5. C/PF Kelly Olynyk – Canada
It’s unfortunate for Kelly Olynyk that Team Canada is as stacked as it is. Olynyk will likely start for the team at power forward but with Dwight Powell, R.J. Barrett, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jamal Murray, it’s unlikely he’ll get any real action as a scorer. That’s not even talking about the bench players that Olynyk will have to compete with for touches.
We’re talking about Kyle Alexander, Dillon Brooks, Luo Dort, Phil, and Thomas Scrubb, and Kevin Pangos. Those are some solid players right there, and while Olynyk will be able to stretch the court to help provide scoring, he’s just not going to get that many touches. In fact, it’s entirely possible the team goes with Brooks at power forward just for a faster, more small-ball-focused lineup.
Olynyk will be important if Team Canada wants to make noise, but it’s not fair to say that he’s as important as Gilgeous Alexander or Murray, as the offense will run through them first and foremost. He and Powell are among the team’s only two NBA-caliber bigs, so whether he starts or not won’t truly matter, he’ll get at least 20 a game just due to his sheer size.
The rest of the names on this list, however, are far more important to their team’s success.