First opponent of the French team at the World Cup, Canada is one of the main outsiders of the competition with its workforce full of NBA players. And not end-of-bench players since there are many holders, and even an All-Star, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks or even Lu Dort, Dwight Powell and Kelly Olynyk. A workforce that could join the race for the playoffs if they were all united under the same jersey in the NBA.
An absent mark all the same: Jamal Murray. Tired after his journey to the NBA title, the leader of Denver preferred to throw in the towel. Despite this absence of a mark, coach Jordi Fernandez is satisfied with this preparation.
A collective to be created in a few weeks
“Right now, from the first to the tenth player, these guys are bringing a physical density that is wearing down the other team,” notes Jordi Fernandez whose team beat Spain, but lost to the Dominican Republic. “Obviously we have players who are scorers, like Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander), RJ (Barrett), and Kelly (Olynyk). But I think the fact that the ball is going around and everyone is touching it and everyone is involved, that’s what’s going to make us really good. »
Like Steve Kerr, the Kings assistant only had a few weeks to create a collective. Jordi Fernandez took over from Nick Nurse, and he must integrate NBA players who were not necessarily there in previous competitions.
“What is most impressive is their daily energy and their willingness to work and improve,” appreciates the Spanish coach. “When you participate in this experiment, travel to different countries and spend a lot of time together, these relationships reach a level that can help you win or lose. And those guys are doing the right thing, they’re building those relationships, which gives me a lot of hope.”
A strong point: versatility
In terms of play, Jordi Fernandez believes that the team’s strength lies in the versatility of its players. According to the adversaries, Canada can adapt. “Our wingers are great, but you can play with two insides. You can also play with just one. The versatility of this squad is great. I think that will be our main strength, the fact that we can field different fives and come up with different things.”
In El Pais, he recalls that this World Cup is only the beginning of a project, and that he, like the players, must have a medium and long term vision.
“It’s a young project. Everything is surprisingly positive, from the organization to the resources, the people I work with and especially the players. They are a very talented group but they have no experience in FIBA basketball.” he concludes. “We want to set up a solid project over several years. There is a lot of talent, but success does not happen overnight. Our goal is to build something solid for the long term. »
