If there was anybody in the NBA that deserves his first career All-Star nod then it has to be Oklahoma City Thunder stud Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This man has been playing some pretty insane basketball of late, and there's no denying that this has caught the attention of the basketball world. Just ask Charles Barkley.
In a recent interview with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report, the Hall of Famer made a bold declaration about Gilgeous-Alexander and his All-Star chances this year. According to Sir Charles, SGA should be a lock for this year's game:
“Let me tell you something right now,” Barkley said. “Shai Gilgeous-Alexander better be starting in the damn All-Star Game this year.”
Barkley made it abundantly clear that he won't be happy to settle with just an All-Star selection for Shai. The former league MVP is adamant that Gilgeous-Alexander must be voted in as a starter for the West.
This could pose a bit of a problem, though. Last season's starters for the West were Stephen Curry, Ja Morant, Andrew Wiggins, LeBron James, and Nikola Jokic. Wiggins is the most likely to lose his spot as a starter this year, but you also can't discount guys like Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, and Zion Williamson, to name a few. Has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander done enough to displace any of these guys on the West starting five?
If you look at his numbers, it will be hard to argue about this notion: 31.1 points on 50.6 percent shooting, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks. Whether or not this will be enough for the fans to vote him in, however, remains to be seen.
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