Canada had a tough time at the Paris Olympics. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates faced a determined French team led by Victor Wembanyama at home. They lost in the quarterfinals 82-73, marking the end of their Olympic run.
High expectations have been placed on this Canadian team, with added intrigue coming from the participation of Jamal Murray, who averaged 21.2 points, 6.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 59 games last season with the Denver NuggetsMurray did not participate with Team Canada at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which left the group without a perimeter star alongside Gilgeous-Alexander at the time. It was the most talented group Canada has ever sent to an Olympics in history.
I asked #Nuggets Blue Bombers star Jamal Murray spoke about his potential contract extension after Canada’s game against Team USA. He said: “When we get there, we get there, I guess. I play games for Canada, so it’s not on my mind.” @DPostSports pic.twitter.com/MsSneIKnRH
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) July 11, 2024
Murray struggled throughout the tournament, averaging 6.0 points on 29 percent shooting. Despite playing 20.5 minutes per game, Murray could have been more effective, falling short of expectations as a backup player next to Gilgeous-Alexander.
Nuggets president Josh Kroenke didn’t hold back in assessing Murray’s performance, as reported The Denver Post.
“When you’re playing against the best in the world, whether it’s the NBA playoffs or the Olympics, you’re going to get the best of the opponent,” Kroenke said. “And if you’re not 100 percent and you know you still want to be on the court, you’re going to try to fight like Jamal. But I know he wasn’t 100 percent. I know getting him back out there is a big step toward the Jamal that was putting up triple-doubles in the NBA Finals.”
“No one from Kitchener has made it this far, so it’s nice to be a pioneer in that sense” 🇨🇦
Jamal Murray talks about his hometown and what it means to represent Kitchener in the NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/F3dLe4TP1q
— Canada UNINTERRUPTED 🇨🇦 (@UNCanada) May 31, 2023
Kroenke noted that Murray’s lingering ankle injury, among other physical issues, severely hampered his performances in both the late stages of the NBA playoffs and the Olympics. Despite these difficulties, Kroenke expressed confidence in Murray’s ability to bounce back:
“Jamal is a great player, one of the best in the NBA,” Kroenke said. “He thought the Olympics were for him. Reading some of his quotes, I know he was a little frustrated. So I’m confident he’ll use that in the right way to motivate himself going into the season.”
Murray, who has one season left on his current contract, is eligible for a max extension. The Nuggets hope his Olympic experience will help Murray be more efficient and determined for the upcoming 82-game regular season.
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