Jazz C Kelly Olynyk Loses Key Teammate for Canada in FIBA World Cup

Some exciting international basketball is on the horizon, with the 2023 FIBA World Cup officially beginning next week. The Utah Jazz have a few members representing both their team and their respective countries, one being Canada’s own Kelly Olynyk.

Canada forecasts to be one of the best teams put together in the tournament, collecting some notable faces like Oklahoma City Thunder G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, New York Knicks G/F RJ Barrett, and even the new eye-catching Houston Rockets addition Dillion Brooks. If you were looking for an upset candidate to take down Team USA, you might not have to look further than their Northern neighbors just up the road.

However, it looks like Olynyk and the rest of Canada will be rolling into the tournament short-handed, as Denver Nuggets G Jamal Murray has been deemed OUT for the entirety of the tournament.

Jamal Murray is expected to miss the FIBA World Cup, per @CanBball. pic.twitter.com/0PQzfKoJqK
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 16, 2023

Fresh off a Finals win only a couple of months ago, Murray will hold off against trying to compete for some more hardware to add to his resume. Fans will have to wait just a bit longer to see him play on the floor again since his electrifying playoff performance just last NBA season.

For Team Canada, this is a pretty deep cut into the talent this roster has on hand. Shai-Gilgeous Alexander might ease the blow to this squad’s guard production, but having a player like Murray on the floor adds another dimension to a team’s offense. Just look at the Nuggets!

This team still has a nice group of talented players on this roster, even without Murray, so all hope is not lost for Kelly Olynyk. Still, every team facing off in this tournament is sure to have an uphill battle against Team USA.

Canada will continue to prepare without Murray for their 2023 FIBA debut against France on Friday, August 25th, as a part of the World Cup’s opening day of games.

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