Hornets' Miles Bridges dishes on why Luka Doncic is easier to guard than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Yesterday at 05:48 PM
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges appeared on the Club 520 Podcast and dropped a take about Luka Doncic and Shai Gilegous-Alexander that will surprise many.
“I'll say Luka (is easier to guard) because sometimes Luka will take the day off on certain match-ups,” Bridges said. “Like if he doesn't feel like playing that day then he'll give that to Kyrie. Kyrie will go get 40 and Shai will straight do it.”
Bridges’ remarks were unexpected, to say the least. Even host Jeff Teague questioned why the Hornets forward didn’t include LeBron James on his list of toughest players to guard.
“LeBron takes days off, sometimes he doesn't feel like playing,” Bridges said. “Every time I play against LeBron though he's like, ‘Man it's the Hornets. I'm going to chill’ but he's not going to be able to do that this year man. We're going to be on our s**t this year man.”
How Hornets’ Miles Bridges Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic comparison highlights talent
Although the Hornets have a nice young trio of Bridges, LaMelo Ball, and Brandon Miller, it still doesn’t make sense how he’s underestimating the value of the top talent in the NBA. Doncic led the league in scoring, as well as having five All-NBA selections within his first six seasons. The year he didn’t get a nomination, he received the Rookie of the Year trophy.
Doncic gets a bad rap for being considered a player who takes games off on the defensive end sometimes. However, he’s carrying so much of an offensive burden that he’ll need to take plays off to avoid tiring himself out. Even with Kyrie Irving signing with the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic had a near MVP season.
Not to mention, James is argued by some to be the best to ever play. Averaging 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in Year 21 is beyond impressive. Similar to Doncic, James carries such an offensive load on his shoulders. He and Doncic consistently run the offense, have plays designed specifically for them, and help elevate others around them.
Also, the Thunder guard is an exceptionally talented player in his own right. Gilgeous-Alexander helped the Thunder rise to the No. 1 seed in a stacked Western Conference. He also placed second in MVP voting, with Nikola Jokic taking the prized possession. SGA’s slashing, ball-handling, and clutch performances make him such a threat.
However, disregarding Doncic’s impact because he takes some plays off is a bit excessive of a reason. Players take possessions off all the time. Regardless, both players make their presence known in different ways. By the end of the season, both players could be in the MVP discussion.
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