Canada’s keys to success in dominant 2-0 Olympic start

Close to going undefeated in the “Group of Death,” here’s how Canada can continue their winning ways in Paris.

Team Canada Men’s Basketball continued their pursuit of a gold medal in Paris as they took down Team Australia in a tightly contested matchup, winning 93-83. The game definitely lived up to the expectations that come from two powerhouse basketball programs like Canada and Australia.

With unbelievable shot-making from RJ Barrett and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and a lockdown second half led by Lu Dort and Dillon Brooks, Canada overcame a halftime deficit to defeat one of the world’s best teams. The result? Well, a win — but Canada also clinched their spot in the knockout rounds later that same day.

Canada will still play their last group stage game on Thursday against Spain, with the motivation coming from seeding potential in the knockouts. The goal is to avoid Team USA until the final game, and winning the group outright would do just that for Canada.

Ahead of the game against Spain, here’s a look at what went right for Canada in group play so far.

RJ Barrett and SGA Take Charge Offensively

RJ Barrett and SGA set the tone offensively against Greece, and the duo has been dominant during this initial two-game stretch.

SGA had 21 points, 7 assists, and the game-winning floater in the final minute of the game against Greece, while Barrett led the team with 23 points in that opening game. Against Australia in game two, Gilgeous-Alexander got two very quick fouls and headed to the bench early in the first quarter. Andrew Nembhard stepped in as the sixth man, but RJ Barrett was the one who settled the offense down and took over while Shai was out. Barrett finished the game with 24 points, 17 of which came in the second half. SGA had 16 points on an efficient 8 for 10 shooting.

This duo has proven they can both be relied on to close out and take over games. With 23 and 24 points respectively, RJ has led the team in scoring in both of these initial group games, and Shai dominated the clutch against Greece as Canadian fans expected.

SGA is knocking down jump shots with ease, and at an extremely efficient rate, and RJ is attacking, playing with pace, and knocking down threes at a great clip. The way this duo has taken charge on offense shows that Canada has the star power to score and keep up with any competition in the world.

Canada’s Elite Defense

When Team Canada has been locked in on defense throughout these two games, they’ve looked like one of the best defenses in the Olympics.

All-NBA caliber defenders Lu Dort and Dillon Brooks have been Canada’s best defenders so far and have been tasked with defending the opposing teams’ best players, such as Giddey and Giannis. Australia is one of FIBA’s highest-ranked teams and the defending bronze medalists from the Tokyo games, and while Greece may not have the NBA talent other teams possess, they have Giannis.

In both cases, Team Canada showed they have the versatility to slow down the group’s bets players. What Canada may lack in size, they make up for with their speed, and the ability to switch 1 through 5, especially with the starting five on the court.

Canada’s ability to adapt defensively was put on display against Australia. Canada was down 49-45 at halftime, and it took a little time for Team Canada to get comfortable with the increased competition. To show for it, Josh Giddey was cooking and had 15 points at the break. Head Coach Jordi Fernandez made a clear emphasis at the start of the game that it would be won because of their defense. He surely reiterated this message to his team over the break as a motivated Canada came out of the gates in the second half. The rest of the way, Canada held Australia to 34 points and Giddey to just 4 points after his dominant first half.

Canada’s defensive depth was necessary in their win against Giannis and Team Greece. Foul trouble caused Coach Fernandez to go to his bench in the first place. Nevertheless, after three of Canada’s starters—Dort, Brooks, and Powell—fouled out, Team Canada’s defensive plan against Greece and Giannis, as well as their ability to adapt on the fly, prevailed as Canada withstood any late comeback attempts. The fouls were more under control in game two, and we saw how dominant Team Canada’s starters can be to close out games in fourth quarters, which will be necessary in the knockout round of the tournament.

Leading this defensive charge has been the two-headed monster of Lu Dort and Dillon Brooks. Leading the offensive charge has been the dominance of RJ Barrett and SGA. Canada’s contributions from their NBA stars have led to their success offensively and defensively, lifting Canada to this 2-0 start in Paris.

We all expected high-level scoring and offensive dominance from NBA MVP candidate SGA, but RJ Barrett has certainly answered the call and is one of the main factors why Canada is in the position they are in. While Dillon Brooks is well known for his antics, he is also a highly skilled, versatile defender. Along with Dort and the rest of the team, Canada’s defense has proven to shut down and frustrate the opposition. If these stars continue to shine as they have, this team is certainly poised for a great run.

Canada takes on Spain next, as they look to go undefeated in group play and head into the quarterfinals on another positive note. If they keep up the energy and resilience they showed in the first two games, a 3-0 finish in the group stage is possible for this team.