Canada's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander seemed like a nice pickup for Oklahoma City Thunder, a secondary piece in the trade that sent Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers four years ago.
The Hamilton, Ont., native has turned out to be more than an afterthought — much more. He has blossomed into an all-star, the unquestioned leader of the Thunder's rebuilding efforts and the centrepiece of a Canadian national team that could be a medal contender at the Paris Games next summer.
He ranks fourth in the league in scoring with 31.5 points per game — behind Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic and Damian Lillard and just ahead of two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
He doesn't grab as many national headlines as the other top scorers — in part because the Thunder (38-42) haven't been competitive the past two years.