As I mentioned in today’s Binary News Announcement this article is the first article of a new column here on Double Overtime where writers will have a place to respond to an article they read. So please enjoy my response to Jay Mariotti’s article on the NBA playoffs from a few days ago.
Let me start by reminding you that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was drafted 11th overall and immeditately traded by the Charolette Hornets. Then, In July of 2019 the Oklahoma City Thunder traded Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks, and four pick swaps. The move allowed the Clippers to sign Kawhi Leonard and go all-in for a title, while the Thunder entered a rebuild. Gilgeous-Alexander has since become a superstar, and the Thunder are now a top team in the West thanks in part to the draft capital from that trade.
Now let’s get into the actual response: Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Dončić are both 26. Neither has won a championship. Both were budding superstars when the were drafted and traded at different times in their careers for different reasons.
The Lakers, Clippers, and Thunder are all in the playoffs this year, and the whole Western Conference vibe feels just a little off. Not in a bad way, but in a way that makes you sit back and go, “Huh. This could get weird.” The Lakers are still riding the LeBron wave, hoping there’s one more deep run left in those legs. The Clippers? Same story, different year—waiting on Kawhi to stay healthy long enough to make good on all the promises. And then there’s the Thunder, the team that wasn’t supposed to be here yet, running on youth, energy, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s quiet dominance.
And if you’re the Clippers, you’ve got to be sweating. Because not only are the Thunder real—like, actually dangerous—but Shai is the guy you traded away. Not some bench piece. Not a throw-in. A future MVP candidate. And now you might have to deal with him in the second round.
That’s brutal. That’s almost poetic.
The Clippers gave up Shai and a mountain of picks to get Paul George, because that was the price to land Kawhi. It made sense at the time. But the basketball gods have a way of circling back, and now Shai is leading the team that you thought was a mere expansion team with little money to actually be competitive and go for a title. This isn’t just about the present—it’s a reminder of what you let walk out the door.
Shai isn’t playing like he has something to prove. That’s what makes it worse. He plays like a guy who knows exactly who he is. No forced swagger. No loud declarations. Just calm, smooth destruction. And he’s doing it with a group that fits around him—guys like Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren stepping up like seasoned vets. It’s not a one-man show. It’s a well-oiled machine, and Shai is the engine.
Let’s say the Clippers survive the first round round. Let’s say they somehow handle the ghost of trades past.
Then it’s Luka Dončić.
And Luka isn’t a ghost. He’s a full-blown monster that lives to haunt the Clippers. Every postseason matchup between Luka’s team and the Clippers has turned into a personal showcase for him. He has thought he could beat them. He’s never done it before, though. They’ve used every defender, every scheme, every look. Doesn’t matter. Luka’s team has never been able to beat the Clippers. There’s no fear in him this year though because he has LeBron on his team. The bigger the moment, the more comfortable he gets.
So the Clippers’ path is lined with emotional baggage. First the guy they gave up on who turned out to be a franchise player. Then the guy who seems to enjoy nothing more than making them earn the right to advance. That’s a lot to carry through a playoff run, even with a roster full of vets and a championship-caliber coach, Tyronn Lue.
Now, the Lakers? They’re in a different space. Their story is more about hanging on to greatness. LeBron is still defying time, still capable of taking over when it matters most. But the vibe around them is less about destiny and more about the future with Bronny James on the team.
But the Clippers were supposed to be built for this. They gave up future stars to win now. And now that “future” is back, in the form of Shai, ready to knock them off. It’s not just basketball. It’s poetic justice.
The Thunder were supposed to be tanking, remember? All those picks, all that patience. But they skipped a few steps. Instead of wasting years, they let Shai grow into a star, drafted smart, and created a team identity faster than anyone expected. And now here they are, young, fearless, and scary good.
And Shai, man… he’s not out here making everything about him. He just gets buckets. He controls pace. He dictates games without yelling for the spotlight. You look up and he’s quietly dropped 30 on 15 shots, and you don’t even know how it happened. It’s surgical. It’s cold-blooded.
The Clippers, meanwhile, have everything on paper. Experience. Payroll. Star power. But none of that matters when you’re staring down the guy you once considered a “trade piece” and he’s looking at you like it’s personal—even if he never says it out loud.
And if you somehow make it through that? Luka’s waiting. Luka, with that cocky grin and total control of the floor, ready to turn your defensive schemes into highlight reels. The way he plays is brutal in its simplicity. He breaks you down piece by piece, and he enjoys doing it.
Here’s the thing folks: This isn’t just a playoff run for the Clippers. This is a reckoning.
With that… The Lakers are holding onto legacy. The Thunder are arriving, possibly slightly ahead of schedule, led by the guy the Clippers let go. And the Clippers? They’re staring down the consequences of their decisions, past and present, all wrapped up in a playoff path that looks more like a therapy session than a title chase.
If you cannot play for them, them root with them!