SGA Or Luka? Chris Paul Makes His Choice In This Debate

Chris Paul has heard many barber shop debates in the past, and his name has been thrown around in those heated discussions as well. Now that the Point God has concluded his NBA career, he probably won’t hear the end of it as fans and analysts look to pick his basketball brain.

When Paul made a special appearance on the “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast shortly after he announced his retirement, he was asked to choose between one of two elite guards in the league today: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic.

Who you got, CP3? He went with a bit of a homer pick. “Shai…That year we played together, he started to see that defense also matters,” Paul said at a live recording of “7PM.”

It’s clear that Paul’s bias isn’t just towards the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that he played for in the 2019-20 season. Though there are multiple layers to the SGA vs. Luka debate, Paul  leans towards Gilgeous-Alexander because of his effort on the defensive end. “You ain’t gotta be a lockdown defender…but when you’re playing defense for your team, your teammates just want to see that the star is actually trying,” he explained.

When CP3 was racking up All-Star appearances in New Orleans and Los Angeles, he was exactly that: a star that set the defensive tone for his squad. While SGA isn’t a mainstay of the All-Defensive Team like Paul was, he has managed to be a steady defensive presence on the perimeter as the Thunder continue to dominate the league.

The same cannot be said, however, for Doncic, who has frequently been targeted by opposing shot-makers throughout his stints with the Mavericks and Lakers. Doncic is arguably the best offensive weapon in the world right now, but his execution on the defensive end leaves much to be desired.

Small wonder, then, that CP3 chose to side with the elite guard who comes closer to the definition of “two-way player.” Paul, who is second all-time in career steals, recognizes both the individual effort and the wider impact of the reigning MVP’s defensive effort. Either that, or Paul has particularly strong feelings towards OKC.