Canada’s loss to France was disappointing, but not a failure 

With seconds remaining in one of many greatest video games in Canadian basketball historical past, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat on the bench with a towel masking his face. Behind it, he breathed closely, making an attempt to compose himself after scoring 27 factors in 37 minutes in a quarterfinal matchup towards the host nation France. 

However as an alternative of shifting his consideration to the semifinals towards Germany as many individuals in this system and followers watching again dwelling have been anticipating, Gilgeous-Alexander was coming to phrases with the truth that his efficiency wasn’t sufficient — that his staff fell in need of its objective. Dillon Brooks came to visit to present him a pat on the leg as Canada misplaced to France, 82-73, and was eradicated from the staff’s first Olympic look in 24 years. 

The sentiment again in Canada is one in every of disappointment. Followers can’t appear to consider {that a} staff this proficient, with this many NBA gamers and this good of a famous person might lose to France, a staff that hadn’t appeared its finest all match after going 2-1 within the group stage, together with an extra time win over the world’s No. 26 ranked staff, Japan. And so they definitely can’t appear to know the way it occurred with Victor Wembenyama scoring simply seven factors and Rudy Gobert taking part in simply three minutes, with the French as an alternative leaning on European professionals Guerschon Yabusele, Isaia Cordinier and Mathias Lessort for 55 of their 82 factors.

However in worldwide basketball — the place one sport is all you want to knock a favorite out of the match — upsets like this are literally fairly widespread. To imagine that Canada ought to have walked their technique to the rostrum as a result of it had 10 NBA gamers underestimates the standard of the competitors, the razor-thin margin between NBA gamers and high-level European professionals, and the significance of expertise in worldwide competitors. Particularly at these Olympics — essentially the most aggressive worldwide basketball match of all time, with a document 51 NBA gamers scattered throughout 12 rosters. 

“It’s the perfect basketball gamers on the earth, so it’s a really exhausting match, if not the toughest,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated to CBC Olympics after the sport. “When you get to the elimination spherical, all the pieces issues just a little bit extra. I believe we’ll be extra ready for that subsequent time.”

That doesn’t make the loss to France any much less disappointing. Canada was an ideal 3-0 within the ‘Group of Demise’ and landed on the alternative aspect of the bracket as Staff USA, setting it up for a good probability to win its first Olympic medal since 1936. However its reward was to play France in Paris, with 5 NBA gamers and a storied program that gained silver three years in the past in Tokyo. Now, the semifinal will function France, reigning World Cup champions Germany, reigning World Cup runners-up Serbia, and the reigning Olympic gold medalists United States. Taking a look at it from that perspective, Canada would have been an outlier had they superior. 

The purpose is that not all losses are created equally. Some defeats, like when Canada misplaced to an underdog Venezuela in 2015 in Mexico Metropolis, occurred due to dumb luck. Others, like in 2016 towards France in Manila, occurred as a result of this system couldn’t get dedication from its finest gamers. And others, like in 2021 towards the Czech Republic in Victoria, B.C., occurred due to an absence of preparation and expertise.

This one occurred as a result of, on a Tuesday afternoon in Paris, France was the higher staff. It occurred as a result of France made extra photographs, got here up with extra unfastened balls and executed its sport plan extra exactly. And whereas that’s disappointing, it’s not a failure. 

“They have been higher than us, performed tougher than us and we noticed it from the leap,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander informed CBC Olympics after the sport. “We clearly tried to make our run within the second half. It wasn’t sufficient.”

“However that’s what occurs once you let groups get off to begin. They got here out the aggressors, they punched us within the mouth.”

It helped that France had a large dwelling court docket benefit, with about 20,000 spectators stomping their ft and chanting their most patriotic songs all through the whole thing of the sport, with French guard Evan Fournier telling reporters “Those who have been right here, they gave us all the pieces.”

It wasn’t stunning to see the inexperienced Canadians get off to a shaky begin, throwing turnovers and lacking straightforward buckets on the rim, falling behind by double digits throughout the first three minutes earlier than settling down within the second quarter. 

Canada couldn’t get better from a clearly nervous begin, however it wasn’t for an absence of making an attempt. Head coach Jordi Fernandez cycled via 11 of his 12 gamers within the first 16 minutes alone. Canada gained the third and fourth quarters after discovering lineups that labored and by taking part in tougher, scrapping for unfastened balls and bringing physicality to its French adversaries. To say that the Canadians didn’t play exhausting could be a falsehood — Lu Dort actually flew throughout the ground to punch a basketball towards Gilgeous-Alexander for a layup.

However as Jamal Murray identified after the sport, Canada was by no means in a position to knock down sufficient photographs to finish a comeback. They went chilly, taking pictures 38 p.c from the sphere and 24 p.c from three. Murray was an enormous a part of that, by no means coming to life within the match regardless of being given each alternative to take action. And the officiating didn’t assist both, as Canada’s undersized guards and wings have been persistently referred to as for fouls after preventing for area towards the larger French forwards posting them up, taking pictures simply 25 free-throws in comparison with 42 for France. 

“France performed a hell of a sport,” Murray stated to The Atheltic. “Give it to them. They performed bodily. They performed like they’re at dwelling, and so they introduced that vitality from the beginning.” 

