Canada’s immaturity on show because it crashes out of Olympics males’s basketball match

Observe stay protection of Day 12 of the 2024 Paris Olympics, with 21 gold medals on provide

If there’s a lasting picture from Canada’s demoralizing defeat within the males’s basketball match of the Olympics, it is going to be that of a Canadian guard leaving his ft with the ball in his arms, undecided what to do subsequent.

The clearest instance? With Canada trying to chop down an enormous France lead within the third quarter of Tuesday’s quarterfinal, star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ran the opposite method in transition. Canada doesn’t have the crispest ball motion, so it should profit from these probabilities. France acquired again nicely, although — each Canadian was accounted for, and there was a wall in entrance of the leaping Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder guard. He shifted his gaze, seemed round and had nowhere to cross. So he simply threw the ball straight again, the place it bounced to his teammate with membership and nation, Luguentz Dort. If solely he had been over half courtroom.

Then once more, placing a lot of the 82-73 loss on Gilgeous-Alexander could be colossally unfair. He had 27 factors and 4 assists, the one Canadian to place a relentless scare into France. No, this was a loss you may lay at whoever’s ft you need: the teaching workers, the participant growth pipeline, the executives and/or the gamers. So far as Canada has are available in males’s basketball since they have been final within the Olympics, this sport smacked immaturity from a program nonetheless figuring issues out.

Identical to the final time Canada made this match, it was eradicated by France in one thing of an upset within the quarterfinals.

“I believe should you bear in mind this sense, it’s not a superb feeling, and also you come again to the Olympics and also you bear in mind this sense,” Canadian head coach Jordi Fernández mentioned to reporters in Paris after the sport. “There’s all the time some disappointment sooner or later, and also you don’t understand how a lot you are able to do till you undergo powerful instances. I believe we’ve had success as a result of we’ve received a whole lot of video games within the final two years. At these powerful instances, we can’t overlook. We can’t overlook how this feels, and that’s how we transfer on (from) this.”

First, Canada must get again to this stage.

That Canada was caught flat-footed on this sport was comprehensible. Canada dealt with France twice within the final calendar 12 months — France didn’t have Victor Wembanyama within the FIBA World Cup final 12 months or Nicolas Batum, who credibly defended Gilgeous-Alexander on Tuesday, in a pre-tournament sport in July, however nonetheless. France drastically altered its id, with head coach Vincent Collet all however benching Rudy Gobert, who performed fewer than 4 minutes. (Gobert suffered a finger harm in observe, saying he had surgical procedure; Collet mentioned there was no surgical procedure, and the change was strategic. For Canada’s functions, it doesn’t matter.) As an alternative, France got here nearer to matching up with Canada defensively, surrounding Wembanyama with 4 nimbler gamers.

That’s the place the immaturity got here in. With out apparent mismatches on the perimeter, both when France performed historically or switched liberally, Canada was caught shifting the ball with little tempo. There was not a lot dribble penetration and even fewer benefits created by slicing; simply a whole lot of surveying after which capturing over or driving right into a set defence. That’s how Canada went greater than six minutes and not using a level within the first quarter, as so little of the intricate passing that has crept its method into the NBA was evident from Canada. After the sport, Fernández referred to as it Canada’s most egocentric offensive sport of the match. It definitely scanned that method.

It was down by 13 on the finish of the quarter, and it by no means acquired inside one possession the remainder of the way in which.

On that observe, some issues ought to hang-out this Canadian staff.

• The referees awarded France 42 free throws to Canada’s 25, hitting 33 to Canada’s 18. FIBA officers typically go away rather a lot to be desired, and there have been some questionable calls, particularly within the second half.

Nevertheless, the likes of Guerschon Yabusele (6-foot-8, 260 kilos) and Mathias Lessort (6-9, 240), bigs disguised as wings, buried smaller Canadian wings below the basket, principally legally till Yabusele used two arms to push off Gilgeous-Alexander within the fourth quarter for a bucket off an entry feed. These gamers shot 23 free throws. Till Canada used Trey Lyles as an influence ahead of a centre, enjoying him alongside one other massive to have a extra conventional look that has not been its id for many of the final two years, it was getting bullied. But it surely was authorized bullying.

