Canadian 2020 Power Ranking
Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2020 1:39 am
This has become somewhat of a tradition now. I usually put on this annual power ranking in the summer. But this year, with COVID and the bubble, I decided to wait till the NBA season was over. And that's probably a good thing looking at the way some Canadians have performed in the playoffs.
Much like last year, this is a ranking of my top 50. In parentheses, you'll find my ranking from last year. And this year I decided to also add a short write-up for the top 20 to make my logic explicit.
Two ground rules before starting:
* First, I do my ranking with an eye to the Canadian National Team. That is, I'm thinking who I would most like to see on the team if I had my choice. This means that I'm also considering positions to an extent and also fit with others.
* Second, there are no high school players on this list. For me, it's just too early to try to assess how they might perform against adult competition. So you can save your "where's Elijah Fisher" outcries (I would not have him here in any case). You could argue that I should apply the same rule to college players, especially those who still haven't played a game in the NCAA. That's fair, but I decided to still include a few of these potential up and coming, though not before #40 on the list.
As always, feel free to disagree!
1 (1) Jamal Murray. During the season, I've encountered quite a few commentators who believed that SGA is already a better player than Jamal, with some even thinking that this is true for Dillon Brooks, due to his defense. Well, this playoff has put all of this talk to bed. Murray at his best is a superstar, no less, and a top-15 player in this league. the defense is less relevant in these cases, as offense is just more important in this league. But for what it's worth, I think Murray is also a somewhat undervalued defender. In a good defensive scheme and when fully wired, he is actually a decent defender. Right now, he's on a level of his own and clearly the most important CNT player.
2 (2) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Despite his breakout year, I was somewhat disappointed with how things ended up for SGA in the postseason. His offense is good but the creation is still kind of limited against playoff defenses. And his defense has also been a bit disappointing in terms of both effort and the ability to stay with stronger or quicker guards. Let's hope he makes another leap in his third year and becomes an all-star.
3 (3) Kelly Olynyk. There's a clear drop between the two players above (All-Star-level players) and the rest of the pack. From here on, it becomes a matter of taste. And for me, Olynyk is still the favorite from the point of view of team Canada. His shooting, fluidity, great reading of the game, and the overall fit for international play at his position are all indispensable
4 (7) Brandon Clarke. You got to love what Clarke showed in his rookie year. Many of us (shoutout to mojo who was the first) believed that he was under-drafted and were clearly right about it. Some might see this as premature, especially since the defensive potential is yet to be fully realized. But I'm a believer in that crazy athleticism/efficiency/energy that he brings to the table and I think it will translate to any setting. An improved version of Dwight Powell.
5 (6) Dillon Brooks. A great season for Dillon, particularly the first couple of months till he got his contract. Arguably the weaker link on my dream-team starting five, but I still like him. Not the most efficient, but he plays with heart, is a good defender, and when he heats up he can score in bunches. Hopefully, will be able to adapt to a secondary role if he ever teams up with Jamal and SGA.
6 (24) Luguentz Dort. What a breakout year for Lu, particularly in the playoffs! Already the best Canadian defender out there. Right now, he's still a bit of a liability on offense, but can be a terrific energy player off the bench for the Canadian dream-team, or even inserted into the starting-5 to target the opposing team's best creator. Now, if he can just get that outside shooting to fall at over 35% (I think that's possible), we've got ourselves a Canadian Marcus Smart.
7 (13) Andrew Wiggins. I was pleasantly surprised with Wiggins this year (hence the jump in ranking), especially given how low my expectations have become. In particular, I thought he defended better and shared the ball much better. Both of these could be very useful traits if he stays in the Bay area this year, which could be a perfect setting for him to save his career playing in a different role. I still doubt if he ever shows up again for team Canada, but if he does, he has a spot in my roster. And I'd be happy to rank him higher next year if he can be a contributing part in a winning NBA team
8 (12) Tristan Thompson. TT also had a good year, showing that his career is not yet sinking. He had the best scoring season of his career, with a double-double average, and even showed he can shoot the occasional three-pointer. He's only 29 and might still have a couple of years as a good performer, depending also on the team he ends up with. Can still contribute to team Canada and has suited up whenever he was able to in previous years.
9 (5) Cory Joseph. Captain Canada had a decent season with Sacramento. At this point in his career, it's clear what you get out of him -- a good defender, a solid PG, but not a good scorer (pretty weak shooting). For team Canada, he's been an integral part and the most loyal player. Jamal and Shai are clearly better, but he can be an important piece from the bench
10 (8) RJ Barrett. If Clarke had an excellent rookie season, RJ's was quite a disappointment. He can score, but not efficiently and I also thought he would be a better playmaker with NBA spacing. But he's only 20 and has lots of room to grow and the work ethic to improve. I haven't lost faith that he can be one of our best 5 players if and when he figures things out.
