"More Ky in his game" - Danny Green's latest take on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might leave Luka Doncic fans fuming
Three-time NBA champion Danny Green is an admirer of the games of Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He, however, reckons the Oklahoma City Thunder is the more skilled player between the two.
Green, 36, who won league titles with San Antonio, Toronto and Los Angeles Lakers, shared the same in a recent interview over Reddit.
He said that both Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander are high-caliber players, but skills-wise, he gives the edge to the latter, likening his game to that of Kyrie Irving.
The University of North Carolina product said:
“Both of these guys are MVP-caliber players. I think Luka for sure will get one, and I think Shai has a really strong case of getting one at some point in his career. I think Luka right now is the better all-around player that makes a team better. He is closer to Bron (LeBron James) than anybody in that fashion. More of a triple-double guy.”
“I think Shai has a deeper bag. Shai is that dude, bro. Just offensively, the skill. Luka is skilled, too. It’s not far off. I’m just saying that Shai has a deeper bag. He’s very skilled. He’s so hard to guard … More Ky in his game, with the finishes and the handle…”
Check out the interview below, beginning at the 1:13 mark:
Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are two of the top young stars in the NBA right now, playing in the Western Conference.
The 24-year-old Doncic is a four-time NBA All-Star with the Dallas Mavericks. Last season, he posted a career-high 32.4 points per game, to go along with 8.6 rebounds, eight assists and 1.4 steals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 25, meanwhile, made it to his first NBA All-Star last season after averaging 31.4 points (career-high), 5.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and a block per game.
He helped the Thunder reach the play-in tournament as the 10th-seed out West, where they beat the New Orleans Pelicans. They, however, fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the battle for the eighth and final spot in the playoffs.
Both players saw action at the 2023 FIBA World Cup in the offseason, leading the charge for their respective national teams Slovenia (Doncic) and Canada (Gilgeous-Alexander).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander cements place in NBA history
Further proof of the top skills of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came when he came only the second player in NBA history to record 10 games of 30 points and 50% shooting in his first 14 games of a season.
He did so last season in the 121-120 win over the Washington Wizards on Nov. 17, 2022, scoring 42 points and going 14-of-22 from the field.
Wilt Chamberlain had achieved the feat in the 1962-63 season while playing for the San Francisco Warriors.