Team Canada in the U16 Fiba Americas

[BilboBanginz]

Definitely wasn't expecting silver after watching the first two games.

[SHFT]

What time is the final?

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[TravisScott55]

What time is the final?

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8pm

[GoRaptors]

What time is the final?

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8pm

I think it is 10pm est but I could be mistaken.

[GoRapstheoriginal]

What time is the final?

Sent from my SM-G991W using Tapatalk

8pm

I think it is 10pm est but I could be mistaken.

YOU! YOU HAVE MY NAME! DAMN 2008 WOWOWOWOWO

I was to slow.....Damn it all to hell!

[mihaic]

Family reunion ^^^

[TravisScott55]

What time is the final?

Sent from my SM-G991W using Tapatalk

8pm

I think it is 10pm est but I could be mistaken.

you are correct, its 8 local time, 10pm eastern

[ItsDanger]

Getting killed on glass, can't inbound.

[TheLP]

I always forget how incredibly boring USA junior teams play.

I don't know why they don't just continuously throw the ball off the defender that's in their face and just create an endless loop of nothing. If they're going to play like that, just waste their time.

[ItsDanger]

45-13 after 10 minutes. Just too much of a size disadvantage, lot of sloppy possessions. It's over.

[bozothepope]

Well, that was painful...

[Hair Canada]

SUMMARY OF THE TOURNAMNET

Almost as usual, the Canadian team looked very shaky to start this tournament. There was a point during the second game against Uruguay (third quarter, down 10) when I was almost ready to write this team off as one of the worst we’ve ever put in one of these events, on par with our unremarkable 2017 U16 team, which, if my memory serves me right, ended up failing to produce even a single high major college talent (not to mention NBA prospects).

Well, in hindsight, this is clearly not the case for this current Canadian team. Partly because since that point the team suddenly came together and started playing much better basketball in the rest of the tournament, leading to a very respectable silver medal and a guaranteed spot in next-year’s U17 WC. Putting aside the embarrassing gold medal game against perhaps the best US team I’ve watched over the years in these U16 tournaments, I actually think Canada eventually punched above its weight in this tournament (and the finals game is actually a testament to this). This team is not better than Argentina and I would also give the edge to Puerto Rico if Canada was meeting them. So the silver medal is a very nice team achievement.

Beyond the group success, this team also has some interesting talents and the encouraging part of it is that perhaps the most interesting ones among these are very young. Here’s a quick summary of what I think about some of these prospects. Admittedly, it’s still really early, so this is more of an estimation of the ceiling rather than a prediction of what’s to come.


HIGH MAJOR TO NBA POTENTIAL

Paul Osaruyi (6’9 C; Ottawa, ON). I had a good feeling about Osaruyi before the tournament started and mentioned him as perhaps our most interesting prospect, but he managed to exceed my expectations. 16ppg and 9rpg, showing a real mature and balanced offensive game for a 15yo big. Comparing him with someone like Charles Bediako, who had a similar physical profile at the same age, he’s light years ahead in terms of fluidity, balance, coordination, ball skills, and shooting touch. For the latter, despite not shooting the ball very well from 3, I think he has great potential on that front, because he’s already taking them confidently and because I really like his FT and mid-range stroke. At times, he’s even shown advanced skill creating off the dribble with his face to the basket.

Defensively, Osaruyi is still work in progress, as might be expected at this age. The tools are certainly there, with his fluidity and flashing some rim protection potential (1.3 blocks per game). But he also often missed readings, had multiple defensive lapses, and showed a tendency to get into foul trouble. None of these are red flags for me and all can be ironed out with additional experience playing at a high level. I thought the energy and motor were mostly good (with some lapses) and he seems coachable.

All in all, Osaruyi is the most impressive Canadian big prospect I’ve seen at this age group. Probably more promising than Simi Shittu at that age (in 2015), because of the superior shooting touch. Given his young age, further physical development is also possible (e.g. adding an inch or two), which would of course be very welcome. Naturally, that doesn’t guarantee anything and we’ll need to see consistent development for him in the coming few years to cash in on his potential. But it’s still great to see and exactly the reason this kind of tournaments can be exciting (for me). Together with 2025 Marial Akuentok and a few other interesting guys with size (and, of course, Zach Edey), we might finally be growing the generation that will take over from Thompson, Olynyk, and Powell.

