For the second year in a row, a Canadian played a big role in helping his team win an NBA championship. In 2022, it was Andrew Wiggins who shone for the Golden State Warriors, and then this year, it was Jamal Murray for the Denver Nuggets.
It is a great sign for Team Canada ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup and they could put out quite an impressive starting five for the tournament.
Murray was terrific in the NBA Finals for the Nuggets, with averages of 21.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 10.0 APG, and 1.0 SPG. He is on his way to establishing himself as one of the best point guards in the world and Canada would be a force to be reckoned with at the World Cup held in the Philippines, Japan, and New Zealand if he leads them.
As for Wiggins, he missed much of the 2022-23 season due to injuries and personal issues, but still averaged 17.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 0.8 BPG in 37 games. There are question marks surrounding his availability but if he does play, then Canada will have a versatile forward who excels on the defensive end.
They could have one of the best backcourts at the World Cup too, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Murray would be quite the duo. SGA made the All-NBA First Team in 2023 with impressive averages of 31.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 1.0 BPG.
RJ Barrett is another noteworthy piece in the mix for Canada. He struggled in the playoffs for the New York Knicks, but still had a pretty solid season, averaging 19.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 2.8 APG.
Kelly Olynyk will also provide some experience to this group and they could have the likes of Dillon Brooks, Bennedict Mathurin, and Lu Dort coming off the bench. The team looks primed to do a whole lot better than they did in 2019 when they finished 21st. They find themselves in Group H for this edition, with France, Latvia, and Lebanon. The biggest question mark surrounding the team, though would be whether Wiggins would play for them.
Andrew Wiggins Revealed Why He Didn’t Commit To Team Canada For Three Years
Team Canada opted for an approach in 2022 of having their players commit to the national team for three years, in the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics. While the likes of Barrett and SGA did commit, Wiggins did not, as he wasn’t interested in a long-term commitment.
He stated that the Warriors were his priority and it didn’t make sense for him to commit to Team Canada as well, as it would leave him with little time for his family. The players who didn’t commit to this three-year cycle would be at risk of missing out on a spot in the Olympics and while Wiggins would love to play in Paris, he stated he wouldn’t lose any sleep if they didn’t pick him.
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