'It’s Just Overall A Smooth Game': Paige Bueckers Draws Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Comp With Glowing Reviews From Candace Parker And Aliyah Boston

Candace Parker followed suit, pointing out how Bueckers’ mid-range wizardry channels NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In an era where everyone’s jacking threes or diving for layups, Bueckers is reminding us that the “middie” still slaps—and yes, that makes Paige Bueckers a big deal. 

Since that paint-splattering 44-point masterclass on August 20, 2025, her stock skyrocketed—she now holds the rookie single-game scoring record, blurring the Candace Parker benchmark. 

There’s your smooth-operator rookie, carving out her own lane—and getting respect from legends who know their mid-range clutch from their elbow jumper.

Inside Paige Bueckers’ Scoring Style Compared to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Breaking down Paige Bueckers’ scoring style alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gives us one of the cleanest comparisons in hoops right now. Both excel in that underrated 2-point zone, just in slightly different flavors.

Bueckers thrives close to the hoop and from mid-range. About 76.7% of her shots are inside the arc, with 26.4% coming from mid-range—where she absolutely cooks at 61.4% shooting. That efficiency is no joke. 

SGA, meanwhile, tallied 73.7% of his attempts inside the arc in his MVP season. His paint game is even stronger—42.1% in the paint—and he nails 78.8% of his unassisted 2-pointers. And hey, he averaged 32.7 points a game while winning both scoring title and MVP honors. 

“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t shoot that many 3s. And he was the league MVP this year. There’s still value in that middie. And Paige Bueckers has a pretty mid-range game.” Candace Parker explained.

This isn’t just a surface-level thing: both players prioritize the mid-range slice of the pie, showing that you don’t need to be launching threes to make magic happen. Simple as that. And don’t sleep on Paige Bueckers—her scoring craft is shaping up like a mirror of SGA’s, just in a rookie package.