I live in Hamilton, met shai at the ymca while he was still on the clippers and watched him hoop for a bit on an open court, great player and really nice guy. Great to see him excel in the NBA!
Thats awesome! He seems like a good, high character young man...AND an ELITE hooper. I'm definitely rooting for him. Anyone dropping 31 and a half a game AND leading the league in steals has my attention...
@@skap_attack Shai seems to be a better version of Ja Morant in terms of basketball ability and attitude. I'm kinda shocked that he got good enough to make first team all nba last year.
And imagine if SGA won an MVP and at the same time Chet would won a ROTY this year then it'll have a greater chance for the Thunder to make it on to the Finals this summer. 😊
@@wazzup233 definitely interested to see what they do in the playoffs this year. Expectations will be low this year because of their age even though they’re going to be a high seed. But this team shouldn’t be slept on.
The timeline on that core is straight up perfect.smart Gaurd thats a little older then a talent filled young center. Legit feels like houston 00s team. Might be better comps but i like that one.
I hope the Thunder take note from the Jordan Bulls, Duncan Spurs and Curry Warriors on how to build a dynasty, and not panic trade their whole core for a superstar that will give them only 2-4 years of championship window before going back to the lottery.
another great video Skap! as a die-hard Kobe Bryant fan, thank you for the work you produce to honor his memory and legacy! Much love and respect from France!
Been an OKC fan for about 13 years-when Shai joined our team from the Clips, within a couple games I low-key knew this guy was gonna be the star of the team the next season although CP3 and Steven Adams were still on. Man, even if you watch his workouts during the off season, this guy is seriously locked in at all times. Once we get a solid big on our team for them rebounds and paint "intimidation" we'll be solid af 💯 so happy rn
Look im the same way when it comes to the thunder and being a fan but you crazy if you think cp3 didnt help sga Develop. I mean go back at rewatch that year then look at sga the year after he took what cp3 said to heart and worked on his mid range and euro step
Shai is such a an amazing player and his defense is incredible for his size. He's unguardable and only seems to be improving. We could be looking at the actual next Jordan/Kobe if the thunder start winning. They are so young so as a thunder fan I can only hope.
I agree actually! I HATE comparing young kids to ALL TIME legends, but this kid just seems to get it. His MASSIVE improvement year over year shows his work ethic AND as you highlighted, he values the defensive side of the ball. He seems like a very high character guy too. I am actually a BIG fan. And as you know from most of my content, I am not a big fan of this era. Sky is the limit for him individually. But as you also noted, if he REALLY wants to take the next step on those all time lists eventually, he will need to add the only kind of hardware that matters...Larry O'Brien's...
@@skap_attack I saw an interview of jdub and he explains that hes in the gym all day shooting shots after practice, and that culture is extending the team. Thats a great example of a player improving the team off the court, something lebum has never done, and all time greats are known for.
@@jomama5406so you never heard of stories from Lebrons teammates that he’s always the first and last to leave gym? This isn’t anything new for a superstar.
He can score from inside, back to the basket, and he has a great midrange game. He also has one of the quickest first steps from dribble I can genuinely remember. His 3 point shot is not very consistent, if he improves that it's gonna be almost impossible for anyone to guard him.
I watched all of Jordan's and Kobe's careers and SGA is doing some things with midrange and turnaround jumpers that are very similar to what they were doing. He is virtually unguardable at this point. OKC is where they are because he's elevated his game and so have Jalen and Joe and of course the addition of Holmgren who is going to win rookie of the year and gives them rim protection which they desperately needed.
@@skap_attack Gotta win some playoff games before anyone can call any player a "Top 5" - putting him that high presumes much, without any concrete results to back it up.
I also LOVE Jokic. And quite frankly, he doesn't care about the MVP. They are just going to lay low and ramp things up around March and April to get ready to defend this title. IF the Thunder win the west one seed, SGA should be the MVP in my opinion. Just because it will literally come out of nowhere...
