The NBA's last two champions are the New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder, both led by a superstar guard that can get a bucket against any defender in isolation. Jalen Brunson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the league's two most recent Finals MVPs for several reasons, but their ability to take the basketball and close high-leverage games out ranks first among them.
While Gilgeous-Alexander's season of dreams was just a year ago, the Alien's emergence out west has made Oklahoma City's time on top feel like it took place a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. The superstar played in Team Canada's 2027 World Cup qualifiers, helping his country blow Puerto Rico out.
Head coach Gordie Herbert made comments to reporters that made it clear SGA was watching Brunson pick apart Victor Wembanyama, the guy that ended OKC's season. The coach said Gilgeous-Alexander came to him at training camp, expressing a desire to play off the ball more. That sounds familiar to Mike Brown's vision for Brunson ahead of the 2026 NBA season, and the style of basketball that ultimately saved their season against the Atlanta Hawks.
SGA is making a winning move by wanting to play more like Brunson
Herbert told reporters about Gilgeous-Alexander's strategic desires after Canada's rout of Puerto Rico, according to Oren Weisfeld.
“Shai came and said he would like to play off the ball more… And I think he’s tougher to guard off the ball. Tougher to trap,” the coach said.
When the Thunder won the NBA Championship in 2025, Gilgeous-Alexander's isolation scoring was the biggest reason Sam Presti and Mark Daigneault's defender-heavy lineups were able to get by offensively. When Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell suffered unfortunate injuries throughout the 2026 postseason, though, Oklahoma City was left without any other options besides their MVP guard.
While Gilgeous-Alexander shouldered the heavy offensive load all the way to a Game 7 against Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, it was ultimately their undoing. The loss felt similar to their second-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks in 2024, when Luka Doncic (remember when that guy was the best hooper in Texas?) carried his squad to the NBA Finals.
Ironically, it was the team-first approach of the Boston Celtics that ended their season. While Jayson Tatum was universally considered their best player, Jaylen Brown won Finals MVP. He had more scoring opportunities to capitalize on, as a result of the Mavericks picking him as their poison – the same way Kevin Durant won two Finals MVPs on teams led by Steph Curry.
Even though the Thunder have gone all the way with SGA as their first, second, and third scoring option, they've never been afraid to adapt and innovate. This year, the Knicks beat them to the punch, instituting offense that allowed Brunson to thrive off the ball as a scorer and even 3-point shooter.
Gilgeous-Alexander came out in 2026 even hotter than he did to start his dual-MVP campaign in 2025. Now that he's tapping into Brunson's winning ways, and adding them to his own, he might be in for the best season of his career in 2027.
The Knicks, however, are the reigning champs. To be the man once again, SGA will have to beat the man.
He wears orange and blue, too. But his jersey reads #11.
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