11 (4) Dwight Powell. I still love DP's game and personality, so dropping him a few spots on my ranking is not a knock on him. It's more a matter of how much other players have grown. But it's also the realistic understanding that he might not come back the same player from this terrible Achilles injury, which has historically been devastating for some players' careers (most notably Demarcus Cousins). Even if DP does come back to his pre-injury form, it's not likely to happen this year.
12 (11) Khem Birch. Stuck in a horrible contract in Orlando (low paid and behind one of the few all-star centers in this league), Birch is still trying to make the most out of things. Just think how a team like Boston might have been able to use him…
13 (14) Kevin Pangos. The first non-NBA player on this ranking, Pangos would have been lower on my list until a couple of weeks ago, as he missed the last year with injuries and things didn't quite click for him with Barcelona. But he's come back with a new team, which seems like a better fit, and when he's doing his thing he's one of our best PGs. Would really want to see him with the team and he might be our most important player if the NBA guys can't come.
14 (18) Chris Boucher. With Gasol probably going back to Europe, would this be the year where Boucher finally gets the opportunity to play real consistent minutes? He's not a starting player in this league, but when he had a chance this year as the backup center for about a month, he showed that he's more than capable to fulfil this role.
15 (10) Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Another disappointing rookie season, especially given what NAW has shown in the summer league. I thought he had a real chance of becoming a strong rotation player, but he wasn't able to cease it, showing inconsistency and poor shooting. Still, I remain a believer that he can figure things out and become a good NBA lead guard. The game needs to slow down for him and if he can still get a bit stronger it would certainly help. There've been rumors that he grew an inch during quarantine, so maybe he's not quite done with his physical development.
16 (9) Trey Lyles. Missing the bubble with an injury might have cost Lyles a nice contract. With no LA around, I thought he had a chance to really show up and turn some heads. Lyles was probably one of the worst starters in the NBA last season. He's just not good enough to be a starter. Still, a useful tool I think in international competition with his long frame. A decent rebounder and a stretch four when the shot is falling. Can even put the ball on the floor, so much of it is a matter of confidence.
17 (16) Kyle Wiltjer. The best offensive player we have outside of the NBA (and better at offense than even some of our NBA players). But he's also a really bad defender, keeping him away from the highest levels of basketball not only in the NBA but also in Europe. Still, he can be really useful in a limited role for team Canada.
18 (15) Melvin Ejim. Always loved this player. Not a star by any means, but a glue-guy who plays with heart and really loves to play for team Canada whenever he can. Would hold a spot for him on my dream team, which surely will never have all of the NBA players.
19 (17) Phil Scrubb. Another CNT-faithful, Scrubb remains very solid, though never spectacular. Another guy I would love to have on a balanced team that includes a few NBA guys.
20 (Not ranked) Michael Mulder. Not ranking Mulder last year was actually a clear oversight that I gladly admit. His stats with the Warriors (11 points per game), just before the season was cut short, are misleading. Golden State was probably worse than your average Euroleague team. Still, I think he's shown a promising shooting touch in these games and in the G-league and the ability to perhaps find a spot as an end-of-the-bench rotation player if he can continue dropping his outside shots.
21 (36) Dayshawn Pierre.
22 (21) Andrew Nicholson.
23 (32) Tyler Ennis.
24 (23) Maryal Shayok.
25 (28) Dylan Ennis.
26 (25) Naz Mitrou-Long.
27 (Not ranked) Kenny Chery.
28 (22) Oshae Brissett.
29 (26) Ignas Brazdeikis.
30 (20) Mifiondu Kabengele.
31 (Not ranked) Nate Darling.
32 (19) Nik Stauskas.
33 (37) Kassius Robertson.
34 (29) Kaza Kajami-Keane.
35 (31) Aaron Best.
36 (42) Aaron Durnekamp.
37 (Not ranked) Isiaha Mike.
38 (33) Thomas Scrubb.
39 (Not ranked) Marcus Carr.
40 (Not ranked) Bennedict Mathurin.
41 (39) Owen Klassen.
42 (27) Andrew Nembhard.
43 (40) Duane Notice.
44 (41) Conor Morgan.
45 (43) Trae Bell-Haynes.
46 (Not ranked) Josh Primo.
47 (48) Karim Mane.
