Those who tuned in to the Thunder vs. Knicks game at Madison Square Garden a few nights ago were treated to a thriller. It was a back and forth battle between two legitimate contenders, with the defending champion Thunder edging out a three point win in the end. One of the individual matchups to watch was between reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson.
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Gilgeous-Alexander and Brunson share several similarities. Both are undersized guards who began their careers as secondary options on their previous teams, the Clippers for SGA and the Mavericks for Brunson. After changing teams, however, their careers took off. Shai developed into an MVP and a player who has averaged around 30 points per game over the past four seasons, while Brunson emerged as the face of the Knicks franchise.
Few expected Brunson in particular to rise into such a prominent figure in the league. That includes his former teammate Isaiah Hartenstein, who spoke about it alongside Alex Caruso during an appearance on Young Man and The Three.
Hartenstein began by immediately comparing SGA and Brunson together. “I think it’s kind of similar to Shai. I think they’re both, they want to win. They both, their egos are kind of aside. They both work extremely hard so when they’re in in those moments they can be confident. I can trust them. Great leader,” he said.
Those similarities are not hard to spot. Both are soft spoken, respectful personalities. You heard it from Shai when he won Finals MVP and from Jalen when he was named MVP of the NBA Cup tournament. But Hartenstein went a step further. Even he admitted that he did not expect Brunson to grow into a Top 5 player in the league.
“If I’m being honest, I didn’t think he was going to, when we had him, we both got their at the same time, I thought he was a good point guard but I didn’t think he would be what he is,” the Thunder star added.
“I thought he was a good point guard, but I didn’t think he was gonna be what he is” — Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso talk about the similarities between Jalen Brunson and SGA pic.twitter.com/jlhjz34tbb
— TheOldManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) March 7, 2026
Caruso could not help but join the comparison. “Honestly, it’s a great comparison to the Shai trajectory. Because he’s gotten better each and every year to where now he’s like an All-NBA guy,” said the two time NBA champion. It is hard to argue with someone who has been around and played with some of the greats, including LeBron James.
What makes it even cooler is that neither player fits the traditional superstar mold. Shai is not the loud, chest pounding type, and Brunson is not built like the typical NBA headliner, yet both have turned themselves into franchise cornerstones.
The real question now is whether Brunson can do what Shai did and win it all for a city desperate to raise another banner alongside the Cup they won earlier this season. If he manages that, it would cement him as an all time great Knick. But that road will likely run through the Thunder. Wednesday’s game might not just be a regular season matchup. It could be a preview of something much bigger down the line.
