While there remains a couple of superstars from the previous era still playing at a high level in the NBA, the new era stars are already beginning to take over. The Los Angeles Lakers are fortunate enough to have someone from both in LeBron James and Luka Doncic, but for every Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant there is Shai Gilgious-Alexander and Anthony Edwards.
Doncic, Edwards and Gilgious-Alexander are viewed by many as the cream of the crop amongst these new stars. Gilgious-Alexander was just named NBA MVP and could be leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA Finals, but only if he can get past Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who ousted Doncic’s Lakers in the first round. It’s worth noting that Doncic beat both Gilgeous-Alexander and Edwards in last year’s postseason en route to the NBA Finals.
All three superstars are generational talents and trying to rank them is extremely difficult. But the incoming 2025 draft class was recently tasked with doing just that at the 2025 NBA Draft Combine via the “Start, Bench, Cut” exercise and all who were asked chose to cut Doncic and keep the other two, via House of Highlights:
Start | Bench | Cut
SGA, LUKA, ANT. 👀 pic.twitter.com/kTfZr7zsE1— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) May 21, 2025
All of the players seemed to struggle with the decision and it is an extremely difficult one to make. It very well could be a case of recency bias as Edwards and Gilgious-Alexander are facing off with one another in the Conference Finals while Doncic’s season ended a couple of weeks ago, at the hands of Edwards no less.
Even still, it is interesting to see what this rookie class is thinking in regards to the NBA’s top young talent and this is a discussion that could have a completely different outcome at this same time next year. With all three superstars on top teams in the West, this could very well be the early stages of a battle between the Lakers, Thunder and Timberwolves for Western Conference supremacy and there is no doubt Doncic, Edwards and Gilgious-Alexander will rise to the challenge.
Lakers’ Luka Doncic ‘changing a lot about himself’ this offseason
Luka Doncic is a big-time competitor and losing in the first round of the playoffs did not sit well with him. The Lakers superstar is already hard at work and is reportedly making a lot of changes this summer when it comes to diet, work ethic, etc.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