48 (Not ranked) Olivier Maxence-Prosper.
49 (46) Simi Shi-tu.
50 (44) Marc Trasolini.
Much like last year, this is a ranking of my top 50. In parentheses, you'll find my ranking from last year. And this year I decided to also add a short write-up for the top 20 to make my logic explicit.
Two ground rules before starting:
* First, I do my ranking with an eye to the Canadian National Team. That is, I'm thinking who I would most like to see on the team if I had my choice. This means that I'm also considering positions to an extent and also fit with others.
* Second, there are no high school players on this list. For me, it's just too early to try to assess how they might perform against adult competition. So you can save your "where's Elijah Fisher" outcries (I would not have him here in any case). You could argue that I should apply the same rule to college players, especially those who still haven't played a game in the NCAA. That's fair, but I decided to still include a few of these potential up and coming, though not before #40 on the list.
As always, feel free to disagree!
1 (1) Jamal Murray. During the season, I've encountered quite a few commentators who believed that SGA is already a better player than Jamal, with some even thinking that this is true for Dillon Brooks, due to his defense. Well, this playoff has put all of this talk to bed. Murray at his best is a superstar, no less, and a top-15 player in this league. the defense is less relevant in these cases, as offense is just more important in this league. But for what it's worth, I think Murray is also a somewhat undervalued defender. In a good defensive scheme and when fully wired, he is actually a decent defender. Right now, he's on a level of his own and clearly the most important CNT player.
2 (2) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Despite his breakout year, I was somewhat disappointed with how things ended up for SGA in the postseason. His offense is good but the creation is still kind of limited against playoff defenses. And his defense has also been a bit disappointing in terms of both effort and the ability to stay with stronger or quicker guards. Let's hope he makes another leap in his third year and becomes an all-star.
3 (3) Kelly Olynyk. There's a clear drop between the two players above (All-Star-level players) and the rest of the pack. From here on, it becomes a matter of taste. And for me, Olynyk is still the favorite from the point of view of team Canada. His shooting, fluidity, great reading of the game, and the overall fit for international play at his position are all indispensable
4 (7) Brandon Clarke. You got to love what Clarke showed in his rookie year. Many of us (shoutout to mojo who was the first) believed that he was under-drafted and were clearly right about it. Some might see this as premature, especially since the defensive potential is yet to be fully realized. But I'm a believer in that crazy athleticism/efficiency/energy that he brings to the table and I think it will translate to any setting. An improved version of Dwight Powell.
5 (6) Dillon Brooks. A great season for Dillon, particularly the first couple of months till he got his contract. Arguably the weaker link on my dream-team starting five, but I still like him. Not the most efficient, but he plays with heart, is a good defender, and when he heats up he can score in bunches. Hopefully, will be able to adapt to a secondary role if he ever teams up with Jamal and SGA.
6 (24) Luguentz Dort. What a breakout year for Lu, particularly in the playoffs! Already the best Canadian defender out there. Right now, he's still a bit of a liability on offense, but can be a terrific energy player off the bench for the Canadian dream-team, or even inserted into the starting-5 to target the opposing team's best creator. Now, if he can just get that outside shooting to fall at over 35% (I think that's possible), we've got ourselves a Canadian Marcus Smart.
7 (13) Andrew Wiggins. I was pleasantly surprised with Wiggins this year (hence the jump in ranking), especially given how low my expectations have become. In particular, I thought he defended better and shared the ball much better. Both of these could be very useful traits if he stays in the Bay area this year, which could be a perfect setting for him to save his career playing in a different role. I still doubt if he ever shows up again for team Canada, but if he does, he has a spot in my roster. And I'd be happy to rank him higher next year if he can be a contributing part in a winning NBA team
8 (12) Tristan Thompson. TT also had a good year, showing that his career is not yet sinking. He had the best scoring season of his career, with a double-double average, and even showed he can shoot the occasional three-pointer. He's only 29 and might still have a couple of years as a good performer, depending also on the team he ends up with. Can still contribute to team Canada and has suited up whenever he was able to in previous years.
9 (5) Cory Joseph. Captain Canada had a decent season with Sacramento. At this point in his career, it's clear what you get out of him -- a good defender, a solid PG, but not a good scorer (pretty weak shooting). For team Canada, he's been an integral part and the most loyal player. Jamal and Shai are clearly better, but he can be an important piece from the bench
10 (8) RJ Barrett. If Clarke had an excellent rookie season, RJ's was quite a disappointment. He can score, but not efficiently and I also thought he would be a better playmaker with NBA spacing. But he's only 20 and has lots of room to grow and the work ethic to improve. I haven't lost faith that he can be one of our best 5 players if and when he figures things out.
