France vs Canada – Preview for 2024 Olympics Basketball Quarterfinal

2024-08-06 ScoreWaves Staff

The 2024 Paris Olympics is a gift that keeps on giving. Events at the Olympics have entertained sports fans for the past 10 days, and Day 11 will surely have plenty of action in store.

However, host nation France’s quarterfinal match against Canada in the Men’s Basketball tournament will surely hog most of the spotlight on Day 11. France would hope to overcome a Canadian side that many consider to be one of the favorites to finally end USA’s dominance. However, Les Bleus have a real shot. In the unpredictable setting of an Olympics Quarterfinal, anything can happen. So, with the game finely balanced, which team will grab the chance to advance into the semifinals?

Canada – Searching for a first Olympics medal since 1936

Traditionally, the Canadian Men’s National basketball team haven’t been the most consistent performers at the Olympics. They last won a medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In fact, after the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Canada failed to qualify for the tournament five times in a row. However, Canada finally qualified on their sixth attempt, and fans are hopeful that this team will end their long medal drought this summer.

This Canadian roster currently possesses the most amount of NBA talent, barring USA. NBA stars like Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Lu Dort and Andrew Nembhard are all a part of Canada’s Olympic roster. However, the jewel in Canada’s crown is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 25-year-old OKC Thunder star has established himself as a legitimate star. Furthermore, he also came third in the 2024 NBA MVP voting. SGA averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds during the 2023-24 NBA season.

The Canadians have made use of their enviable talent this Olympics. They easily outclassed Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Greece by a scoreline of 86-79 in their first game of the campaign. The Canadians followed up that win with another win against Australian. They rounded off the group stage by securing another a hard-fought 88-85 win over Spain. They Canadians have breezed past most of their opponents in the group stage. However, Canada’s quarterfinal tie against France could be their most difficult challenge yet.

Can France finally end their Olympic gold medal wait?

France has a rich history of producing incredibly talented and technically gifted basketball players. NBA stars like Tony Parker, Rudy Gobert, Boris Diaw, and Nicolas Batum all hail from France. Despite this abundance of talent, the French men’s national basketball team has yet to clinch an Olympic gold medal. However, they have come close, winning the silver medal three times, with their most recent silver coming at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

However, following an impressive Olympics campaign in 2021, France massively disappointed at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. They failed to get out of the group stages, finishing 18th in the tournament. However, Les Bleus could be on the precipice of a golden era, with talented youngsters like Bilal Coulibaly and Tidjane Salaun coming through. Furthermore, France also possesses what many believe to be one of the greatest prospects in NBA history. Of course, I’m talking about Victor Wembanyama.

Wembanyama will have a huge say in tonight’s quarterfinal clash against Canada. So far, French national team have blown hot and cold. They defeated Brazil with ease in their first game of the campaign. However, their second game was much more challenging. Les Bleus managed to beat an unfancied Japan side by just four points. And in their last game of the group stage, France was defeated by world Champions Germany by a scoreline of 85-71. If France aspires to end their long Olympics gold medal wait, they must significantly improve their performances.