“At Least Try On Defensive End,” Chris Paul Makes His Pick Between Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Former NBA guard Chris Paul made his choice between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic for point guard.

“At Least Try On Defensive End,” Chris Paul Makes His Pick Between Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Chris Paul on Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Chris Paul prefers Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over Luka Doncic for running point guard.
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is currently second in the league in scoring and leads the MVP race.
  • Luka Doncic is criticized for his defensive efforts and frequent complaints to referees during games.

There is doubt that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic are two of the best scorers in the NBA today. Doncic currently leads the league in scoring, while SGA is right behind him in second place. SGA won the NBA championship last season while Doncic is looking for his first title after making it to the NBA Finals in 2024.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been on a tear this season. After a historic 2024-25 campaign where he won the championship, Finals MVP, regular-season MVP, and the scoring title, SGA is on course to win it all once again.

Over the last three seasons, SGA has averaged 30+ points per game and is on track to make it four in a row this year. Many pundits and analysts believe his scoring numbers and efficiency put him in the same tier as Michael Jordan.

Meanwhile, Luka Doncic is one of the most skilled offensive players in the NBA. Drafted as the number three pick in the NBA draft, Doncic has grown into one of the best players in the league today. Since joining the Lakers at the trade deadline last season, the Slovenian has been the focal point of the team as the club prepare for life in the post-LeBron James era.

Last week, Chris Paul announced his retirement from basketball after his unceremonious exit from the Los Angeles Clippers. During his time in the NBA, Paul was widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards of all time.

During a recent episode of Carmelo Anthony’s podcast, ‘7PM in Brooklyn,’ Paul said he would take Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over Luka Doncic as far whom he would want to run point guard in the NBA.

We would be on the road, watching games, but he [Shai] would love to be in the gym. And I think that year that we played together, he also started to see that defense matters. You ain’t gotta be a lockdown defender or whatnot, but when you’re playing defense for your team, your teammates just want to see that the starts actually try on defense.

Defense plays a huge role in winning championships. While Doncic is one of the most gifted offensive players in the NBA, he has often been criticized for his poor defense, which is one of the main reasons why the Lakers are not viewed as championship contenders this season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic are in the MVP conversation

SGA had shown no signs of slowing down till his recent injury. It has been nearly three weeks since SGA was last seen in court. The Thunder have gone 4-3 in his absence. Prior to his injury, the OKC guard was averaging 31.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 49 appearances this season. He is second in the league in scoring and still leads the MVP race at the moment.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shooting over Luka Doncic
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shooting over Luka Doncic (Image credits – TOKNSPORTS/X)

Doncic has played an instrumental role in keeping the Lakers in the top-six so far this season, especially with James and Austin Reaves missing a number of games. The Lakers guard leads the league in scoring and is currently averaging 32.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.5 assists in 44 appearances.

Another player in the mix is three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. The Denver Nuggets center has not missed a beat since his return from injury. It is going to be a tight race as all three players can make strong cases for league MVP. Only time will tell.

Max Kellerman takes off on Luka Doncic’s habit of complaining

There have been concerns over the lack of consistency of referees over the last few years. SGA, Doncic, and Jokic have all been accused of flopping and looking for foul calls. Doncic is well known for arguing with referees and begging for calls.

Max Kellerman seemed particularly heated while addressing his actions on the “Game Over” podcast recently.

The point is, that is not okay. And you know how [Pat] Riley has his statue? You know what Luka Doncic’s statue, if he ever gets one, outside of Crypto now is going to be? It’s going to be like this. With his arms out, like this. Every single trip down the floor, you’re complaining to the refs? Even when he hits the shot? No, you’re not going to get the and-1. It can’t be that the refs blow every call on Luka Doncic.

Doncic is often criticized for doing it too often during games, and it looks like Kellerman has had enough of it. Doncic’s complaining after a potential missed call has proven detrimental on more occasions than one, often resulting in delayed effort on transition defense and disruptions on offensive possessions. 

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