NBA Top 10 Countdown: Four - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the Thunder
With the internationalisation of the NBA, it's hardly surprising that Canada is playing in the big leagues. Steve Nash paved the way with two MVP titles in the 2000s, before the Toronto Raptors' unforgettable coronation in 2019. These firsts paved the way, and today Canada is quite simply the foreign country with the most players in the NBA.
And the greatest jewel in the crown is undoubtedly Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. A player who quickly caused a stir and was sent to the Thunder in the Paul George trade with the promise that OKC had received a future star. The franchise didn't fry its jewel, taking the time to build a coherent team that delivered its full potential last season, finishing top of the West after an incredible season.
But the machine jammed in the playoffs. Whether through inexperience or limitations, OKC failed to reach the conference finals, and that will be the team's primary objective this season.
As for SGA, he was 2nd in the MVP, so what can he aim for apart from the statuette? He was already unbelievably close last year as an elite defender, but he also showed incredible leadership to take a very young team to the top, and very quickly.
SGA is very close to the status of the best player on the basketball planet. The last few metres will be the hardest, but he hopes to do it this season.
Whether it's individual or collective glory, he'll take it all. But he'll have to avoid a few pitfalls for OKC, who will be closely watched and judged if they don't do at least as well as last season, and for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a leader by example and the new jewel in the crown of Canadian basketball.
2023/24 stats: 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 53.5% shooting, 35.3% three-pointers
Targets for 2024/25: 32 points / minimum conference finals / MVP