Lakers News: Austin Reaves Believes This Team Canada Opponent Could Compete For MVP
While playing for Team USA, Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves was incredibly impressed with Team Canada's best player, who massacred the club in their Sunday matchup for the bronze medal in this year's FIBA World Cup run.
That'd be Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 31 points, passed for 12 assists, and grabbed six rebounds during Canada's 127-118 overtime thriller against Team USA.
Per Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Reaves raved about SGA afterwards.
"He kills everybody in the league. He's one day probably going to be in race for MVP," Reaves said. "You've got to give him his flowers."
Reaves wasn't so bad himself, albeit in a losing effort. In 33 minutes off the bench, the 6'5" swingman out of the University of Oklahoma scored 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor (including 2-of-5 from deep) and 7-of-7 shooting from the charity stripe. He also pulled down five boards and notched a steal and a dime.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.4 points on .510/.345/.905 shooting splits, 5.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks a night across 68 contests for a scrappy 40-42 Thunder team that looks liable to be a problem in the West this season, thanks to internal growth from the extant personnel (especially the aforementioned SGA), plus the advent of 2022 No. 2 draft pick Chet Holmgren out of Gonzaga and 2023 No. 10 pick Cason Wallace out of Kentucky.
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