-high is 27.1 ppg.
Unlike Leonard, Gilgeous-Alexander has yet to win a title. He made his first second-round playoff appearance last season, with his first-seeded Thunder (57-25) bowing out in six games to the Dallas Mavericks.
However, OKC is widely projected to finish atop the Western Conference again this season. Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander is only 26 and seemingly in the early stages of his prime. So, he should have plenty of opportunities to guide the Thunder's upstart young core to a championship.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder to opening-night win following Charles Barkley's praise
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC got the job done on Thursday, securing a 102-87 opening-night road victory over Denver.
After being commended by Charles Barkley at halftime, Gilgeous-Alexander put the finishing touches on his stellar two-way performance. He ended with a game-high 28 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, three steals, three blocks and two 3-pointers, shooting 45.8%.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder (1-0) continue their road trip on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls (0-1).
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