The playoffs are heating up in the stacked Western Conference as the Dallas Mavericks take on the youngest top seed, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had an MVP-worthy season, but he will face some stern competition from the Mavericks backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic in the Conference Semifinals. However, Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t seem to think so.
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Luka and Shai have been battling for the top spot in the MVP race all season, which belonged to the Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic at the end of the season. The two superstars’ teams will now get a chance to settle the debate in the postseason. But Shaq has already made up his mind.
The Big Diesel believes that his pick for this season’s league MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander, and his Thunder are gonna breeze past the Mavs to the Conference Finals. “I look for OKC to win this series very easily. I know Dallas has two dynamic scorers. But the way this young team is playing,” Shaq declared on Inside the NBA.
Looking at the squads, it’s clear that OKC plays with more fluidity and enjoys passing the ball around. “They are a unit,“ claimed O’Neal, pointing out exactly that. The four-time NBA Champion believes that this unity in the Thunder can outplay the superstar tandem from Dallas.
Shaq on the Thunder/Mavs series:
“I look for OKC to win this series very easily… They are so together. I think they’re on a mission.”pic.twitter.com/sZni1XRfz9
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) May 7, 2024
“They are so together. I think they are on a mission, and when a team is on a mission, they are very difficult to beat,“ Shaq further added. The Thunder have really shown strong resolve toward the end of the season, winning the three-way race against Denver and Minnesota to grab the top seat in the West.
On the other hand, Dallas is hobbled as Doncic deals with knee issues and Kleber is probably out of the entire series. However, the Mavs are more experienced than the Thunder. And NBA postseason always rewards the experienced.
But Shaq had a different reason for backing the Thunder. He believes that they are on a mission and that’s why it’ll be hard to get past them. Another reason why O’Neal might be hyping up OKC is that SGA is his MVP pick for this year, and he would surely not want him losing in the second round.
Shaq picked SGA to take home the MVP this year
Before their current matchup in the second round of the playoffs, the two teams met four times in the regular season. The Thunder won three out of the four contests, with one even being a blowout. Before the March edition of this contest being played at Paycom Center, O’Neal was asked about Shai and the MVP race.
Shaq declared the SGA should be crowned the MVP at age 25.
“SGA is my MVP right now. He fits both our criteria. He’s the baddest m-f-, shut-your-mouth in the league and his team is winning,” O’Neal said. “He’s definitely my MVP.”
Shaquille O’Neal believes that SGA is the MVP this season pic.twitter.com/Yi81pi8nnG
— GiveMeSport (@GiveMeSport) March 27, 2024
Shai has warranted his name being called alongside Doncic and Jokic, as he averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.5 boards this season[ per StatMuse]. He also leads the league in steals, clocking in over 2 steals per game, for a total of 104 steals this season. Let’s see if he can pick Doncic’s pocket in their upcoming second-round matchup.
![Josh Green may have played significant minutes during Game 6, but it was his postgame interview that caught all the attention. While being interviewed by ESPN Australia, Green had a hilarious conversation about Luka Doncic that hilariously disclosed the latter’s fear of spiders and snakes. The Australian even revealed he insisted that Doncic visit his home country, but the latter immediately declined. During the interview, Josh announced that the 6ft 7” guard would be visiting Australia in the upcoming offseason. With Doncic noticeably surprised, an amusing back-and-forth immediately ensued. Luka: “ESPN Australia!” Green: “Luka is coming to Australia this offseason...” Luka: “No there's too many spiders... I’m afraid of snakes and spiders” The five-time All-Star also claimed that Aussies didn’t “like” him. Luka: “They don’t like me.” Green: “They love you. I told him that everyone loves him in Australia but he doesn’t listen to me.” [per Kane Pitman] Josh Green and Luka Doncic just now. Luka: "ESPN Australia!" Green: "Luka is coming to Australia this offseason..." Luka: "No there's too many spiders..." Green: "I've seen none of Slovenia..probably a reason for that..." Luka: "We have no spiders..." It continued.... pic.twitter.com/YokuFVhakq — Kane Pitman (@KanePitman) May 19, 2024 There could be one potential reason for the crowd in Australia not “liking” him. During the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Luka rallied the Slovenian team to defeat Patty Mills and co. 91-80 in the second round of the tournament. Having already lost to Germany in the first round, the 11-point loss resulted in Australia’s elimination from the campaign. So, while Doncic may have only been doing his job, Australia does indeed have a reason to dislike the Slovenian superstar. That said, perhaps he shouldn't count out his chances of a peaceful visit to the country just yet. Luka Doncic could visit Australia due to his friendship with Kyrie Irving Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports Kyrie Irving has been successful while playing FIBA tournaments, having won the 2010 FIBA Americans U18 Championship, the 2014 FIBA World Cup, and the 2016 Olympics. However, despite achieving all of these while representing Team USA, Irving is actually an Australian citizen. The Mavericks star moved to the USA at a young age after being born in Melbourne, Australia. On numerous occasions in his career, he has contemplated representing his birth nation. However, he claims that Coach K influenced his decision and eventually convinced him to play for Team USA instead. “I consider myself an international player even though I played on Team USA,” Irving told Fox Sports. “Team USA asked me to play for them when I was 17 or 18 ... I wanted to play for Australia, but it just didn't happen. Coach K wasn't going to let that happen either.” “I mean, he's Coach K. As a young fella, he definitely did tell me I had a chance to be a part of something bigger than myself and ultimately being the starting point guard on the US Olympic team.” Kyrie and his former coach (at Duke University) found success, winning gold medals in the FIBA World Cup and Olympics. Luka Doncic has often expressed his love for Kyrie, and vice-versa. Apart from lauding each other for the players that they are, they seem to be more proud of each other’s humble personalities. Considering that the two are so close on and off the court, there could be a possibility that Doncic can travel to Australia without receiving threats from the public for his hand in knocking them out of the World Cup. However, given his many fears, it's unlikely the Slovenian superstar ever considers taking the option.](https://cdn-wp.thesportsrush.com/2024/05/dc36b81e-untitled-design-2024-05-19t145959.456.jpg?format=auto&w=384&q=75)
