Shai Gilgeous-Alexander cemented himself as a winning player and the class of the NBA this season, and one of his teammates thinks he has already surpassed two elite guards.
Last offseason, the Oklahoma City Thunder signed journeyman center Isaiah Hartenstein away from the New York Knicks, hoping that he and Alex Caruso could be the missing pieces.
After winning their first title in franchise history, it was clear that those moves paid off. While both additions played key roles in the Thunder’s success, the team firmly belongs to MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Hartenstein has played with legends like James Harden on the Houston Rockets, Nikola Jokic, Kawhi Leonard, and Jalen Brunson, although he thinks SGA is the best guard he has ever shared the court with.
Throughout his career, Harden has been criticized for empty stats, a lack of effort on defense, and shortcomings in the playoffs. While Brunson hasn’t been under the spotlight for as long as Harden, he and the Knicks have fallen early in the playoffs in the last three seasons.
SGA, after winning Finals MVP, has already proven himself to be a reliable leader in the playoffs, and Hartenstein credits his team-first mentality.
“He has no ego,” explained the center. “There’s no, ‘I’m just going to score. I’m trying to make it by myself.’ It’s never that. I mean, there was even times at the beginning of the season where he threw me a pass and I threw it to the next man to get a shot. And I’m like, ‘Sorry, I’ll finish it next time you get your assist.’ And he’s like, ‘I don’t care.’”
While SGA did lead the league in scoring last season, it didn’t seem manufactured like Harden’s three scoring and lone assist titles did.
Including Gilgeous-Alexander and Brunson, the 2018 Draft Class already has five All-Stars, and players like Mikal Bridges and even Deandre Ayton are not far behind.
However, SGA was the first to win a ring as a key contributor, let alone the team leader.
The biggest detraction against Harden is his lack of team success. He has only made the NBA Finals once, in 2013, and he was far from the best player on that Thunder team.
While Brunson has a lot of time left, he is not safe from being known as a great regular-season player who simply can’t take the leap. Hartenstein has already identified SGA as a player who can put the team first, which is rare.
| Player | GP | PPG | APG | SPG | FG% | Playoff Record |
| James Harden | 146 | 35.3 | 7.5 | 1.9 | 44.3% | 11-12 |
| Jalen Brunson | 145 | 26.5 | 6.5 | 0.9 | 48.4% | 13-11 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 76 | 32.7 | 6.4 | 1.7 | 51.9% | 16-7 |
“Even if he’s putting up those huge numbers, he’s not searching them,” Hartenstein continued. “He’s trying to make the team as best as possible. I mean, him playing on both sides of the court, I think that’s something that’s really underrated. He plays defense. Like, you can’t just go pick on him. And he tries on defense.”
While Harden is one of the best scorers ever, SGA manages to add another dimension to his game, leading to team success. Brunson, much like Harden, is one of the best guards in the league, although he is yet to take a true next step.
