Why Darryn Peterson is giving himself the ‘unguardable’ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comp

As Darryn Peterson heads into the 2026 NBA Draft, he has the perfect player comp in mind. Peterson made a name for himself in his lone season at Kansas as a consensus top-five pick that could change the tide of a franchise. In a recent interview on SportsCenter, Peterson compared himself to reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Darryn Peterson says Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of his NBA comparisons

“In what way would you say your games are similar?”

DP: “Two big guards. Two guards that use their body to score well. I would say unguardable.” pic.twitter.com/Zh7L6keOc7

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 14, 2026

“I think two big guards, and two guards that use their body to score well, and I would say unguardable,” he said when asked how he and Gilgeous-Alexander’s games are similar.

Per his comments to the Kansas City Star at the NBA Draft Combine, he says he’s heard his name compared to many stars, including Gilgeous-Alexander, but also Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Edwards, Damian Lillard, and Tyrese Maxey. But, regardless of the player comparisons, he believes that he can be a franchise-altering player.

“I think I can fit in with any team because I can play both on and off the ball and help my team wherever I go,” Peterson said, per the Kansas City Star, when asked about the Wizards’ top pick, “I’m going to work my butt off on both sides of the ball and challenge myself every day.”

In 24 games for the Jayhawks, Peterson stood out amongst other stars in this draft class. He averaged 20.2 points per game and 1.4 steals while shooting 43.8% from the field and 38.2% from three. Now, all eyes are on the Wizards to see if he, AJ Dybantsa, or Cam Boozer are selected with the first pick in June.

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