We actually have plenty of talented new faces. The league is much more desperate for genuine LEADERS of a team/franchise/city, and not a bunch of hired guns just playing for the big contract.
@@skap_attack SGA isn't in his prime yet, and is already playing as well as Jokic, who has just entered his prime. This makes SGA more impressive than Jokic at this point.
Jokic should have won it last year; but finals mvp confirms his greatness. Hopefully Shai will win mvp this year, with Chet winning RoTY, and I’d love to see my fav, Dort, win DPoY, with coach Dag winning Coach of the Year. Thunder sweep 🧹 would be wonderful, with a champ next year (great learning experience and far run this year).
Damn you put the GOAT on the thumbnail 🔥🔥🔥 I think this Thunder roster is gonna have a long window of contention to avenge the failure of the KD era. Pressure's on big time.
I've got two preseason outrights with a couple dozen bucks on each: 1) Timberwolves to win the championship at 125/1; 2) SGA to win MVP and OKC to win their division at ridiculous 800/1. Was high on both teams and these two seemed like good bets as I think Wolves are built for the playoffs better with their defense. Hoping one of these hits the jackpot
Even though I really like Shai, I can't consider comparing him to the likes of MJ and Kobe, not because of the different eras, but because these players solidified their immortal legacy in the PLAYOFFS. And to me that's where you prove your skills and greatness. Harden has some of the greatest individual seasons when it comes to stats, but we all know what happens to him in the playoffs. And so far it seems to be the truth about Embiid as well. Last season his PPG average almost dropped by 10 points in the post season, that's why I don't and won't take any of his regular season records seriously unless he proves that he can at least maintain that when it matters the most.
@@hansonlee5847I'm not saying he is a choker, I'm just saying he has to probe himself in the playoffs before earning the right to be compared to these legends.
Agreed on the defensive restrictions...and I agree on the 2020s. For the first time since like 2008, I feel very good about the future of the league...
I don’t think there’s ever been a team in the history of the league with a more promising future than the current okc thunder. They’re already contenders with a rising young core during what’s essentially the middle of their rebuilding stage, on top of having multiple future guaranteed first round picks for the decade. Their potential is limitless
I hope Shai wins MVP he has an amazing work ethic off the court and is a fellow Canadian from the same city 🍁, even Jokic gave him praise saying he’s going to be a problem in the league.
I am definitely rooting for him. I have been HIGHLY impressed. Typically I go into every year saying the MVP is just between Giannis and Jokic. BUT, I think a the near midpoint here, SGA IS the deserving MVP.
It's an interesting one this yr...watch out for Kawhi, too. This is the first season he's finishing games pain-free since before he went to Toronto - he'll be in DPOTY consideration as well. The Clippers' first 10 games were essentially meaningless (beyond seeding) due to the 5-player trade. The way the Clippers have been playing since putting Mann in at starter and moving Russ to the 2nd unit is better than every other team in the league, and the team rankings are only going to do nothing but rise as more games figure into the averaging.
It's been a while since I LOVE this guy. He's committed, seems to be a great teammate, balls like a king and not a "see me and my bad behaviour" type of guy. Future of the NBA is bright with this kind of dude And seeing him play even when his team was like +200 in the boxscore against the blazers is amazing ! Great to see you talking about him man :) Easy MVP in my opinion, like not as the best player in the league but the most valuable in his team. The gap between shai and the rest of his team is greater than Tatum and the rest (for me)
Agreed totally on all of this. Seems like a VERY high character guy. He is doing more with what he has than ANYONE else in the league by far. The very definition of MVP. And in terms of best players in the league, I say he is top 3-4 currently. Would love to see him and them go deep in the playoffs.
I think the stats are misleading in todays game where it seems like anyone can average 25-30. What stands out to me when I watch Shai is how hard he plays and how relentless he is attacking the basket.
SGA is proof that Jordan would averaged 45-50ppg because his game is similar but he's half the athlete Jordan was. SGA and peak Kawhi often look like slow-motion Jordan .
