Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Excels in Exhibition Match With Canada

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played in his second game with Canada Basketball this summer. This time, Canada took on New Zealand ahead of FIBA World Cup play.

Gilgeous-Alexander, after a struggle in the first exhibition game, came out firing in this matchup. He scored 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the first half alone. The same trend would continue through the third quarter.

The All-Star finished the game with 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting while tacking on three assists, six steals and one block in the team's 107-76 win. He did so in just 19 minutes, too.

For the Thunder, watching Gilgeous-Alexander be able to play so efficiently while playing off his talented teammates is an incredible sign. He was able to make plays quickly when given the ball, and showed his ability to maintain a balanced offense.

While Gilgeous-Alexander will consistently put up around 20 shots again next season, if he can be even more efficient in how he does so, his FIBA play will be proven to have been a positive experience for the guard.

Also, Gilgeous-Alexander's jump shot looked even smoother. Then hitch at the top of his release seems to be gone, and this will help him space out the floor for his teammates, and this benefits the five-out offense.

Being on one of the best teams in the tournament, standing out as the star isn't always easy, yet Gilgeous-Alexander did just that. He's beginning to back up Tim Bontemps' claims about him playing in FIBA.

The experience that Thunder players are gaining through playing on their respective national teams is invaluable, and it's a public tracker of the success these players are seeing in their offseason workouts.

Moving forward, Canada will continue to be a marquee team to follow throughout the tournament. Of course, Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort provide that for Thunder fans, but the team's potential to make a run to win the tournament will electrifying to watch.

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