• Andrew Wiggins (6-7, 197), who, with some mild prodding from the Golden State Warriors, determined to not play within the Olympics. Oshae Brissett (6-7, 210), who’s at present a free agent within the NBA, requested Canada to launch him in coaching camp as he tried to shore up his skilled standing. Each may have been helpful on this sport. Canada wanted extra wings who scaled up positionally as an alternative of down.

• The hope needs to be that Zach Edey is a giant a part of the longer term. The ninth-overall choose in June’s NBA Draft and member of the summer season core as introduced in 2022 pulled his identify from consideration as he needed to deal with his upcoming rookie 12 months with the Memphis Grizzlies. I don’t assume that was an enormous deal, as I don’t assume he would have performed a giant function on this staff. Nonetheless, not having a single reputable rim protector to throw at France as these wings acquired pummeled down low was a problem.

There ought to be an overhaul up entrance by the point the following Olympic cycle comes round. Kelly Olynyk (33 years outdated) not often performed on this match and was ineffective when he did. Dwight Powell (33) was overtaxed in his beginning function as an undersized massive. Lyles (28) didn’t make a huge impact. Khem Birch (31) was maybe the most effective Canadian massive on a per-minute foundation, and he already got here near retiring due to accidents. Canada goes to should determine issues on the market and develop some expertise. You possibly can see the place the inflow of expertise on the perimeter may come from for Canada within the subsequent 4 years. Within the paint, it’s much less clear.

• Taking part in small solely works should you can hit 3s and run in transition. Dort, RJ Barrett and Dillon Brooks, ostensibly the 2 via 4 within the beginning lineup, shot 3 of 12 from deep on this sport. France beat Canada 12-10 in fast-break factors.

• Lastly, there may be the matter of Jamal Murray. Earlier than this summer season, the Denver Nuggets star hadn’t performed for Canada since 2015 on the Pan-Am Video games. Regardless of myriad accidents, together with to his calf and elbow, Murray actually needed to play for this staff on the largest stage. We’ve got criticized those that have made the alternative resolution earlier than, so Murray should be counseled.

He simply wasn’t good — not on this sport, not on this match. He went 3-of-13 with only one help and three turnovers in 24 minutes towards France. The hope was that when Canada wanted performs, he could be there to make a few of them. He didn’t.

We don’t understand how a lot his accidents led to his poor play. Nevertheless, he had no connectivity coming into this summer season, and he missed a few of Canada’s pre-tournament time collectively. His function meant the diminishing of Andrew Nembhard (simply quarter-hour, principally ineffective, towards France) and the digital disappearance of Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Canada hoped Murray’s shot making would make up for the chemistry disruption. It by no means did.

Regardless of the grisly ending, this end nonetheless represents an enormous step ahead. Since dropping within the quarterfinals within the Olympic match in 2000, Canada hadn’t been again to the stage. Within the interim, it had completed thirteenth, twenty first and twenty second on the World Cup, failing to qualify twice earlier than storming onto the scene with a bronze final 12 months.

In that context, that bronze, together with going 3-0 within the group stage within the Olympics, represents an enormous come-up. Nonetheless, this was a missed alternative. Gilgeous-Alexander simply turned 26. Steve Nash was the identical age when he led Canada in Sydney in 2000. He by no means performed one other sport within the Olympics after that staff misplaced to France. No Canadian man had performed as soon as till final month.

Gilgeous-Alexander has far more expertise round him now than Nash did then, particularly in general depth. It’s only a warning: Nothing is assured. When your alternatives come, it’s a must to be prepared. On Tuesday, Canada was not.

“When you get to the elimination spherical, all the pieces issues just a little bit extra,” Gilgeous-Alexander instructed reporters in Paris. “I believe we’ll be extra ready for that subsequent time.”

He and the remainder of this system must go about ensuring there’s a subsequent time. For this system, these will probably be 4 lengthy years.

(Prime picture of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Aris Messinis / AFP through Getty Photographs)