Knick fan here. Joker is by far the most unique player I have seen since I started watching NBA in early 70's...and arguably this years MVP... Jordan is still the GOAT...I reluctantly had to put Bird as my number 2 and then, after Kobe, as my number 3....But SGA is unquestionably the MVP this year and I believe Joker would vote for him, if he actually gave a rats ass about MVP. Great video as usual!!
Man, you can't miss! Thanks for another very good video! Channels like your's, Dreamerspro, Man Down Sports, Uncut Hoops and a few others, are the reason I don't watch ESPN, FS1 and shows like theirs. Salute, sir!
I love his story of being traded away from the clippers for PG13 like he was nothing. Feels like his whole career has been a whole revenge tour ever since and I’m here for it.
@@rchilde1 Did it to themselves. clippers weren’t forced into anything they didn’t have to sign kawhi. It was pretty obvious that what kawhi did in Toronto wasn’t going to be repeated again. That was his last go on that knee of his. It’s been about stretching his last 3 years of all star level play as long as he can and get the best contract possible. I’m sure he’s doing a great job selling those jerseys and promoting clippers basketball. They ultimately know that’s why they paid for him. Because it looks good on a billboard and made them relevant again after choking miserably through the Lob City years.
Thanks Skap for this. Ive been telling people not to sleep on Shai Gilgeous Alexander. OKC is going to be scary going forward and they have what? 22,000 picks over the next 5, 6 years lol And i love that background beat over the narration👌
I knew Okc was gonna be good this season those young dudes work on their games not just Shai damn near everyone on the team but Shai is a problem and has gotten better every season he’s been in the league also Okc is deep athletic and play together they play great team defense also they have good one on one defenders and team defenders Chet is gonna be special also everyone fits to me Okc May surprise in the playoffs if they get the right matchups early but right now to me if the Clippers stay healthy they will be the 2024 champs
I agree with you completely on the Thunder. As for the WEST in general, it's going to be TOUGH. I NEVER count the defending champs out. So I think Jokic SHOULD be viewed as the favorites, but IF (and that is a HUGE IF), the Clippers can stay healthy in the playoffs, I can see them winning. IMO, they are the closest thing this league has to a "super team". BUT the Thunder will be a factor in all of this. They play too good of defense to not be.
@@skap_attack I really don’t put the clippers in the super team category because of the ages of their best players I don’t hold it against players that are either on the back end of their prime or totally out of their primes and that’s the case with the clippers best players we’ve seen this in the past with great players around that age teaming up Celtics were the last ones to win it all with that type of team and they were around these guys ages and the clippers play great defense as a team their also deep and athletic and have a closer and veteran team with a lot of playoff experience
@@skap_attack I said this in the off season and I’m gonna say it again the Nuggets made some mistakes letting go of long athletic shooters that were also good defenders to me the Nuggets are what they were in the past once again a really good team in the regular season a lot of times the best record in the west and get to the playoff and lose because of decisive breakdowns I put OKC in the Clippers ahead of Denver because both teams are elite, defensive teams and offensive teams and I put the clippers ahead of everyone else because with being both elite on defense and offense they have playoff experience that to me gives them the edge over the other elite teams in the west
1000% agreed that Shai is on the very short list of the mvp race. What I love most about this analysis (6:10) is that as eye popping as all three per 100 possessions stats are (for 2 guards), it also makes Wilt's early 60's output look even more astonishing as he is the human form of 100 possessions. Oscar Robertson is another as well from the guard position, as he was clocking well over 40 minutes per for his triple double output. Shai does appear to be of Oscar's lineage of guards, both can get very crafty going to the cup and automatic mid-range shooters, no "flash" in their games. Obviously Oscar had no 3 in his time to get his 30. I wish you spoke more on Shai's defense, though! Can't recall since AI a star guard leading the league in steals. OKC will be around for a while with their future draft picks, young core and Shai at the helm.
this is a nice change of pace, skap... you're casting the spotlight on actual great players, and i'm all here for it... no, we don't want you to stop making content on the frauds running around in today's NBA, but this kind of content is also very much appreciated...
