Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drops 32 points for Team Canada, earns high praise

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a star. After making the playoffs his first two years in the league, he has not gotten to fully put it on display for the rest of the world to see, but those of us in Oklahoma City understand what we are watching. This is not a “someone has to score points on bad teams” situation.

The 23-year-old point guard averaged 24-points last season after dropping 23-points per game the year before. He is a borderline All-Star that has seen his Free Throw attempts per game increase each year to help his scoring production, is elite at finishing at the rim, is a creative scorer, and is an underrated passer.

The Kentucky product is under contract in Oklahoma City for the next five seasons with no opt-outs, the max extension kicks in this season as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is owed 30.9-million dollars this season, 33.3-million dollars next year, 35.8-million dollars in 2024-25, 38.2-million dollars in 2025-26, and 40.8-million dollars in the final year of the deal in 2026-27.

After injuries sidelined him last offseason, preventing him from playing for Team Canada, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made his long-awaited Team Canada debut over the weekend. This is something Gilgeous-Alexander takes great pride in.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander debuts for Team Canada by pouring in 32-points in a 95-75 win over the Dominican Republic

The OKC Thunder point guard turned in 32-points, five assists, five rebounds, three steals, and two blocks in an all-out effort in his Team Canada debut. His first possession for Team Canada came right off the (clunky) opening tip as SGA scrambled for the loose ball and drove to the rim finishing his first career left-handed dunk.

The Oklahoma City Thunder building block shot 50 percent from the floor, 45 percent from deep making five triples, and turned in 5-for-6 at the line. While he did turn the ball over three times, that is lessened by the fact he was the primary ball-handler as SGA was a plus 29 in the game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earned high praise from his teammates and those around Canada basketball, including Kelly Olynyk who said “[Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] is up there with the best [Canadian Guards] ever, for sure. It is a privilege to play with a guy like that.”