All roads lead to Tokyo for Canada, but playoffs at Olympic qualifier won't be easy
Canadians must rely on talented offence, sharpened defence to qualify for Games
With pressure mounting in Victoria, Canada appears as cool as ever.
Canada must beat the Czech Republic on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, CBC TV), then the winner of a Greece-Turkey matchup in Sunday's final (7 p.m. ET, CBC TV) to qualify for Olympic men's basketball for the first time since 2000.
Forward Dwight Powell said Friday the team isn't approaching the weekend any differently than previous games.
"Every time we wake up in the morning of a game day it's a do-or-die situation for us. So tomorrow we're going to wake up the same way we've woken up since day one of camp and that's on the same page, doing whatever we can to help each other compete at the highest level to win a game of basketball," Powell said.
Inside Canada’s last practice before tomorrow’s semifinal game against Czech Republic. <br><br>They’ve had two days of rest heading into this first elimination game. High energy here as they try and qualify for the Olympics. <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCOlympics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBCOlympics</a> <a href="https://t.co/1BKFd37pLt">pic.twitter.com/1BKFd37pLt</a>
—@Devin_HerouxHead coach Nick Nurse, meanwhile, repeated the mantra he's carried throughout this journey.
"The heart is the key to this team, and it's there. Just like in any playoff situation or thing like that, there is a big picture out there but you got to zero in on what's in front of you because that's all that matters," Nurse said.
In wins over Greece and China in group play, Canada displayed the combination of talent and teamwork it will take to achieve that big-picture goal of reaching Tokyo 2020.
What's in front of Canada on Saturday, a battle against the Czechs, will put both to the test.
WATCH | Canada coalesces to crush China:
Through two games, RJ Barrett and Andrew Wiggins have displayed the skills that made them top picks while Nickeil Alexander-Walker has inserted top-notch athleticism and one-on-one scoring off the bench.
Offensively, no other team in Victoria — and maybe just one other team in the world, the U.S. — can keep up with Canada.
But defensively Canada was exposed some. Against Greece, shooters were consistently left open beyond the arc in the first half. Part of that was by design — Greece typically doesn't shoot it well — but wide-open three-pointers certainly weren't in the game plan. By the second half, everything seemed more crisp.
For a team that had never played together before, the adjustments are coming quickly.
"We didn't really know what this team would look like and there was going to be a pretty sharp learning curve and I think that we learned some things in the first half, and we got to the locker room and worked through some things against Greece. I think we're seeing a little bit more of how our team fits," Nurse said.
Size, experience key for Czechs
In some ways, the Czechs are a philosophical opposite to Canada. They have experience together, and it shows in how they play: a drive-and-kick offence mixed with intelligent passing keeps the defence on its toes. But individual talent may be lacking.
There is just one NBA player on the Czech roster — jack-of-all-trades point guard Tomas Satoransky of the Chicago Bulls. He'll be the focal point of an egalitarian offence.
Two other players to watch out for are forward Jan Vesely, the sixth overall pick of the 2011 draft, and Ondrej Balvin, a seven-footer who's shot a combined 9-for-12 over two games in Victoria.
"Their big guys are tough, physical. They're all unique. Drive the ball a little bit, post the ball a little bit, all rebound the ball a lot of bit, so there's always a concern against a really strong European team and this is one of them," Nurse said.
WATCH | Canada comes back in 2nd half to defeat Greece:
Canada's defensive weaknesses through two games may be exposed further by a Czech team adept at finding open shooters on the outside or playing through Balvin and Vesely on the inside.
"You really gotta focus on the things you can control, and that's our pace, our tempo, our gameplan, making sure we're supporting each other, having each other's backs, especially defensively," Powell said.
If Canada meets Turkey on Sunday, another post-scoring threat in 18-year-old Alperen Sengun, a potential lottery pick in the upcoming draft, awaits.
Powell, the six-foot-ten starting centre, will be crucial in helping a Canadian team short on size defend and rebound against bigger opponents.
Canada is favoured to beat the Czech Republic by 15.5 points on some betting sites. The Czechs weren't at their sharpest in their 17-point loss to Turkey or their one-point win over 45th-ranked Uruguay.
Canada is also minus-333 to win the entire tournament, implying a 77 per cent chance of qualifying for the Olympics.
Plus, there will be the added boost of some fans being allowed into the building — 720, to be exact, on Saturday.
"There's a lot of pride in these games, obviously, so regardless of the point spread, regardless of the game situation, they're going to keep coming with everything they have and we'll do the same," Powell said.
The road to Toyko is clear. Two more wins. Two more do-or-die situations for Canada to get back to the Olympics.
