Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is entering the 2025-26 NBA season on an extremely high horse. The three-time All-Star capped off his historic individual season by winning nearly every accolade available. He won the MVP award and led his team to the 2025 NBA Finals en route to winning the championship. SGA has done everything in his power to earn recognition as arguably the best player in the league. NBA analyst Zach Lowe, however, still can’t put the Canadian star over Luka Doncic.
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In debates about players in their mid-20s, Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic are in a category of their own. Their talent is so great that if they are already being compared to greats of the game.
Doncic unfortunately simply up to the mark last season in comparison to Alexander. Frankly, the former Dallas Mavericks superstar didn’t look like his usual self and for obvious reasons.
Now that his mind has eased following the abrupt trade to LA, he has transformed his body. Consequently, Lowe believes the league is about to witness a scary sight.
“If this lasts, this means the Lakers have a top-three player in the NBA in the kind of condition he has never been in, in his career,” Lowe said on The Zach Lowe Show.
Recency bias is an ever-present problem in the NBA. People seem to forget just how great Doncic is at his peak. It was only a year ago when he led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals.
Lowe has always been a big proponent of Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder’s brilliant development of youth. But even considering that, he finds himself asking a serious question.
“Even now, after watching OKC win the chip, would you take Luka over SGA?” Lowe asked.
The question certainly deserves some thought. If it wasn’t for Doncic’s absences due to injury, he would’ve most likely earned his sixth consecutive All-NBA First Team honor. He has been able to achieve such feats without being in his peak physical fitness. Now that he is, Lowe’s stance has become clear.
“A year ago, I would’ve taken Luka. Now, I don’t think it’s an open-and-shut case, despite everything SGA just did. That’s how good Luka is,” Lowe proclaimed.
The idea of Doncic’s performance improving another notch is a scary thought for any team. That said, questions have been raised by analysts like Skip Bayless, questions about whether his fitness is sustainable enough to last him through the season. The Lakers will hope, especially with LeBron James probably inching towards his swan song, that he can.
