Despite the fact that he finds himself legitimately in the running for a top-two finish in this year's MVP race, in many ways, OKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still underappreciated within the media.
Just this past week alone the 25-year-old has been undersold on numerous occasions, with two separate instances being ignited by former NBA players.
Recently, a hot-topic debate was sparked during a March 22 episode of ESPN's First Take, when retired big man Kendrick Perkins made the bold claim that he wouldn't take "nobody" over Jalen Brunson when it comes to current point guard talents, and specifically stated that there's "no disrespect to SGA" with his comments.
.@KendrickPerkins isn't taking another point guard over Jalen Brunson 😤 pic.twitter.com/w6TliueNXw
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 22, 2024
Though there's absolutely no denying that the Knicks stud is deserving of the utmost praise and respect for his production and impact on the former punch-line franchise -- frankly, in many ways, he's been under-appreciated for his accomplishments -- fans have taken exception to the NBA Champion's remarks, and many have gone on to clap back at the debate by hyping up the Thunder star.
Fans come to the defense of Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
One user dove deep into the advanced metrics and award races when coming to the defense of Gilgeous-Alexander, and highlighted the argument that the Thunder don't have the star-studded supporting cast that New York has had throughout this season.
SGA had also led his team to have the best record outta of anybody against the top teams in the NBA. They like 12-5 against teams considered to be top teams in the NBA.
— I am the S.C (@_IAmTheSC) March 22, 2024
Another user brought a bit of humor to the conversation by posting an image with a perfect two-word sentiment.
Taking Jalen Brunson over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ? pic.twitter.com/xgWjhGqUk8
— Kory Waldron (@Just_KWal) March 22, 2024
One user stated that if Brunson and Gilgeous-Alexander swapped ball clubs, the latter would automatically be running away with this year's MVP award and, thus, likely would make this conversation nonexistent.
If SGA played for the Knicks he would be runaway MVP from media exposure alone
— dj art degree (@JustCameToLeave) March 22, 2024
It should go without saying that both Brunson and Gilgeous-Alexander are two of the best guards, let alone players the league currently has to offer and are deserving of being talked about ad nauseam when it comes to their stupendous production.
However, when a player is producing to a tune not seen outside of the legendary Michael Jordan, it's hard to make a strong case for any other talent to be considered superior.
Nonetheless, Brunson is someone who deserves the hype he's been receiving throughout the 2023-24 campaign and appears slated to be mentioned in the same conversation as guys like Stephen Curry and SGA when it comes to the topic of best point guards in the league for many years to come.