MIES (Switzerland) - Last summer, the United States and Canada gave us one of the most memorable basketball games of all time, with Canada edging out their neighbors in an overtime win to claim third spot at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
Turns out, it was probably only the second most important game between the two. These two had already wrestled in mud - quite literally - in an Olympic Final, played in pouring rain on an outdoor court in Berlin on August 14, 1936.
USA picked up their first Olympic title, defeating Canada 19-8 in the Final. With all the rain and puddles, it was impossible to dribble the ball without turning it over, and the 27 points combined made this the lowest scoring game of the whole basketball tournament.
It remained Canada's only Olympic basketball medal, something they wish to change in Paris 88 years later.
The Roster
The core from 2023 is back, coach Jordi Fernandez bringing back eight players from the third-place winning run at the World Cup in the Philippines.
Kyle Alexander, Zach Edey, Phil Scrubb and Trae Bell-Haynes are not with the team anymore. For most of the teams in the world, missing those four guys would be a devastating blow, but for Canada, they somehow got better because the pool of talent is getting deeper and deeper over there.
Jamal Murray is the biggest name making a comeback, his first competitive action with the national team since the 2015 Pan American Games.
Khem Birch and Trey Lyles are bringing in loads of international experience, while Andrew Nembhard's confidence is sky high after a fabulous NBA Playoffs run with the Indiana Pacers.
Last summer established Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as one of the most dominant forces in modern day basketball, while Dillon Brooks went from villain to hero, pouring in 39 points against the United States in that aforementioned matchup for bronze in Manila.
With RJ Barrett, Luguentz Dort and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Canada have plenty of men who can win a game by themselves if they are on a hot day, and the inside belongs to the two most experienced players, two 33-year-olds in Kelly Olynyk and Dwight Powell.
Aside from Birch, the only other non-NBA player is Melvin Ejim. The 33-year-old forward is a well known name in European basketball, winning the Basketball Champions League with Unicaja in 2023-24.
Overall, they were already strong in 2023, and it seems like they are even stronger now.
The Question
They haven't won an Olympic medal in 88 years, and that's not a problem for any of these players because they weren't exactly around 88 years ago. But the questions is, could the lack of Olympic experience be an issue for this lineup?
The last time Canada played at the Olympics was 24 years ago in Sydney, Australia. Not being around for so long could be problematic in a fast paced 12-team tournament, especially because they are up against perennial Olympic medal contenders Spain and Australia in Group A.
The Hope
Coaches, players and media members will always point out that the score in preparation games does not matter that much. However, Canada's starting lineup was on par with the United States in their friendly game for about 15 to 20 minutes they spent on the court, proving they have the tools to match up with the best of them.
That momentum from 2023 could carry them far in this tournament, too.
The Fear
It's not easy to explain, but despite not being at this level for 24 years, Canada still have a heavy burden to carry, as one of the hot favorites to win the entire event.
Meaning, their young team has to figure out the Olympic environment in high pressure moments, while most of the basketball fans all over the world expect them to challenge not just for wins, knockout rounds or medals, but for gold.
The pressure of expectations multiplied by lack of experience at this level could be a dangerous equation.
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