Serbia v Bosnia - FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers Nikola Jokic of Serbia during the FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers match between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall on July 06, 2026 in Belgrade, Serbia. Belgrade Serbia Copyright: xSrdjanxStevanovicx x
Serbia v Bosnia - FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers Nikola Jokic of Serbia during the FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers match between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall on July 06, 2026 in Belgrade, Serbia. Belgrade Serbia Copyright: xSrdjanxStevanovicx x
The debate between Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the NBA’s biggest player comparisons. Both stars play at a very high level, but former Sacramento Kings point guard Jason Williams clearly prefers Jokic when it comes to overall ability.
Williams explained why he thinks Jokic has a more complete game than Gilgeous-Alexander. He said the Denver Nuggets center can affect almost every part of a game. Williams focused on Jokic’s ability to help his team in many ways, not just by scoring points.
“Jokic has so much more to offer at the game of basketball than Shai”, Williams said.
April 8, 2026, Inglewood, California, USA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives past Derrick Jones Jr. 5 of the Los Angeles Clippers during their regular season NBA, Basketball Herren, USA game on Wednesday April 8, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Clippers lose to Thunder, 128-110. ARIANA RUIZ/PI Inglewood USA - ZUMAp124 20260408_zaa_p124_145 Copyright: xArianaxRuizx
April 8, 2026, Inglewood, California, USA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives past Derrick Jones Jr. 5 of the Los Angeles Clippers during their regular season NBA, Basketball Herren, USA game on Wednesday April 8, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Clippers lose to Thunder, 128-110. ARIANA RUIZ/PI Inglewood USA - ZUMAp124 20260408_zaa_p124_145 Copyright: xArianaxRuizx
NBA Courtside shared a clip from the Hoppin' N Hollerin' podcast on X. In the clip, Williams compared the debate to the famous Michael Jordan-LeBron James discussion. He also admitted that Gilgeous-Alexander makes the debate closer because he knows how to get results.
“Now, that being said, what Shai does have to offer, it’s kind of like the Jordan and LeBron situation. You argue about it, da da da, but at the end of the day you say Jordan won. Shai gets it done. So, that’s just a personal opinion”, he added.
In the end, Williams sees a difference in how the two stars play. He believes Jokic can help his team in more ways and does not need to score a lot to make a big impact. For Williams, that makes Jokic the more complete player.
Jokic’s all-around numbers strengthen the argument
The 2025-26 regular-season numbers from ESPN show why this debate is so interesting. Nikola Jokic averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game while shooting 56.9% from the field in the 2025-26 Regular Season, as per the ESPN Stats page.
Gilgeous-Alexander had 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, while shooting 55.3% from the field, according to ESPN’s player page.
Williams used scoring to show how the two stars have different approaches to winning. He believes Jokic does not need to score a lot as long as his team wins.
He explained how the two players could react to a period with low scoring numbers:
“If Shai goes a whole week without scoring 15, he’s upset about it he feels some type of way even if they’re winning. Joker does the same thing. He is just as happy as if he scores 50”, Williams said.
With the new NBA season starting on October 20, the Jokic-Gilgeous-Alexander debate will continue on the court. Their performances next season could show whether Jokic’s all-around game or Shai’s scoring and ability to deliver gives one of them the stronger case.
Written by
Kapil Manghnani
Kapil Manghnani brings over 4.5 years of experience in sports journalism, covering a wide range of sports, including Soccer, NHL, Tennis, Gymnastics, NASCAR, Swimming, and more. He has written for leading sports platforms, producing everything from breaking news and features to in-depth analysis, opinion pieces, long-form stories, and short-form content. Beyond articles, he has also scripted long-form storytelling videos for YouTube channels. His work focuses on delivering well-researched, engaging, and reader-first sports content across multiple formats.
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