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With a team full of talents, Canada will be one of the teams to look out for in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Canada has been working on its program for years, and its current squad may be the most talented squad it ever assembled. Unfortunately, Denver Nuggets Star Jamal Murray will not be playing. Nonetheless, Team Canada has other big names it can count on to make a run in the tournament.
The Canadian team has a lot of depth. They will most likely stick to their high-flying, uptempo style, making it challenging for other teams to keep up. The rotation of the team comprises young and active players who can give other teams a run for their money.
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Canada looks promising to win it all this WC. So what are the three reasons why the team can lift a trophy this year? Let's find out.
No. 1 - Canadian Superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Although Canada's talent Murray will be missing out, they still have hopes in a talented leader to help the team sail through - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Shai, who was 4th in the NBA in scoring last year, has grown in leaps and bounds.
The springy guard can get past any defender in the tournament. He also has dynamic playmaking abilities. He averaged 5.5 assists last season and will lead the Canadian offense this season.
Furthermore, he showed the world what he is made of when he scored 32 points in a play-in tournament.
No. 2 - They will be battle-tested
If Canada advances to the knockout round, they will be battle-tested. They will have more experience against some of the better teams in the tournament.
They are in a tough draw in Group H. They will likely advance but will have to look out for Latvia's Davis Bertans. Kristaps Porzingis has dropped out of the tournament, which is in favor of Canada.
Canada will also face one of the tournament favorites, France. The French team won silver in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and is poised for a deep run. They have several NBA talents on their team, including Evan Fournier and Rudy Gobert.
If Canada qualifies for the second round, they will likely play Spain, another strong team. Canada will be prepared for tough competition heading into the quarterfinals once they make the knockout round.
No. 3 - The depth
Even without Murray, Canada has a deep roster. They have seven NBA players on the roster, which is the third highest amongst teams in the World Cup, just behind the U.S.A. and Australia.
Canada’s roster includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), RJ Barrett (New York Knicks), Dillon Brooks (Houston Rockets), Lu Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Minnesota Timberwolves), Kelly Olynyk (Utah Jazz), and Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks).
Canada has several scoring options and an insane level of top talent that should be able to dominate most international teams. Barrett and Alexander-Walker can be secondary scoring options to go to if Gilgeous-Alexander has an off game.
The team also has a deadly defense. Dort and Brooks are great defenders at the NBA level. Barrett will also add to the defensive line after having spent years under his guru Tom Thibodeau in New York.
