There’s no denying that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on top of the NBA right now. He’s part of the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder and the reigning season MVP.
Gilgeous-Alexander is once again proving why he’s deserving of a back-to-back MVP award after carrying the Thunder to the top of the Western Conference for almost the entirety of the season. A former NBA forward noticed SGA’s game and explained why he’s a better closer than other stars in the league.
Why Chandler Parsons Believes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is the NBA’s Best Closer
Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the most polarizing figures in the league as of late. While many acknowledge his greatness on the hardwood, some dislike the way he plays and how he puts up his numbers across the board.
The Thunder are also notably in first place in the Western Conference standings with a 59-16 record. While the team has yet to clinch the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, it’s worth noting that OKC has been atop the West all season.
Former NBA forward Chandler Parsons believes the Thunder’s success is largely due to Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to close out games. When it comes to sports, the results don’t always depend on how one starts a game, but it’s how one finishes a game.
In a recent episode of “Run It Back”, Parsons said that SGA is a better closer compared to other clutch players like Jalen Brunson and Cade Cunningham.
“Just his aura and his personality, he’s so cool, calm, and collected that that’s the guy you want to have with the ball in his hands coming down the stretch,” Parsons said. “There’s really good closers. Like, Cade Cunningham was unbelievable. Jalen Brunson’s been a great Clutch Player of the Year last year. … But no one more than SGA … there’s not a certain aspect of the offensive side of the floor that he can’t do.”
“I’ve never watched him and been like ‘SGA played like s*** tonight.'” 💯
Chandler Parsons says Cade Cunningham & Jalen Brunson are great closers, but with the game on the line, he wants Shai’s cool, calm, and collected aura 😎@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/KRMIqz8ocP
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 30, 2026
Looking at SGA’s season so far, he’s No. 2 in the MVP race but has been in the lead for the award for a huge period of the season. He’s currently averaging 31.4 points, 6.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game.
While there is some truth to Parsons’ sentiments, not everyone will agree with the former forward’s opinion of SGA.
Gilgeous-Alexander has built a notorious reputation for overselling fouls, earning him the moniker “Free Throw Merchant.” Not everyone is a fan of how a huge chunk of his points comes from the charity stripe, making others see him in a different light.
