Team Canada Basketball Thread V3.0

[mojo13]

Still waiting for the 14 man roster from Basketball Canada.

Unfortunately Twitter rumors are indicating Melvin Ejim is out for personal reasons.
That could hurt much harder than casual fans will think. We are in despite need for FIBA experience and leadership.

[mojo13]

Good job by the Athletic guys in the latest podcast ( even a shout out to Mojo ).

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1193467868

Mojo are you Witt on Twitter? That's awesome - read your tweets all the time.

Hah...thanks man! Half the stuff is likely me reposting what all of us are discussing on here (and vice versa).

I'm an aggregator of sorts...

[Kenter16]

Still waiting for the 14 man roster from Basketball Canada.

Unfortunately Twitter rumors are indicating Melvin Ejim is out for personal reasons.
That could hurt much harder than casual fans will think. We are in despite need for FIBA experience and leadership.

Probably means Anthony Bennet is on the team and will actually see the court a significant amount of time. Hope the long lay-off hasn’t hampered him.

[Mattd97]

Still waiting for the 14 man roster from Basketball Canada.

Unfortunately Twitter rumors are indicating Melvin Ejim is out for personal reasons.
That could hurt much harder than casual fans will think. We are in despite need for FIBA experience and leadership.

yeah ejim is a key glue guy for this team. can do a little bit of everything, provides steady leadership. gonna miss him if true

[BilboBanginz]

Very good news. Just about the best we could have reasonably hoped for.

Read on Twitter

[Kenter16]

Read on Twitter

?s=21

I don’t think they would bring him North if he wasn’t going to be on the final roster. He does provide size and could possibly be Canada’s best rebounder. Not sure he gets meaningful minutes.

[ItsDanger]

Read on Twitter

?s=21

I don’t think they would bring him North if he wasn’t going to be on the final roster. He does provide size and could possibly be Canada’s best rebounder. Not sure he gets meaningful minutes.

That would be interesting. Might be because of FIBA rules, no 3 seconds and no goaltending.

[aminiaturebuddha]

Have to admit, Edey is one I didn't see coming back when we were first considering roster possibilities and it looked like there were quite a few options at the big man spots.

I imagine this must mean that he picked up on the coaching staff's defensive system fairly quickly (and to a lesser extent, the offensive system). I can't imagine them using a roster spot on him otherwise. More than anything else, that might speak well to his future ability to adjust to the pro game down the road.

I would guess he won't see the court much, except in strategic minutes for matchup purposes, but still, good for him.

That would be a bit of a blow to the junior team, but with Bediako and Javonte Brown, they should still be alright at the big man spots.

[frumble]

With TT and Birch not there it definitely opened up a spot or two for an interior-oriented big. No one else really fits the bill (arguably Klassen?)

So Powell, Lyles, Nicholson, Edey, and one of Bennett, Doornekamp and Klassen?
(assuming the Ejim rumours are true)

[mojo13]

FIBA is a different game. Greece, Turkey and Czech with some hefty, slow footed, but skilled bigs are going to attack our paint relentlessly.

Papagiannis 7'3. 280; Mitiglou 6'11, 260; Yurtseven 7'0, 275; Sanli 6'11, 260; Balvin 7'1, 250 & Vesely 7'0, 240.

vs:

Trey Lyles 6'10, 240; Dwight Powell 6'11, 240, Owen Klassen 6'10 260, Andrew Nicholson 6'9 240.

It is an obvious weakness for Canada and an obvious strategy to try to get our undersized front line into foul trouble (as well as score at will on them inside). Nurse is going to need to be creative countering with speed and schemes.

Edey (7'4, 285) at worst is an insurance policy against an injury as an alternate - and at best is a deep, deeeeeeeep rotational guy that can help in "oh $hit!" moments.

I think the bigs will be

Powell, Lyles, Nicholson, Klassen, Doornekamp. With Edey as an alternate.

I still dont think Bennett is playing with his PR commitments.

[TrueNorth31]

No fans until at least July 1/21 in the stands ( then probably only 700 ).

https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/victoria-olympic-basketball-qualifying-tournament-to-start-without-fans-organizers-hopeful-spectators-can-join-later-1.5483283

[TrueNorth31]

Nice shot of the new court.

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/basketball/victoria-qualifier-origin-story-1.6079105

[SuperSant]

Why did brooks, birch, thompson, Olynk all drop out? Was there a reason given?

[DeKobe DeBryant]

Primo draft hype is building.
Good to see him show off, as he was buried at Alabama and didnt get his proper exposure.

Read on Twitter

?s=20

They just interviewed him on ESPN during the scrimmage. He came off as really intelligent and seems like a great kid.

[Kenter16]

Read on Twitter

?s=20



AJ Lawson turning heads! Great to see. Wasn't on anybody's draft boards a month ago, maybe we see him taken this year. Although, we have seen the free agent signee's right after the draft do well. Might be better to not get drafted, that way you can pick your location. Either way, he is proving he has a future in pro ball.

[mojo13]

Why did brooks, birch, thompson, Olynk all drop out? Was there a reason given?

No reasons given publicly but I'll take an educated stab at it:

Brooks - likely some little injuries from the season and playoffs. Grizzlies ratcheted up the pressure on him and Clarke to not play after the playoffs ended. Publicly it was said he had "commitments that were extended into the summer" whatever that means. Not a peep out there about Clarke.

Birch - No word, But free agents don't usually play. Their agents really push them hard not to. Birch sounded like he was going to do it anyways and there was rumblings of deeper pockets (Drake + tech guy on the Board) that were going to help with insurance (not sure if that turned up).

Olynyk - same as above, plus he was hurt the last time around (2010 World Cup friendly). Even more pressure from his agent not to play. A few posters here were adamant KOs agent was never going to let him play. They were right.

Thompson - too busy hiding in the closet with three young ladies??? We got nothing from him - but perhaps the rocky year in Boston was enough for him to back out.

[Kenter16]

No fans until at least July 1/21 in the stands ( then probably only 700 ).

https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/victoria-olympic-basketball-qualifying-tournament-to-start-without-fans-organizers-hopeful-spectators-can-join-later-1.5483283

At least it is something. It's not my place to make these decisions, but what's 2 days? If they decide to allow fans on the 1st, why not the 29th? That seems illogical. Especially considering that Canada plays on the the 29th and 30th. But, like I said, at least it's something. To have fans for the semi and the final would be huge.

[Yeezus_]

Do we know the TV schedule for the tournament?

[TrueNorth31]

Check your local CBC TV listings ( first game 6: 00 P.M. Tuesday Pacific time ).

If you like to stream check the CBC Gem app. ( Dan Shulman is the announcer ).

[TrueNorth31]

Here's one reason Sharpe is not with the U19 team.

Read on Twitter