The channel was always designed to be two fold: exposing frauds and casting a spotlight on the underrated guys not getting enough run. Don’t seem to have many opportunities to do the later with todays players. But this was one opportunity, I figured I’d take.
I remember feeling was a nice addition to the PG trade, a legit starting guard for the future. Heck, I even thought he may have had some star potential, but not legit superstar/MVP potential. He's been absolutely bonkers. Craziest thing is he's a legit old-school combo guard, really fun to watch.
SGA seems really good and compared to his peers he seems to be elite. But it's so refreshing to hear someone who acknowledges the ease of scoring and inflation of numbers in today's game. It's hard to really know what's going on when defense has been entirely legislated out of the game. His Jordan-level stat line doesn't really make me see Jordan-level greatness in his game.
Thank you. I love his game and hope he has continued success but perspective is also necessary. Jordan was obviously more dominant so imagine the numbers he would be putting up. Especially if he could carry/travel like you can today.
Agreed totally. And ultimately THOSE kind of conversations will be reserved for the greatest of winners. So he can be as great as he is now, the key will be what does he do when it REALLY matter? Verdict will still be out on that for a while...
Yup it is always important that we highlight that scoring numbers today always have to be looked at with a bit of an asterisk due to just how easy scoring has become and as you alluded how you really aren't even allowed to play real defense until the playoffs
They overlap some mentality, but physically Jordan had utterly _freakish_ vert, 1st step and those hands. Young-to-prime MJ m o v e d and handled the rock so very differently than anyone else did ( or ever could). He looked like another species at times. Some Dr J and Thompson before, and Kobe or Kawhi have since overlapped MJ's style some, but....naw, they ain't really doing it "like Mike" did.
He has the type of consistency KD had when he was here with the Thunder. High volume mid range killer who might be even better attacking the rim. Very active hands and good footwork on defense but does tend to gamble (leads the league in STL’s so ig it’s fine). Shai has grown every year and I still am shocked by his game. Before Covid his he was in that 3 guard line up with Dennis and CP3 still getting his buckets. It’s why I think he feels so comfortable on the baseline. Dude is a killer⚡️
Finally a video to showcase how good Shai Gilgeous is, I was thinking about it the last few days, almost every single day I see a bunch of videos about LeBron who is playing on a supposedly great team which is right now at the bottom of the play-in spots and nobody cares about Alexander who has been playing at an elite level for months now!!! Good for him and for the league, some competition aside the usual suspects!
I have been a Thunder fan sonce the day we found out we were getting a team here. I'm not afraid to say that I'm more excited about this roster than I ever was when Durant, Westbrook, and Harden were here. I hated "hero ball". This current roster is a team. Not just a bunch guys standing around watching the stars play iso like before.
Grew up in Buffalo and actually would always drive past Hamilton to see relatives. It's really cool to see a Canadian star to reach* these heights, not that he's the first. Excited to see a career like his unfold. With a badass work ethic he can be mvp and more. Love all the foreign players showing how strong the love ❤❤❤ for basketball is world wide
My biggest problem with the NBA is that a caliber young player like Shai is playing outstanding basketball but they rather riding LBJ and the Lakers. That’s why the rating is nose diving.
One of the ways you can discern who knows basketball and who doesn't is their assessment of certain players. SGA is a litmus test for some, that boy can hoop.
i honestly thought you hated every player from 2010 onwards lol. ive subscribed, watch and like every video but yeah... surprised to see such a positive video 🤣
LOL firstly, many thanks for subscribing and tuning in. And to your point, I MOSTLY hate every player from 2010 onward. But there are exceptions. I am a big fan of Giannis and Jokic, and this kid has won me over. The channel primarily is to bring a light to overrated frauds AND underrated guys not getting the run they deserve. I believe SGA falls in that later category at the moment.
