The golden age of Canadian Basketball is upon us, and leading the charge are two prolific guards in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray.
Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off of his second consecutive All-NBA First Team selection, and his superstar role has carried over to the national team. Murray, who is just one season removed from winning his first NBA title, has long been the program's go-to guy on the international stage due to his tendency to step up when the lights shine their brightest.
With Murray's reputation in mind, his limited role during the 2024 national team cycle has been baffling to some. In Team Canada's Olympic opener, Murray was not a part of the starting lineup, instead coming off the bench to score eight points in just under 18 minutes of action.
Given his standing as a big-time performer and one of Canada's most talented players, why is Murray coming off the bench? Here is how circumstances have led to Murray taking on a reserve role for Canada in 2024.
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Why isn't Jamal Murray starting for Canada at the Olympics?
Canada is taking a cautious approach to Murray's ramp-up process
Murray suffered a torn left ACL in April 2021 and subsequently missed the entirety of the 2021-22 NBA season. He showed rust during the 2022-23 campaign but would ultimately get into form when it mattered most, playing a crucial role in Denver's run to winning the 2023 NBA championship.
After playing into June 2023, Murray could not join Canada for the FIBA Basketball World Cup in order to rest up for the 2023-24 season, a sign that he was still feeling the effects of his 2021 injury. Murray's 2023-24 campaign was riddled by injury — he missed 11 games in November with a right hamstring injury and then missed seven games near the end of the season with a strained right knee.
Murray appeared affected once the playoffs began and then suffered a left calf strain. Still, he saw 38.5 minutes of action during the playoffs while his efficiency dipped and the Nuggets were eliminated in the West semifinals.
After participating in training camp and its first exhibition game, Murray remained in the United States due to a pre-approved excused absence while the team headed to France to continue Olympic preparation. His late arrival to France stood in the way of him getting up to speed with the rest of the team, resulting in a minutes restriction and planned rest days during Canada's preparation games.
Murray was projected to play around 20 minutes in the Olympics opener and saw 18 minutes in the game. With time, his role and playing time are expected to increase.
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Murray is in the middle of contract negotiations with the Nuggets
At 27, Murray is in the prime of his career, yet his recent injury issues have stood in the way of the Nuggets committing to him in the long term. Murray is eligible for a four-year, $207 million extension with Denver, but he and the franchise have yet to reach an agreement.
"Obviously, we’re very interested in getting something done with [Murray]," Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth said of negotiations. "The Olympics are a big deal, and I think having him focus on that, get through that, and when that concludes and he gets back, I don’t think it will be much of a negotiation.”
While Booth downplayed the notion of whether or not there would be much negotiation of a potential deal, limiting Murray's workload also limits the risk of injury. At the very least, the slow ramp-up process mitigates some of the risk associated with the myriad of injuries Murray dealt with last season.
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Canada is deep at the guard position
Perhaps the biggest reason Murray isn't starting is that Canada is talented enough to afford to make that move. The roster features 10 active NBA players, half of whom play the guard position.
Canada's starting backcourt for the Olympic opener paired Thunder teammates Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort. In addition to that duo, the team has Minnesota's Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Indiana's Andrew Nembhard.
Because Gilgeous-Alexander is unquestionably "the guy," Dort makes sense as a backcourt mate given his prowess as an all-world defender. Gilgeous-Alexander and Murray are far from the same player, but they're both at their best when they can put the ball in the basket.
As it stands, Murray is in a position to be the featured player in Canada's second unit, something that has proven to be successful on the Olympic stage. In 2008, Dwyane Wade famously led Team USA in scoring in a reserve role, and the Americans again are counting on their second unit in 2024.
Ultimately, starting the game is important but finishing is crucial — Murray is an excellent option for Canada's closing lineups. Playing with the second unit will allow him to ramp up and get his rhythm back, but when Canada wants to put its best five players on the floor, Murray will get the call.
Should Canada advance to the medal round, Murray and Gilgeous-Alexander are too talented not to find the best way to play off of one another. With enough of a runway to figure it out, slowly reincorporating Murray could pay off big time in the long run.
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