Zero: Kelly Olynyk
The Toronto Raptors have two players suiting up for Team Canada in the Paris Olympics. One of them has been Canada's best player; the other is Kelly Olynyk.
Olynyk should be an absolute beast in FIBA play, with the shorter 3-point line and increased percentage of 3-point shots. He should be pulling defenders out of the paint to open up the path to the rim for players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Instead, Olynyk has been unable to make much of an impact on offense, and that makes his poor rebounding and defense that much more painful.
Head coach Jordi Fernandez inserted Olynyk off the bench early to give the offense a spark, and he scored right away. Alas, it was not a sign of things to come, as that would be Olynyk's only basket of the night; what's worse, he took just two more shots altogether, including a single 3. He had just two rebounds to go with two turnovers and two fouls. Olynyk has been bad all tournament long, and the Canadiens will likely need him to have a hot game to have a shot at gold.
Hero: RJ Barrett
The best player for Team Canada through the start of the Olympic tournament has been Raptors wing RJ Barrett. The onetime Duke star has been tremendous in three-striaght games, and whether that's tied to a hot end to the season or a sign of development in the young wing, Barrett has been phenomenal for Canada in a way that Raptors fans should be encouraged about.
The Maple Mamba with a clutch three ❄️ 🧊#Paris2024 x #Basketball pic.twitter.com/yNzC6tWJK8
— FIBA (@FIBA) August 2, 2024
Barrett scored 16 points in total, seven of which came in the fourth quarter. Near the end of the game, with Canada nursing just a two-point lead, he bought the needed space by nailing a 3-pointer, his only long-range attempt of the night. In total he shot 6-for-10 from the field, 3-for-4 from the stripe, and chipped in three assists.