Sadly, this isn’t the NBA the place championships are determined in a best-of-seven collection. In FIBA, historical past says that something that would go fallacious typically does. It’s a extra bodily sport performed on a smaller court docket with shorter quarters and a shorter three-point line, giving it extra volatility. To imagine that Canada ought to have walked its technique to the rostrum as a result of it has a number of NBA gamers could be to imagine that FIBA works that approach, which it hardly ever does. 

And that’s the purpose I’m making an attempt to make right here: Whereas Canada had as a lot expertise as anyone within the match outdoors the States, they didn’t have expertise or historical past on their aspect. And that issues in win-or-go-home video games; it issues in hostile environments when 99 per cent of the gang is rooting for the opposite staff.

And with that in thoughts, it was at all times going to be an uphill battle for a younger group of gamers who had by no means been to the Olympics earlier than — a lot of whom had solely performed a handful of FIBA video games earlier than — to get to the rostrum. In actual fact, it was apparent who confirmed up final summer season and who didn’t, as a result of the newer gamers like Murray, Andrew Nembhard and Trey Lyles struggled to search out their rhythm all through the match.

Canada might have gained a medal. Additionally they might have didn’t advance via the group stage. That’s the character of this Olympic competitors. 

“It’s not feeling,” Fernandez informed reporters after the sport. “There’s at all times some disappointment sooner or later, and also you don’t understand how a lot you are able to do till you undergo robust occasions. We’ve had success as a result of we’ve gained lots of video games within the final two years. (However in) these robust occasions, we can’t overlook. We can’t overlook how this feels and that’s how we transfer on (from) this.”

The explanation I hesitate to label this efficiency a failure is as a result of a lot of what occurred towards France was out of this system’s management. Take, for instance, the concept that Staff Canada was “egocentric,” which Fernandez stated after the sport and reporters have been fast to repeat after Canada completed with simply 13 assists and 14 turnovers.

However to mistake egocentric play for egocentric gamers could be ignorant. This is without doubt one of the most selfless teams within the match — a gaggle of males who grew up collectively and relished the chance to take smaller roles if it meant representing their nation on basketball’s greatest stage. 

As a substitute, the egocentric play got here from inexperience. Canada reverted to isolation basketball and tried to do an excessive amount of individually, not as a result of any of them wished to put on the cape however as a result of they received uncomfortable after France slowed them down within the half-court. And when NBA gamers with restricted FIBA expertise get uncomfortable, they have an inclination to revert to isolation. 

The opposite huge downfall of Canada’s Olympic run was an absence of dimension which, once more, was principally out of its management. Canada introduced the nation’s finest obtainable huge males to the competitors.

Sadly, as a result of huge males are tough to determine and develop — and since the NBA has gone away from conventional bigs lately— there’s a dearth of proficient bigs within the Nice White North. Even Zach Edey, the No. 9 choose within the 2024 NBA Draft, was neglected by Canada Basketball for years. 

As a lot as Canada has grown as a basketball nation, we aren’t alone. Superb issues are taking place in international locations like France — which has produced the No. 1 general choose within the NBA Draft two years operating — Germany, Serbia, Australia, Spain and all around the world. In actual fact, these international locations have a way more storied basketball historical past than Canada does, with a tradition that sends followers all around the world to assist the nationwide groups. That basketball tradition exists in Toronto, however it’s nonetheless a fringe sport in many of the nation. 

The folks most loudly essential of Canada’s efficiency in France appear to be those who tune into the nationwide staff as soon as each 4 years and don’t perceive how tough and random these worldwide competitions are usually. How can Canadians anticipate Olympic success when most of us don’t assist this system year-round or set up a tradition of travelling to the video games? That’s referred to as entitlement. 

It will have been one factor had the nation not taken its most proficient gamers or had politics clouded the scenario and given a spot to a participant who didn’t deserve it. It will have been completely different if Canada was unprepared — in the event that they hadn’t spent 4 weeks training twice a day in between taking part in exhibition video games towards the perfect applications on the earth. Heck, it might need even been completely different had they not sacrificed the once-in-a-lifetime alternative to take part within the Opening Ceremonies with a purpose to be absolutely rested for the competitors. 

However this staff was as ready as anybody. The Canadians labored as exhausting as anybody. Perhaps even tougher. They simply misplaced. It occurs. 

“I hope that folks have been pleased with us and the way in which we performed all through the match,” Fernandez informed reporters after the sport. “We wished to present them extra. I believe that’s what Canadian basketball deserves. There’s nice custom. There’s lots of children taking part in basketball and you’ll inform they like to play for his or her nation. 

“So, I want I might have performed higher and given them extra video games, however like I stated, that is a part of how the Olympics work and these tournaments work. You win or go dwelling, and this one, we’re going dwelling.”

Success in sports activities is never linear. And Canada Basketball must determine how you can get again onto the rostrum in 2027 and 2028. As a basketball nation, now we have 4 years to comply with them there — to spend money on basketball at each stage in order that the athletes don’t really feel like they’re on this alone. 

That approach, when Canada lastly does break via on the worldwide stage, it is going to be all of the extra significant

Extra from Sportsnet

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