Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Lands Vote to be NBA's Best Player in Five Years

One of the most entertaining parts of sports is watching young, high-potential athletes grow into stardom and eventual superstardom. Shai Gigleous-Alexander is a player who has had a fun trajectory.

Gilgeous-Alexander, 25-years-old, is coming off a season averaging 31.4 points per game on 51 percent shooting efficiency. This led to his first All-Star selection and a first-team All-NBA appearance.

Now, Gilgeous-Alexander is on a list among other young, elite stars in the running to be the best player in the NBA five years from now. ESPN ran a pre-season poll, asking league insiders different questions.

On the questions about the league's best player in five years, there were 15 total votes. Luke Doncic received six, Anthony Edwards received three, Nikola Jokic received two, Victor Wembanyama received two and both Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum received one.

This is a unique blend of names. Wembanyama is touted as the best prospect in all sports since LeBron James, who is highly regarded as the top NBA player of all time alongside Michael Jordan. Jokic is a two-time MVP and NBA champion. Doncic, who has received constant comparisons to Gilgeous-Alexander this offseason, has been a 20+ points per game guy since entering the league.

Given the nature of his arrival both into the league and as a star, Gilgeous-Alexander being on this list really means something. Though it's just one vote, it's a sign of respect as a player who wasn't drafted into the best position to be "the guy" with the Los Angeles Clippers (though wearing a Charlotte Hornets hat on draft night). He was facing the pressure of jumping into the role of being "the guy" on the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder team that blew every expectation out of the water in the 2019-20 season.

What Gilgeous-Alexander has done in his time with the Thunder has been remarkable, and his improvements year-over-year on top of the solid talent around him has the Thunder in a prime position to be playing playoff basketball at the end of the new NBA season.

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