Bill Simmons makes bold claim regarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been on a tear over the past 18 months. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard was selected to the All-NBA First Team at the end of the 2022-23 season. He has continued that stellar level of play to begin the new season, too, and is now widely viewed as the best point guard in the NBA.
On Tuesday, Gilgeous-Alexander once again proved he was among the league's elite as he led his team to victory over the Boston Celtics. He ended that game with 36 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal while shooting 63.6% from the field and 60% from 3-point range.
According to Bill Simmons, who was speaking on an episode of NBA Radio for Sirius XM on Wednesday, Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as a top-five talent in the league.
"They (Oklahoma) have one of the best guys in the league, now," Simmons said. "...To me, SGA is a top-five guy in the league now. Somebody has to go. And for me, I was surprised, but I put him ahead of (Jayson) Tatum. The reason I put him ahead of Tatum, I just think, at the end of these games, I've watched him the entire season. Whoever the other team's best player is, he's either matched the guy or outplayed him. It's happened too many times now. The guy is unstoppable. You can't discount it anymore now, just because he's on a small market team."
Gilgeous-Alexander has unquestionably proven himself as one of the premier talents in the NBA. Some may view him outside of the top five players in the league. Others may agree with Simmons' statement. Regardless of where you view him in the NBA's hierarchy, it's clear that his presence is elevating the Thunder toward being championship contenders.
With the amount of young talent on the Thunder's roster, they're not supposed to be this good so soon. Just 18 months ago, there were rumblings that Gilgeous-Alexander could grow impatient with the slow and steady progress the franchise was making. Yet, now, the Thunder sit second in the Western Conference and look poised for a legitimate postseason run.
Gilgeous-Alexander's ability to cycle through gears when coming off screens and counteract defenses with his three-level scoring and smart shot selection has ensured the Thunder rarely stagnate on offense. With him leading the way, the Thunder are going to be one of the best teams in the league for the foreseeable future. If that doesn't prove that he's among the best in the league, then nothing will.
More must-reads: