Canada nonetheless seems like Crew USA’s greatest basketball menace regardless of Jamal Murray’s inconsistency

Canada’s golden technology in males’s basketball has lastly arrived.

What else are you able to say after NBA MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has paced the Canadians by two convincing Paris Olympics wins over Greece and Australia in Group A? A Canadian roster rife with NBA star and role-player talent seems really formidable for the primary time in a long time.

The Canadians look so deep and so robust, actually, that they could even have the ability to push heavy favorite Team USA for gold.

And it speaks volumes that they’ve been capable of do it whereas Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray — somebody many imagine to be the second-best participant for Canada on paper — has struggled mightily up to now. That’s no small feat:

#TeamCanada beat Australia 93-83 to remain undefeated in Olympic males’s basketball. 🏀

📸 Candice Ward/COC pic.twitter.com/zJMgG3tUQB

— Crew Canada (@TeamCanada) July 30, 2024

To be clear, Canada had a robust roster and probability of medalling in Paris even with out Murray. Most of this identical group captured the bronze medal on the 2023 FIBA World Cup. They even beat Crew USA for that medal — albeit with out guys like LeBron James and the sharpshooting Kevin Durant involved. That often occurs when a group of countrymen has clearly outlined roles and understands easy methods to play collectively.

That’s the principle downside for Murray, who’s taking pictures simply 4/13 (30 p.c) with 13 factors and eight assists by two Olympic video games.

That is the Nuggets guard’s first main worldwide motion for Canada in practically a decade. He doesn’t have the identical established chemistry with high quality function gamers like Dillon Brooks and RJ Barrett that Gilgeous-Alexander does. He’s the brand new man, attempting to slot in, looking for one thing that works on a group that doesn’t have something obviously damaged. Due to that, Murray can be being utilized in extra of a catch-and-shoot function slightly than as the first offensive initiator like he’s accustomed to. That’s a large adjustment for a participant used to creating magic occur with the ball continually in his arms.

When Murray performs—which has been sparingly by his requirements thus far—he’s really coming off the bench, being requested to anchor Canada’s second unit as a facilitator and scorer. It’s a job he doesn’t at all times thrive in with the Nuggets in Denver, so it’s no shock to see these points translate to international basketball.

It’s no surprise Murray doesn’t look comfy up to now — as a result of he isn’t.

Jamal Murray has 13 factors and eight assists for Canada in two group stage wins on the Olympics up to now. He’s taking pictures 4/13 from the sphere and 1/8 from 3pt vary whereas coming off the bench. He regarded sharper immediately towards Australia regardless of poor effectivity, contributed two blocks.

— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) July 30, 2024

To Canada’s credit score, they haven’t wanted Murray to achieve Paris but. A group with the second-best gold medal odds (+1000) at BetMGM earlier than the Olympics began has proven it has the chops to go all the best way. Even when an upset of the Individuals stays unlikely, Canada has in all probability regarded stronger than anticipated.

That the Canadians have largely completed it with out a dynamic Murray says lots. And if he can spherical into kind, then Crew USA’s neighbors up north might be cooking with fuel.