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 overlaying his face. Behind it, he breathed closely, making an attempt to compose himself after scoring 27 factors in 37 minutes in a quarterfinal matchup in opposition to the host nation France. 

However as a substitute of shifting his consideration to the semifinals in opposition to Germany as many individuals in this system and followers watching again dwelling had 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 purpose. Dillon Brooks came visiting to provide 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 among disappointment. Followers can’t appear to imagine {that a} staff this proficient, with this many NBA gamers and this good of a celebrity may lose to France, a staff that hadn’t regarded its finest all match after going 2-1 within the group stage, together with an additional 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 a substitute leaning on European execs Guerschon Yabusele, Isaia Cordinier and Mathias Lessort for 55 of their 82 factors.

However in worldwide basketball — the place one sport is all you could knock a favorite out of the match — upsets like this are literally fairly frequent. To imagine that Canada ought to have walked their option 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 execs, and the significance of expertise in worldwide competitors. Particularly at these Olympics — probably 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 planet, 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, the whole lot 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 Dying’ and landed on the other aspect of the bracket as Workforce USA, setting it up for an honest 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 received silver three years in the past in Tokyo. Now, the semifinal will characteristic 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 in opposition to France in Manila, occurred as a result of this system couldn’t get dedication from its finest gamers. And others, like in 2021 in opposition to 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 free balls and executed its sport plan extra exactly. And whereas that’s disappointing, it’s not a failure. 

“They had been higher than us, performed more durable than us and we noticed it from the soar,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander advised 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 an excellent begin. They got here out the aggressors, they punched us within the mouth.”

It helped that France had an enormous dwelling courtroom benefit, with about 20,000 spectators stomping their toes and chanting their most patriotic songs all through the whole thing of the sport, with French guard Evan Fournier telling reporters “Those who had been right here, they gave us the whole lot.”

It wasn’t shocking 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 inside the first three minutes earlier than settling down within the second quarter. 

Canada couldn’t get well from a clearly nervous begin, nevertheless it wasn’t for an absence of making an attempt. Head coach Jordi Fernandez cycled by 11 of his 12 gamers within the first 16 minutes alone. Canada received the third and fourth quarters after discovering lineups that labored and by taking part in more durable, scrapping for free balls and bringing physicality to its French adversaries. To say that the Canadians didn’t play exhausting can 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 capable of knock down sufficient photographs to finish a comeback. They went chilly, capturing 38 p.c from the sector 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 had been persistently known as for fouls after combating for house in opposition to the larger French forwards posting them up, capturing 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 sequence. In FIBA, historical past says that something that would go fallacious usually does. It’s a extra bodily sport performed on a smaller courtroom with shorter quarters and a shorter three-point line, giving it extra volatility. To imagine that Canada ought to have walked its option to the rostrum as a result of it has a number of NBA gamers can be to imagine that FIBA works that manner, 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 exterior 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 group is rooting for the opposite staff.

And with that in thoughts, it was all the time 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 truth, 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 may have received a medal. Additionally they may have did not advance by the group stage. That’s the character of this Olympic competitors. 

“It’s not an excellent feeling,” Fernandez advised reporters after the sport. “There’s all the time some disappointment in some unspecified time in the future, 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 received lots of video games within the final two years. (However in) these robust occasions, we can’t neglect. We can’t neglect 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 in opposition to France was out of this system’s management. Take, for instance, the concept Workforce Canada was “egocentric,” which Fernandez stated after the sport and reporters had been fast to repeat after Canada completed with simply 13 assists and 14 turnovers.

However to mistake egocentric play for egocentric gamers can be ignorant. This is among the most selfless teams within the match — a bunch 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 needed to put on the cape however as a result of they obtained uncomfortable after France slowed them down within the half-court. And when NBA gamers with restricted FIBA expertise get uncomfortable, they have a tendency to revert to isolation. 

The opposite massive downfall of Canada’s Olympic run was an absence of measurement which, once more, was largely out of its management. Canada introduced the nation’s finest out there massive males to the competitors.

Sadly, as a result of massive males are troublesome 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 decide within the 2024 NBA Draft, was ignored by Canada Basketball for years. 

As a lot as Canada has grown as a basketball nation, we aren’t alone. Superb issues are occurring in nations like France — which has produced the No. 1 total decide within the NBA Draft two years operating — Germany, Serbia, Australia, Spain and all around the world. In truth, these nations 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, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a fringe sport in a lot 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 troublesome and random these worldwide competitions are typically. 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 known as entitlement. 

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

However this staff was as ready as anybody. The Canadians labored as exhausting as anybody. Perhaps even more durable. They only misplaced. It occurs. 

“I hope that individuals had been pleased with us and the way in which we performed all through the match,” Fernandez advised reporters after the sport. “We needed to provide 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 may inform they like to play for his or her nation. 

“So, I want I may have executed 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 should determine the way to get again onto the rostrum in 2027 and 2028. As a basketball nation, we have now 4 years to comply with them there — to put money into basketball at each degree in order that the athletes don’t really feel like they’re on this alone. 

That manner, when Canada lastly does break by on the worldwide stage, it will likely be all of the extra significant

Extra from Sportsnet

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‘Nightmare’: Followers react to Canada’s disappointing Olympic loss to France

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