Andrew Nicholson plays well as Canada wins silver medal at Pan Am Games
Canada won the silver medal at the Pan Am Games in Toronto on Saturday thanks to a surprising run and steady effort from Andrew Nicholson.
Andrew Nicholson was a key component of Canada’s silver medal at the Pan Am Games, which concluded Saturday night with Brazil’s 86-71 win over Canada. Nicholson scored 11 points in the final Saturday.
That 11-point, 4-for-9 shooting performance was one of Nicholson’s weaker performances in the weeklong tournament.
Nicholson really got the scoring going in the semifinal upset of the United States, scoring 31 points on 12-for-20 shooting. He also grabbed 10 rebounds in the game. While Kentucky freshman Jamal Murray stole the headlines with his 22 points, Nicholson did his share of the heavy lifting.
Yes, there is a video that says “We thought the story of the game was going to be Andrew Nicholson.” But really the story was of Team Canada realizing their potential even in a sanitized setting like the Pan Am Games.
This was a major moment for Canada basketball, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes:
"What you’ll find is one of the most compelling, entertaining, and maybe even the most significant games in Canadian basketball history. The men’s program has been turning the corner ever so slowly for years now. The light at the end of the tunnel has always looked bright, but sometimes it didn’t seem to be getting all that much closer.Now it’s right there. The future is here. This is the moment the Canadian basketball story – a decade in the making — came into the light."
This was his strongest offensive game of the tournament by far. But he was solid throughout the tournament. His overall averages were 18.2 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game on 57.0 percent effective field goal percentage. He took 18 of his 64 field goal attempts from beyond the arc, clearly attacking from the paint more.
His performance included a 24-point game against Argentina as Canada went undefeated until the gold medal game. Nicholson was named the Canada Basketball Player of the Week for his consistent effort throughout the tournament.
The level of competition in this tournament was not the strongest admittedly. The United States sent a mixed team that featured several younger players and NBA stalwarts such as Ryan Hollins and Anthony Randolph. It was a mix of college and pro players.
Canada did not even have their full complement of players. Anthony Bennett, Andrew Nicholson and Sim Bhullar were the only notable NBA players on the roster. Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Olynyk did not participate in this particular tournament. Canada has some solid players coming through the pipeline.
Of course, first they have to qualify.
Canada will be heading to Mexico later in August for the Tournament of the Americas, the qualifying tournament for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. That roster has not been announced yet.
Nicholson though has developed into a very strong FIBA player. He usually has performances like this with his national team. It seems pretty comfortably certain he will be heading to Mexico for the qualifying tournament.
What remains uncertain is whether Nicholson can get this to transfer to the NBA and find a fit with a new coach with the Magic. This is where Nicholson has struggled the last two years. As he has moved farther away from the basket, his effectiveness has decreased and his defensive warts have become too much to bear.
That does not mean Nicholson has not worked on them. He was decent toward the end of the season and showed improvement on both ends, suggesting he could be ready for a larger role.
For any Magic fan, it is a good thing to see Nicholson playing well in any setting. Him gaining confidence can only put him in a good frame of mind heading into training camp.