Canada opens Olympic play against Giannis, Greece on TSN
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The Canadian Olympic men’s basketball team kicks off their quest for gold on Saturday with arguably their most talented roster ever.
Boasting more NBA talent than they ever have, Canada will look to start the Paris Games off with a win in their Group A matchup against Greece on Saturday afternoon.
Watch Canada take on Greece in their Olympic opener LIVE on TSN4, TSN.ca, and the TSN App.
Canada, coming off of a bronze medal at last summer’s FIBA World Cup, were placed in the “group of death” with Greece, Australia and Spain, with the latter two teams being ranked number five and number two in the world, respectively.
2024 MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 2023 NBA champion Jamal Murray will be supported by RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, and Luguentz Dort, among others as they look to win their first ever medal in the event since 1936.
To open their tournament, head coach Jordi Fernandez will be tasked with stopping one of the best players in the world, two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who seemingly willed Greece to an Olympic berth in qualifying earlier this summer.
While the Greek roster may not feature the same amount of NBA talent as their Canadian counterparts, Antetokounmpo’s physicality and size down low poses a problem for any team.
If there is one thing left to be desired on Canada’s roster, it’s in the front court. Zach Edey dropped out from the tournament to focus on his development ahead of his upcoming rookie season with the Memphis Grizzlies, leaving Kelly Olynyk, Khem Birch, Trey Lyles, and Dwight Powell as the remaining bigs for the Olympics.
A lack of size and scoring in the post is something that will have to be overcome with stellar guard and wing play, something Canada is more than capable of as they begin the Olympic tournament with some lofty expectations.