TORONTO (Rio 2016 Olympic Games) - Minnesota Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins believes Canada "would have given the USA a run for their money" if they had made it to the Olympics.

Wiggins and Canada, who failed to qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Games when they lost to Venezuela in the Semi-Finals at the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City, had to sit and watch as the USA plodded through the Group Phase in Rio de Janeiro before marching to the gold medal in convincing fashion in the knockout round.

"I wish we would have made it when we had the qualifier in Mexico last summer," Wiggins said to the postgame.com. "Even looking at the Olympics now, looking at the teams that were in there. The Canadian team has the second most talent on there."

France, the team that beat Canada in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Final in the Philippines, might beg to differ, as well as Spain, who are No. 2 in the FIBA World Rankings. Venezuela, the team that beat the Canadians last year, lost to the USA in their Group A game, 113-69.

"I feel like we would have competed and played hard and played a big factor in that Olympics but you know, we're looking forward to Tokyo in four years," Wiggins said.

Wiggins did not play for Canada at the OQT, depriving the team of one its most talented players. It was a tough decision to take but Wiggins believes it was the right one.

"This year was just kind of unfortunate for me," he said. "I couldn't help them get there because I had some other obligations.

"I tried to just better myself with the Minnesota Timberwolves and take my game to the next level so in four years, we (Canada) can do even bigger and better."

The Canada players that did show up gave everything they had to reach Rio, including Tristan Thompson. The NBA star showed up short of rest after his team's triumph over the Golden State Warriors in the Finals and played well but Canada lost to to the French in the OQT, 83-74.

FIBA