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Canada Basketball: Top five Canadians in the NBA

By Go Paolo

TORONTO, CANADA - JANUARY 30: The jersey of Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves as seen during the game against the Toronto Raptors on January 30, 2018 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - JANUARY 30: The jersey of Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves as seen during the game against the Toronto Raptors on January 30, 2018 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Canada Basketball
Canada Basketball – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) /

4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (G)

Unlike plenty of Canadians before him, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came into the league without much fanfare. Taken 11th overall by the Charlotte Hornets, he was subsequently traded to the LA Clippers.

“SGA” was considered the third-best point guard heading into the season just behind Trae Young and Collin Sexton. While he doesn’t grab the headlines as much as those two, he has been a solid contributor for the surprisingly competent Clippers.

With just a 17.2 percent usage rate, SGA has chipped in across the board: 9.6 points, 2.9 assists, and a steal per game. His usage rate is tenth on the team yet he ranks in the top-five in defensive box plus/minus (third),  defensive win shares (fourth) and value over replacement (fifth).

He won’t be wooing fantasy junkies or stats-obsessed fans. But most players this young are known more for their offence yet SGA is going against the grain and is already playing at an advanced level for his age.

With the Clippers fighting for a playoff spot and SGA starting to hit the dreaded rookie wall, he could start losing minutes to the veterans on his team. And even if SGA trends downwards, he’s already shown he has the right tools to become a successful basketball player in today’s NBA. In a couple years, he’ll likely be even higher on this list.

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