The contributions of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in assisting a young core of the Oklahoma City Thunder to victories have grabbed the headlines several times. His ascent to superstardom because of this has been of particular interest to the followers of the league. Austin Rivers recently became one such name on the list as he even put the Canadian star ahead of Kyrie Irving in the latest episode of Off Guard.
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The 31-year-old had high praise for the Thunder star as he highlighted, “He is must-see TV”. Following this, he indicated how the 25-year-old had surpassed Kyrie as the most entertaining player to watch in the current NBA. “
“He took Kyrie’s spot as ‘League Pass King,.”
Claiming he has “watched more Kyrie basketball probably more than anybody,” Rivers mentioned that the Mavs star has been ‘League Pass King’ for the past seven 7 years.
Yet, he admitted to the change in times, openly declaring, “Shai Alexander is number one”. “He is unbelievable,” the 6’4 player further mentioned applauding the on-court endeavours of the 2023 All-Star.
This high praise is a result of Shai’s ability to build on last season’s performances during the regular season. After averaging 31.4-4.8-5.5 in the previous campaign, he has taken it up a notch with a stat line of 30.7-5.8-6.3. The 6’6 guard’s efforts have been invaluable to the franchise as they rank second on an extremely competitive Western Conference table with an 18-8 record.
Has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander surpassed Kyrie Irving?
Since moving to the Dallas Mavericks earlier this year, Kyrie’s time with the organization has been filled with ups and downs. His 20 games for the team last season failed to help them achieve a post-season spot. Despite that, both parties trusted each other as the NBA star signed a 3-year deal to stay in Texas.
The start of this season till now has seen him matching his career average in the current setup. Yet, his fitness remains a concern as always. The Mavs guard has suffered from a bruised heel early into this month, sidelining him for a couple of weeks. In fact, the 2016 NBA champion has only featured in 17 matches for his franchise till now after missing out on his seventh consecutive game.
Amidst the inconsistency from Irving, Shai has rapidly risen the ranks to become the talk of the NBA community. As things stand, the viewers of the league seem more excited to witness the Thunder youngster than a seasoned champion. A cruel reality of competitive sport fueling a change in the pecking order.
