"He's clearly the alpha" - NBA analyst invokes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's clutch gene to undermine Jayson Tatum's superstar status

Though Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are out of the playoffs, Colin Cowherd criticized Tatum while discussing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder. On Thursday's The Herd, the NBA analyst stated that Shai is doing everything Tatum is said to do.

Additionally, as Cowherd stated, SGA is without a doubt the head honcho on the Thunder's squad, even though he has several high-level players around him.

In the case of Jayson Tatum, however, Cowherd cited Jaylen Brown winning last year's Eastern Conference finals MVP award and the 2024-25 NBA Finals MVP award.

"He is delivering and fulfilling everything I've been told Jayson Tatum does, but doesn't really," Cowherd said.

"Last year, the Celtics go on their championship run. Jaylen Brown's the MVP of the Eastern Conference finals. Jaylen Brown's the Finals MVP, and Jaylen Brown's the aggressor and often the initiator. SGA wants the ball, is always the aggressor ... he is clearly the alpha."

Fans noted that SGA averaged 31.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 8.2 assists on 46% shooting in the Western Conference finals. Conversely, Jayson Tatum averaged 30.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists on 46.0% in the 2024-25 Eastern Conference finals.

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NBA insider Shams Charania shares update on Jayson Tatum following season-ending Achilles tear amid Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comparisons from Colin Cowherd

While the Boston Celtics entered the postseason eager to go back-to-back as NBA champs, Jayson Tatum's Achilles tear put the team at a major disadvantage as they looked to overcome a second-round deficit to the New York Knicks.

Although many believed it to be clear that Tatum had torn his Achilles tendon, the team didn't share an update until after the star forward had surgery to repair the injury the following day.

As Shams Charania explained on a live edition of "The Pat McAfee Show" this week, the doctor who performed the surgery is confident that the quick intervention will ultimately lead to a smoother recovery period.

"Jayson Tatum had his surgery just over twelve hours after his Achilles tear.. That doctor believes that will allow him to heal better."

Despite that, as he revealed, the expectation is that Tatum will be sidelined for most of, if not all of, the 2025-26 season ahead.

With new owners taking the reins of the franchise and significant questions about the future of the team's core, only time will tell how things play out for the 2024 champs.

In the meantime, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are all-in on a championship run.