Godson Okokoh (6’7 SF; Ottawa, ON). While Osaruyi already showed real production, the even younger Okokoh (not yet 15) mainly showed flashes. For one, I pegged him as a PF before the tournament started, but I now think he’s more of a real wing prospect. Certainly still raw and inconsistent, he didn’t always get many minutes and there were moments when he looked his age. But the physical profile is great (and is likely to improve further at this age), along with the fluidity, decent handle, and defensive potential, which put him on another level than the other Canadian wings in terms of potential.

The shooting (6 of 11 from 3) was the real surprise for me, though I do think it might be a bit of a fluke. Regardless, he showed nice touch from distance, with a quick release, good form, and the willingness to take them with confidence, all very encouraging signs. The perimeter shooting also stood out given his very shaky finishing touch around the rim, which I’ve already witnessed in earlier occasions. At least part of it probably has to do with maturity and him rushing things. But it’s certainly something to keep an eye on and hopefully he can improve this aspect of his game substantially, perhaps already by next year’s U17 WC. On a clear day, with additional skill and physical development (a couple more inches would be nice), you can see some NBA potential here.


MID TO HIGH MAJOR POTENTIAL

Kamai Samuels (6’1 PG; QC). I considered putting Samuel in the group above but right now it’s just hard for me to see the NBA path here. The game against the NBA demonstrated that, but this was my impression even before that. Before I get to the reasons, Samuels had a great tournament, finishing it as arguably Canada’s best player, leading the team (and the tournament) in assists, and second to Osaruyi in points and rebounds (8 per game for a 6’1 guard is fantastic). With an elite first step, he can get to the paint at will at this level, and his great burst also allows him to finish creatively around in the paint, including the ability to play above the rim. Also has a nice mid-range in his arsenal and the passing chops are very good for this age.

So what’s keeping him from being an NBA prospect? For me, it’s mainly the shooting touch, and since that’s an issue I’ve already seen before (see my preview to the tournament), I think it’s real. He actually made a few 3-pointers in this tournament, but at least one of them was a lucky bank and many of the misses were way off and just didn’t look good. The FT shooting (39%) is another indication of a questionable shooting touch. At this size (I think 6’1), PGs just don’t have too much wiggle room at the highest levels. Elite athleticism and decision making are a must (the latter is also a bit questionable for Kamai, with more than 3 TOs per game). But so is a plus shooting stroke. I wouldn’t close the door on Samuels making a jump in this area given his age. He wouldn’t be the first. But it’s certainly an uphill battle and the less likely result. So until I see that happening, I remain skeptical about him being more than a high major college potential.

Quinten Ethier (6’4 SG; St. Catharines, ON). As was clear before the tournament, Ehtier was Canada’s only true perimeter threat (Okokoh’s surprising shooting performance not withstanding). After a very cold start, he managed to find his stroke and contributed to wins with important timely buckets and spacing. He has an elite quick release, great range, and the confidence to shoot them with even a slither of daylight (and sometimes even without it), even after missing the first few. The limited size, athleticism, and creation off the bounce do put a fairly hard cap on the potential to reach the highest levels, but with the premium on shooting in the modern game, he should have a successful college career and could make money playing basketball if he continues to improve the other aspects of his game.

Patrick Anamali (6’6 combo forward; Calgary, AB). One of the better players for team Canada in this tournament and arguably its best defender. As I indicated before the tournament, I love his defensive potential, with excellent size (I don’t buy the official 6’5 measurements from Team Canada; he looks closer to 6’7 to me), length, mobility, effort. And he did not disappoint on this end, with some moments of truly elite defense and overall good consistency and motor.

So we have the D side of things covered but the O is still much behind. He certainly showed flashes on that end of the court as well and I like the energy, hustle, and willingness to try, which have certainly improved since I saw him last summer. But the very shaky handle, shooting, and finishing touch around the rim have a long way to go, even to become a high-major college prospect. Still too early to tell if he’ll end up as another version of Matthew Alexander Moncrieffe – A great athlete, who can defend well and be active in the paint, but who also can’t shoot and has a limited handle, making him an undersized and limited college PF – or whether he can develop into more of a modern defensive wing prospect with the ability to knock down the occasional 3-pointer and make an efficient drive here and there.