As a huge Kobe fan myself I am always looking for someone to restore the feeling. I've been saying for years now that if a skilled 6'6 wing with a long wingspan and hops showed up today their numbers would be video game like.... and then this guy pops up with identical size to MJ and Kobe while being the least athletic and (so far) skilled of the 3. A dominant postseason push puts him in the top 3 convo with Jokic and Giannis, two guys that I believe have top 10-15 ever potential It just makes you wonder what MJ and Kobe would average today
On friday night there were 10 games. 7 of the 20 teams scored 125 or more points. 3 teams scored 140+ points. Yet somehow all these young fans don't think scoring in the NBA is way up. SGA is great and he actually plays defense but his scoring numbers are meaningless because all the offensive numbers in this era are seriously overinflated.
Agreed he is one of the few players I enjoy watching that doesn’t foul bait has a nice mid range footwork finishing defense 👌🏼👌🏼 also I believe de Aaron fox is underrated
At first glance it may seem that you have a biased opinion about Kobe and Jordan until I listen to your arguments and you are actually spot on and correct. Your conclusions and talking points are logically and factually accurate. I really hope you get a chance to make these points on ESPN NBA Count Down or First Take. I would love to see how they respond.
I remember I’d never heard of him but then when I was playing 2k his rookie year he locked me up in my career I was so confused. I’ve been following him ever since.
last year SGA ceiling was first team all nba and he did that, this year probably top 3 in mvp voting compared to top 5 last year so probably MVP peak for regular season. Post season is still unknown but his potential is through the roof.
I predicted OKC to be the 4th or 5th seed, they overachieved my expectations so far. Hopefully, they don't make the same mistake like they did in 2012.
Agreed. BUT if that 2012 team can teach any kind of lesson, it's that nothing is EVER guaranteed. Yes, they are absurdly young and the future seems VERY bright. BUT, you never know when it all ends. Windows in sports can slam shut in the blink of an eye. Have to capitalize on every chance you get...
@@skap_attack I said at the time of the Harden trade that their window of possibly dominating the NBA was over before it started because it made the West more wide open.
It’s very simple to gain Skap’s respect: - Show up - Work hard - Don’t make excuses - Do whatever it takes to help your team win, regardless of personal stats - Win Simple. Didn’t say easy.
I really have no idea how Embiid is still nr 1 in the mvp rankings, when he couldn't even win the trophy if he keeps this pace of games missed. Unexplainable. I would put jokic, sga, and doncic way over embiid.
Great video. As always a wing who actually defends is underrated. And a guy who is a foreigner in the NBA, even though it is Canada, is never the favourite to win the mvp. I imagine they prefer giving it to embid or Edwards
Today shai scored 32 points 2/2 3pm and 12/12 ft …. Same night jokic 31 from 19 attempts and 3/4 3pm … players today are way more efficient, different era require different metrics that include the game’s goat according to most (mj) he would be shooting below average not to mention kobe shooting 30 shots a game … that ain’t applicable today’s game unless you dropping 50+
I like Shai. He seems like a good player and even more important a decent human being. OKC just needs to start building a contending team around him and he can contend for a Championship in like three or four years when Giannis and Jokic start to die down.
Shai is getting all the hate by the media because Shai said in his interview , his Goat is Kobe, saying Kobe is Jordan on steroids and he dont like Lebron.
That’s not what he said, he said he never gravitated towards Lebrons game because Lebron is 6’9 strong and athletic and he knew he could never be that type of player. And he said he has Kobe 1, Lebron 2 and Jordan 3rd.
@@jaydot4956 bruh dont you know how the media works if someone dont have bron in their number 1? The headlines literally says there shai dont like lebron. Even though if you watched the interview that is not what he literally said, he meant he dont like the playstyle and dont have the body of bron. media twists the words coz shai's okc beat the lakers during bron's game when he passed kareem in all time points
Yeah, I mean we should pump the breaks on those MJ and Kobe comps, BUT, he is ELITE already. And imo, does deserve the MVP to this point of the season...
Can you make a video on your opinion on the Celtics and what chances you give them are they frauds or the real deal appreciate the content bro keep it up
