PARIS (France) - Canada have been on a mission since the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, and they face a major battle in the Quarter-Finals of the Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024 with a showdown against hosts France.
The stakes are high with Canada - playing at the Olympics for the first time since 2000 - hoping to end a drought since 1984 of not reaching the top four.
France meanwhile are accustomed to being at this stage - reaching the Quarter-Finals for the fifth straight appearance. And they want to rely on that big game experience.
Canada, who claimed a historic third place at last summer's World Cup, worked their way through the so-called "Group of Death" in Lille with wins over Greece, Australia and Spain and are certainly battle-tested heading to Paris. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett have this team playing fantastic basketball and they will not want to be denied - though the crowd will be very much against them.
France come to the Bercy Arena facing some questions after needing a miracle four-point play by Matthew Strazel to get past Japan in overtime and then getting dominated by Germany. Victor Wembanyama has lived up to the expectations but he's the only Frenchman who has stood out. The French will have the advantage of having the crowd behind them.
Key matchup
French guards vs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has shown why he is considered one of the best players in the world and certainly runs the Canadian offense. He can do it all for the Americas side and definitely gives opposing head coaches headaches.
France head coach Vincent Collet twice started Matthew Strazel at point guard alongside Evan Fournier while Andrew Albicy was the starter against Japan. Neither of them have logged many minutes - averaging 13 and 14 minutes respectively. Both of them will be called upon to really work defensively to disrupt Gilgeous-Alexander's playmaking. Expect Frank Ntilikina to help out as well for the home side.
It would also help if they make the Canadian star work on defense with the guard trio combining for 15.0 points per game in a combined 42 minutes.
X-factors
Canada's ability to deal with France's bigs
For all the versatility, athleticism and switch-ability that the Canadians possess, Jordi Fernandez's team is far from being a big one. That is, on the other hand, one of France's strongest traits with big men including Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Guerschon Yabusele and Mathias Lessort.
Those four play such a major role in the French game - combining for 38.3 points, 21.7 rebounds and 4.7 blocks. But the bigs also play well with their teammates, dishing out 6.6 assists combined.
At the other end, Dwight Powell will have his hands full as Canada's main big man. Kelly Olynyk has only been playing 11 minutes per game but 33-year-old will be desperately needed to grab some rebounds or at least keep the French bigs off the glass. Speaking of rebounding, it will be essential for Canada's guards and wings to help limit France's offensive rebounds - especially the likes of RJ Barrett and Luguentz Dort, who can use their size and strength to crash the defensive glass.
Stats don't lie
Canada punish teams for making mistakes as they are averaging 22.3 points off turnovers - the most for any team in the tournament. France meanwhile collect 14.7 points off miscues. Canada grab the fewest rebounds in the tournament, but they also commit the fewest turnovers at 11.3 per game.
France use their size advantage very well with 14.0 second chance points per game - the most of any Quarter-Finals team - with Canada the lowest at 7.0 points after offensive rebounds per contest. France are also tops in the competition with 6.3 blocks per game.
Past matchups
France have won six of the eight previous matchups against Canada, including beating the Americas side in the 2000 Olympics Quarter-Finals. Canada's first win came at the 1984 Olympics with a 96-69 victory, and the Canadians registered a 30-point win - 95-65 - over the French last summer in the First Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
FIBA