Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Continues to Find Footing For Team Canada

Oklahoma City's star guard is shining on the international stage for his hometown squad.

Transitioning from the Thunder to Team Canada, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hasn't missed a beat. Oklahoma City's breakout star finished up an MVP-level season in the NBA and it has, for the most part, transitioned to FIBA basketball.

SGA has had several massive games already, and Canada is performing well as a team. Going from the NBA to FIBA can be a tough transition because of the different rules and the changes in officiating. Gilgeous-Alexander isn't getting to the line as much, but is finding ways to get his teammates open and draw attention.

His best game so far came against New Zealand, where he poured in 26 points, six steals and three assists on 9-of-12 shooting overall. He played just 19 minutes, but put on a show.

Thursday afternoon against Spain, Gilgeous-Alexander led the Canadians to a close win. Spain has been a pesky team internationally over the years, and even knocking them off in an exhibition shows Canada's growth as a team. The Thunder star dropped 22 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. On the defensive end, the two-way player added a steal and a block.

Friday afternoon, in the back-to-back against the Dominican Republic, SGA struggled. It was the team's last exhibition game, so he didn't play as much as usual in preparation for match play. He recorded six points, two assists and two rebounds on 2-of-6 shooting.

Gilgeous-Alexander is making the most out of poor floor spacing on Team Canada. RJ Barrett has been red hot during the exhibition period, but there's not much shooting on the floor outside Barrett and Kelly Olynyk.

With match play and meaningful games up next for Team Canada, hopefully Gilgeous-Alexander has settled in and can feed off of his teammates. He'll receive a large bulk of the minutes to get comfortable on the floor and can lead his team to more wins. With Barrett, SGA, Lu Dort, Dillon Brooks and Olynk, Team Canada will certainly be one to keep an eye on.

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