11 (4) Dwight Powell. I still love DP's game and personality, so dropping him a few spots on my ranking is not a knock on him. It's more a matter of how much other players have grown. But it's also the realistic understanding that he might not come back the same player from this terrible Achilles injury, which has historically been devastating for some players' careers (most notably Demarcus Cousins). Even if DP does come back to his pre-injury form, it's not likely to happen this year.
12 (11) Khem Birch. Stuck in a horrible contract in Orlando (low paid and behind one of the few all-star centers in this league), Birch is still trying to make the most out of things. Just think how a team like Boston might have been able to use him…
13 (14) Kevin Pangos. The first non-NBA player on this ranking, Pangos would have been lower on my list until a couple of weeks ago, as he missed the last year with injuries and things didn't quite click for him with Barcelona. But he's come back with a new team, which seems like a better fit, and when he's doing his thing he's one of our best PGs. Would really want to see him with the team and he might be our most important player if the NBA guys can't come.
14 (18) Chris Boucher. With Gasol probably going back to Europe, would this be the year where Boucher finally gets the opportunity to play real consistent minutes? He's not a starting player in this league, but when he had a chance this year as the backup center for about a month, he showed that he's more than capable to fulfil this role.
15 (10) Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Another disappointing rookie season, especially given what NAW has shown in the summer league. I thought he had a real chance of becoming a strong rotation player, but he wasn't able to cease it, showing inconsistency and poor shooting. Still, I remain a believer that he can figure things out and become a good NBA lead guard. The game needs to slow down for him and if he can still get a bit stronger it would certainly help. There've been rumors that he grew an inch during quarantine, so maybe he's not quite done with his physical development.
16 (9) Trey Lyles. Missing the bubble with an injury might have cost Lyles a nice contract. With no LA around, I thought he had a chance to really show up and turn some heads. Lyles was probably one of the worst starters in the NBA last season. He's just not good enough to be a starter. Still, a useful tool I think in international competition with his long frame. A decent rebounder and a stretch four when the shot is falling. Can even put the ball on the floor, so much of it is a matter of confidence.
17 (16) Kyle Wiltjer. The best offensive player we have outside of the NBA (and better at offense than even some of our NBA players). But he's also a really bad defender, keeping him away from the highest levels of basketball not only in the NBA but also in Europe. Still, he can be really useful in a limited role for team Canada.
18 (15) Melvin Ejim. Always loved this player. Not a star by any means, but a glue-guy who plays with heart and really loves to play for team Canada whenever he can. Would hold a spot for him on my dream team, which surely will never have all of the NBA players.
19 (17) Phil Scrubb. Another CNT-faithful, Scrubb remains very solid, though never spectacular. Another guy I would love to have on a balanced team that includes a few NBA guys.
20 (Not ranked) Michael Mulder. Not ranking Mulder last year was actually a clear oversight that I gladly admit. His stats with the Warriors (11 points per game), just before the season was cut short, are misleading. Golden State was probably worse than your average Euroleague team. Still, I think he's shown a promising shooting touch in these games and in the G-league and the ability to perhaps find a spot as an end-of-the-bench rotation player if he can continue dropping his outside shots.
21 (36) Dayshawn Pierre.
22 (21) Andrew Nicholson.
23 (32) Tyler Ennis.
24 (23) Maryal Shayok.
25 (28) Dylan Ennis.
26 (25) Naz Mitrou-Long.
27 (Not ranked) Kenny Chery.
28 (22) Oshae Brissett.
29 (26) Ignas Brazdeikis.
30 (20) Mifiondu Kabengele.
31 (Not ranked) Nate Darling.
32 (19) Nik Stauskas.
33 (37) Kassius Robertson.
34 (29) Kaza Kajami-Keane.
35 (31) Aaron Best.
36 (42) Aaron Durnekamp.
37 (Not ranked) Isiaha Mike.
38 (33) Thomas Scrubb.
39 (Not ranked) Marcus Carr.
40 (Not ranked) Bennedict Mathurin.
41 (39) Owen Klassen.
42 (27) Andrew Nembhard.
43 (40) Duane Notice.
44 (41) Conor Morgan.
45 (43) Trae Bell-Haynes.
46 (Not ranked) Josh Primo.
47 (48) Karim Mane.
48 (Not ranked) Olivier Maxence-Prosper.
49 (46) Simi Shi-tu.
50 (44) Marc Trasolini.
