3 Studs, 3 Duds from Canada's nail-biting win over Greece at Paris Olympics

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a stud

We will start with the least-surprising result, which is that the MVP runner-up in the NBA last season was really good. He ran the offense when he was on the court, and no one on Greece could consistently stay with him. He broke down a variety of defenders in isolation, either smoothly driving into the paint to finish at the rim or pulling up to knock down a 3-pointer.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points on just 10 shots, shooting 2-for-3 from deep and adding nine points from the free-throw line. He led the team with seven assists and added a pair of blocks. His best play of the night game with less than a minute remaining and Canada up by only two points; despite Greece knowing he was going to take the shot, they couldn't stop him from shedding his man and kissing the ball off the glass for the bucket.

The reason Canada is a favorite to medal is their depth of NBA talent; the reason they can win gold is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Jamal Murray was a dud

In stark contrast to Gilgeous-Alexander's smooth dominance of Greece was the poor play of Canada's other star point guard, Jamal Murray. Head coach Jordi Fernandez made the call to bring Murray off the bench, and in his 18 minutes he was one of the most harmful players on the roster.

The Denver Nuggets guard shot just 2-for-6 from the field, including going 0-for-3 from 3-point range with a couple of ill-advised hero shots. He added three turnovers to cancel out his three assists, contributing to Greece's transition attack, and he added a trio of fouls. For all that Gilgeous-Alexander was able to roast the Greek defense, Murray was completely stymied by them.

It continues a rough few motnhs for Murray, who was battling a minor injury in the NBA Playoffs that contributed to an early exit for the Nuggets. Thankfully for Canada, Murray is more of a luxury on the team than a necessity, although to unlock their ceiling they could use the Jamal Murray who erupted en route to the 2023 NBA title.