Speaking up after concluding Group play this week, Canadian basketball star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a lot to say on the road ahead. On Team USA specifically, Shai knows that the margin for error is slim and that any mistake can be the difference between winning and losing.
“[Team USA] play to their strengths. They’re obviously very talented and very deep. You almost have to make no mistakes and play a perfect game when you play against them which is what the rest of the world expected. As far as Canada, we’ll be ready for whoever we see.”
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For his part, SGA has been going off in the tournament this year and he’s making a case for being the MVP of the summer. Through three games so far, Shai is averaging 19.0 points per game as he leads Canada both on the court and in the locker room. In the latest win against Spain, he finished with 20 points on 5-of-11 shooting, three rebounds and two assists.
The USA has been at the top of the basketball world for decades now and that looks to be the case this year as well with the country undefeated so far through the group stage of the tournament. While talent and depth have improved worldwide, the USA is almost unbeatable when they’ve got star participation and that’s exactly what they got this year with Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant all counting among the team’s earliest commitments
This summer, though, Canada has enough talent to challenge for the gold. Thanks to the presence of players like Shai, Dillon Brooks, Dwight Powell, and RJ Barrett, they’ve gone undefeated in the official Olympic games so far and are projected to be the biggest challengers for the USA, who just secured the top seed with a win over Puerto Rico.
Along with France, Germany, Australia, and Serbia, Canada is right there among the contenders to win the gold and among the biggest list of threats to LeBron James and Team USA. Shai is a major part of that status and as the runner-up to the MVP last season it shouldn’t be a huge surprise to anyone who has been paying attention.
Fortunately for the Canadians, the USA is on the other side of the bracket and they won’t have to worry about facing them unless they reach the gold medal game. Of course, if they do get that far, they’ll have to play a nearly flawless game just to keep up with the sheer amount of talent.
All that Shai or anyone else can do is play his best game and do everything in his power to make a positive impact on the floor. As the main man for the Thunder last season, he experienced his fair share of battles and this one may be his biggest one yet.
If Shai, 26, can rise to the occasion and pull off a miracle in the Olympics, it will be enough to elevate his standing and status as one of the best players on the plane. He’s confident that His country can get it done this year and it will be a major feat for his basketball career.
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