NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is ready to lead his young OKC Thunder back to the top
SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER is already the leader of one of the NBA's most exciting young squads.
Aged 23 and only in his fourth season in the league, with another team SGA may be able to lean on a superstar team-mate to help him navigate through the grind of an NBA season.
Gilgeous-Alexander has no such luck - and it's put him on a fast track to superstardom.
After just one season wih the Los Angeles Clippers, SGA was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the deal that saw Paul George join fellow All-NBA star Kawhi Leonard in the City of Angels.
The 6ft 6in guard was almost an afterthought in that deal, which landed the Thunder an unprecedented SEVEN first round picks over five years.
After all he had been solid, if unspectacular, in his rookie season.
What came next shocked all, as he broke out alongside future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul as the Thunder surprised everyone to reach the play-offs.
SGA was even in the running for an All-Star spot.
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And while last season didn't quite hit those highs - Paul's exit and SGA playing only half the games in an injury hit season - the young Thunder look set to break out again this year.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the team's clear No 1 option, scoring more than double the amount of points of any other player through five games.
But the humble young guard doesn't have any specific target in mind for this season, despite belief around the league that he is set to make a major leap.
He says: "I just want to be better than I was last season in every aspect.
"Just continue to get better and learn something new every day. The rest of stuff will take care of itself.
"Efficiency, higher assists, lower turnover ratio. Just overall being a more efficient player."
While many pundits are more excited for what this team might become given their youth and seemingly unlimited treasure chest of first round draft picks, SGA has his sights firmly set on his team improving now.
"We are just a bunch of young guys that are new to the NBA, [our target is] really just to get better," he says.
"Every day, every game, every practice - learn something.
"And then hopefully, by the end of the year we're way better and wherever that leads to leads to, but yeah we have been trying to focus on it day in and day out."
SGA is one of two Canadians on a Thunder team that includes Serb Aleksej Pokusevski, Frenchman Theo Maledon and Czech Vit Krejci.
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"It's diverse," he says, "It's cool to see guys from all over the country connect with them, you learn things about them, and you really build a bond and a brotherhood with them."
Fans in the UK can download the NBA Chasedown app on and Android or by visiting for the chance to win unique prizes, including an all-expenses-paid trip to the US to attend two NBA games this season.