THE OTHERS

Elijah Patterson (6’2 SG; Mississauga, ON). A pretty weak tournament for the younger Patterson brother. Apart from catching fire in the last quarter against Brazil and a few good moments against Argentina, he was a bit disappointing with his shot not falling down, questionable decision making (twice as many TOs as assists), and not showing much beyond. The physical profile at 6’2 or 6’3 is limited for a SG who’s a fine athlete but not elite. But he’s relatively young (15.5) and if he has a later growth spurt in him similar to his brother, he might still emerge as one of the better prospects in a rather mediocre 2026 class. I think I’d like to see him get another chance with the national team next year.

Jordan Charles (5’10 PG; Scarborough, ON). Similar to what I’ve seen from him in the past, Charles plays a smart and tough brand of basketball, with good athleticism and feel, and the ability to finish plays creatively and provide a spark off the bench. The upside remains quite limited though given his very modest physical profile (height and strength) and without elite shooting or playmaking.

Isaiah Headley-Smith (6’3 SF; Pickering, ON). Had a few nice moments in the tournament and didn’t look completely out of place. But overall, he also didn’t make much of an impression. A very decent athlete, who can shoot a bit, get to the paint, and finish with some contact, but doesn’t do any of these things very well for now. Certainly didn’t hurt the team like some of the others (see below), but also didn’t show anything too special.

Maxandre Calixte (6’6 SF; Boucherville, QC). One of the more frustrating players in this tournament for me. Has the size, strength and mobility to be a really interesting wing prospect. But the handle, feel for the game, and maybe most of all the awkward catapult shooting form, with terrible results (14% from 3 and 16% (!) from the line) really turned me off. At this age and given his physical and athletic profile, I guess we shouldn’t write prospects off, but I was not impressed.

Nnamdi Ogali (6’8 C; Calgary, AB). I was quite surprised to see him make the team given what I’ve seen from him in the past. And while he certainly has an interesting physical profile (strong and moves fairly well), my overall impression did not improve. Weak feel for the game and shooting touch really limit the upside here.

Maxime Meyer (6’8 C; Toronto, ON). He’s a youngster (15.5), so we should be more careful. But for now he was clearly one of the least impressive players on this team and you had to squint really hard to see the potential. He’s long and mobile, but very limited shooting touch, feel, and maturity made him a real liability whenever he was on the floor.

Traymaine Belanger (6’4 SG; Surrey, BC). A guy I didn’t watch much before the tournament. Didn’t get many chances but when he did play seemed sped up and had a hard time to contribute. One of the younger players on the team with decent size for a guard, so maybe needs to do some growing, but for now I haven’t seen anything special.


A QUICK LOOK TO NEXT YEAR’S WC

As always, the U17 WC next year would give this team a chance for fine tuning. The importance of securing a WC spot is not merely at the achievement level. It provides for another great learning and exposure opportunity for these boys and potentially a few others who might be available next year, a rare chance to play extended minutes of international FIBA and be exposed to playing more team-oriented basketball, where they are not necessarily the stars. It could also be very helpful for connecting the best talents to the national team framework for years to come and sometimes helps foster bonds among them that could last for years.

As for the personnel, the core of Samuels, Ethier, Anamali, Okokoh, Osaruyi, and perhaps Patterson and Charles could use an infusion of talent from the classes of 2026 and 2027. Guys like Rohan Dhanoa (PG), Rokiem Green (SG), Kian Tyson (SG), and Dionycius Bakare (SF) from 2026. Or Lukas Jendrusiak (CG), Kymani Walters (SG), and Miles Sadler (SF) from 2027. Or maybe others who break out during the coming year.

Given that some of the best players on this projected team are still very young, another year of experience would probably benefit them quite a bit and they could be competitive. I’ll be looking forward to seeing them in Turkey next year.

[DrCoach]

USA 118- 36 Canada

[HumbleRen]

118-36 is insane. Complete annihilation Lmfaoo.

[Potential]

What the **** is this

[WuTang_OG]

[kieferli]

USA 118- 36 Canada

Wtf