The NBA is in the midst of its offseason, but that doesn’t mean discussions around the league have settled. Rumors and predictions continue to circulate, as do harsh comparisons between players.
Joining in on the conversation were analyst Max Kellerman and sports agent Rich Paul, hosts of the Game Over podcast. During their latest episode on Aug. 28, the duo uncovered the key difference between Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Analyst Identifies What Makes Brunson ‘Better’ Than SGA
While recording the podcast, Kellerman didn’t hold back on his thoughts regarding Brunson and SGA.
“SGA and Jalen Brunson played the same position, right? Modern NBA pick-and-roll point guard, the whole stuff. Fouling-beating point guards — Jalen Brunson does it too, obviously,” said Kellerman.
“They both played the same team; there were no major injuries between the Western Conference finals and the finals, they deployed the same resources to stop that guy, same defenders, same defensive scheme a lot of the time.”
“It worked on SGA throughout the series; he was not able to overcome the Spurs’ defense, tight games and very competitive series, and SGA’s a great player, of course,” he added. “They did it to Brunson, and it worked the first two games. Brunson’s offense was not efficient the first couple of games, but because Brunson is better than SGA, meaning he’s more valuable than SGA, he was able to make adjustments.”
Max Kellerman Deems Jalen Brunson better than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander:
“SGA and Jalen Brunson play the same position, modern NBA, pick and roll, foul baiting point guards. They both have the same team. San Antonio deployed, the same defensive scheme to stop that guy it worked on… pic.twitter.com/4yCXOhpd0o
— JayTakes (@SportsWithJay0) August 28, 2026
Kellerman continued to explain, “It’s not like the Knicks blew him out every game. He had to come back basically every game, and they came back because Jalen Brunson’s basketball brain is working overtime, reading and reacting, doing what he had to do to bring his team.”
Now, Brunson’s stat sheet, as it stands, isn’t as glowing as SGA’s. For reference, SGA is averaging 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, while shooting 55.3% from the floor. His numbers land him second in points across the NBA, just behind Luka Dončić (33.5).
As for Brunson, he is currently averaging 26.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game, while shooting 46.7% from the floor.
Both players have eight years of professional experience, so time in the NBA isn’t a deciding factor. Instead, Kellerman points to Brunson’s brain when it comes down to who the better player is.
SGA may have the stronger stat sheet right now, but it’s increasingly hard to deny Brunson’s overall adeptness on the court.
