Devin Booker is better than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

ESPN recently released their top 100 list in anticipation of the new NBA season, and as always there were some contentious calls made. Perhaps none more than Bradley Beal, who fell 18 spots on last season because he – joined a better team that wanted him to try and win a title?

Whatever about that obviously flawed logic, there was better news in the form of Kevin Durant remaining a top 10 player in the league. Which he is, although at 35-years-old and with a notably injury history, that seventh spot he occupies wasn’t guaranteed.

Then there is franchise player Devin Booker, who not only finished outside the top 10, but is apparently worse than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as well.

Booker landing at 11th is outrageous, and for several reasons. Last year during the playoffs, he put up a league leading 33.7 points per game and looked like the best player in the entire world on some nights. He helped the Suns take two games of the eventual champion Denver Nuggets.

If that is not enough, Booker is still only 26-years-old and is entering his ninth season in the league. To watch him at media day was to see a player who understands this is his franchise, and that he is the main guy. Durant has essentially said as much, while the annual NBA General Manager’s survey had him down as the best shooting guard in the league.

How can you be the best player in your position in an entire sport where there are five people on the court at any one time, and not even crack the top five? Obviously there is overlap with some of the incredible bigs who are in the league today, so making the top five still seems a stretch. Even Durant couldn’t manage it.

Which is why we’re picking on Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in this discussion. “SGA” found himself eighth on the list, ahead of a pair of Los Angeles Lakers in Anthony Davis and LeBron James. To be clear, this is not a debate on the merits of Gilgeous-Alexander.

If the aim of the game was to pick one player in the league today to start a franchise with, then Booker vs Gilgeous-Alexander is a much closer argument. Not least because the Thunder player is only 25 himself and runs the show in Oklahoma like somebody who learnt all of the tricks of the trade from former teammate Chris Paul.

Last season Gilgeous-Alexander came in at 48th – a position that was probably too low for him even then. In what was his fifth season, he was named an All-Star for the first time, and helped the Thunder finished 10th in the Western Conference and secure a spot in the play-in tournament.

Fans and media types alike sure have a short memory, because Booker had nowhere near the level of help that Gilgeous-Alexander currently has on what is a rebuilding Thunder roster, and he still managed to lead his team to an 8-0 run in the NBA’s Bubble.

From there Paul came across from the Thunder, and the rest is history. But his age 24 season, Booker had been an All-Star twice and was making real noise in the bubble. The following season, he would find himself in the NBA Finals.

To put that into some sort of context here, Booker won as many playoff series in getting to the finals in 2021, as Beal has in his entire career. He has 43 playoff games to his name, next to the 13 of Gilgeous-Alexander. In those games, Booker has managed to put up 28 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists, while shooting a shade under 40 percent from deep.

Gilgeous-Alexander on the other hand, although a different type of player, has given him team 15.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. His 3-point shooting average of 43.4 percent however, is extremely impressive. Some may argue SGA has never played on the biggest stage like Booker has, but that’s exactly the point.

Despite being relatively close in age, Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t appeared in the postseason proper since 2019-20. Six of his playoff games came while still with the L.A. Clippers, when he had even less of an impact as a young player. We say this not to belittle one of the best guards in the entire NBA today, but to point out that he has not quite reached Booker’s level yet.

Devin Booker isn’t going to care about this ranking, but having him 11th in the league is strange. You could make the case for him to be above both Davis and James, as well as Gilgeous-Alexander and even Durant. He’s the face of a contender, and will likely be tasked with taking the last shot on a lot of nights. Entertaining list as always ESPN, but you done messed Booker’s ranking up…