Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is Silver Lining in Canada's Disappointing Olympic Finish

Canada's Olympics came to a close in a loss to France Tuesday, but the Oklahoma City Thunder guard still played up to his superstar expectations.

Aug 2, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Canada guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrates after scoring a three point shot against Spain in the first half in a men’s group A basketball game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Heading into the 2024 Olympics, Canada seemed like a country primed to be playing for a medal in basketball. Its 10 current NBA players made up the most on any team aside from the United States —headlined by the trio of Jamal Murray, R.J. Barrett and Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — so naturally large expectations were placed on the roster, even if it hadn't qualified since 2000.

Things looked to be headed on the right path for Canada. It went 3-0 in its group stage, defeating three formidable teams in Australia, Greece and Spain. Gilgeous-Alexander lived up to his superstar billing as the unrivaled leader of the team, while the supporting cast mostly came to play, including his Thunder teammate Lu Dort.

However, the quarterfinals quickly brought disaster to the program on Tuesday. Canada drew a matchup with the home team France, who is led by three talented NBA players of its own: Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier.

Although Wembanyama struggled with just seven points on 2-of-10 shooting and Gobert was sent to the bench, France still came out swinging. It outscored Canada 23-10 in the first quarter, never looking back for the rest of the contest en route to an 82-73 win. Fournier dropped 15 points off the bench, while Geuerschon Yabuslee and Isaia Cordinier combined for 42 points in the starting lineup.

The 42-to-25 free throw attempts differential was a clear detriment for Canada, but it wasn't the only issue. Its offense was, to put it simply, terrible. Ball movement was nearly non-existent, it played a slow, stagnant pace and it struggled with 5-of-21 shooting from behind the arc. Following the game, head coach Jordi Fernandez called it "our most selfish game," and that was for good reason.

Both Murray and Dillon Brooks were complete negatives on the court for Canada, which had been a problem in previous games, especially from the Denver Nuggets point guard. He scored seven points on a 3-of-13 shooting night in the loss, which wasn't so different from past performances.

Besides Barrett, Gilgeous-Alexander was the only player that came to play yesterday. He finished his first Olympic run with 27 points, five rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block on 9-of-19 shooting, yet another game up to his high standards. He was one of the few consistent areas for Canada in Paris, but despite his best efforts to will it back into yesterday's game, overcoming France proved to be too much.

That being said, a relatively disappointing end to Canada's run shouldn't take away from a massive step forward for the program. Qualifying in itself was a win, and its future looks bright with such an influx on Canadian talent coming into the NBA. On top of that, it has a surefire No. 1 option that is still only 26-years-old, which many other countries don't have the luxury of.

Gilgeous-Alexander showed exactly who the player that Oklahoma City has grown accustomed to over the years is, this time being on a world stage. The changing play style of the Olympics was hardly a challenge for him to overcome, showing little signs of struggle in adapting to it. Even though he had one of the biggest workloads of any player, that pressure didn't keep him from performing to his MVP-level standards either.

The inexperience and immaturity of Canada was undoubtedly a major factor in its demise. To win at the Olympic level you have to be at your very best against competition from around the globe, and it failed to accomplish that against France. It falls on every player on the roster, including Gilgeous-Alexander.

“It’s the best basketball players in the world, so it’s a very hard tournament, if not the hardest,” Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters after the loss. “Once you get to the elimination round, everything matters a little bit more. I think we’ll be more prepared for that next time.”

Canada learned a lot in 2024. It may not have reached the high expectations that were placed upon entering the Olympics, but gaining that experience will only be beneficial in shaping a stronger run in 2028. Some of the roster will return, some won't, but if anything is for certain, Gilgeous-Alexander will be back leading the charge in Los Angeles.

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