RealGM

What do you guys think? Is there merit to this argument?

www.the10and3.com/canada-is-the-next-international-basketball-powerhouse-00013/

This article is getting around today. You one of the authors ?
Go to this thread on the Raptors board for decent discussion on the future of Canada Basketball.
http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=1381208&start=460#start_here

Don't believe the hype - Canada will be good, but so will many other nations. Not top team like the recent Spanish sides, but one of 10 or so that could medal under the right circumstances.

Here is a decent perspective some of our European friends:
http://www.interbasket.net/forums/showthread.php?27736-Canada-is-the-next-international-basketball-powerhouse

I'll just paste this here:


I think there are some promising signs, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Our performance in int'l competitions is getting worse, not better. We used to routinely qualify for the Worlds, and do ok at them. From 1970 to 2002 we made every Worlds (when fewer teams made it), and finished in the top 10 six times.

The field was expanded from 16 to 24 for the 2006 worlds, but we failed to qualify.
In 2010 we went 0-5, with losses to NZ and Lebanon. I guess we had a better point differential than a couple teams, so maybe we were 22nd.
In 2014 we again failed to qualify (despite having more NBAers than any other team at the Americas).


Regarding all the guys we have in the NBA, they are mostly bench warmers.
Of the 13 Canadians who played in the NBA last season, only one was a starter (Wiggins). Only one other (Thompson) played more than 1,500 minutes. (Joseph and Olynyk were next, at 1,444 and 1,423).

So we had two guys with more than 1,500 minutes. 12 seasons ago we had four (Magloire, MacCullough, Fox, and Nash). The next few seasons we had two or three every year (with MacCullough and Fox out but Dalembert coming in).

So our number of NBA starters has generally been the same for the last 15 seasons or so, and the increase in our back of the rotation guys hasn't helped. Good Euro league players are often better than those guys in FIBA play.

The article says:

Recent history suggests that the presence of NBA-calibre participation bodes well for national teams competing in international tournaments. The second-through-fourth-place-finishing countries in the previous three international tournaments (where the USA took gold) were heavy on NBA talent (current and ex-NBA players).

But there is no support for this statement. How many NBA guys did the 5th through 8th place teams have? More or fewer than the 2nd through 4th teams?

In terms of the Americas, Canada routinely has as many or more NBAers than the teams that beat us and/or qualify ahead of us. In 2013 we had the most NBAers, but didn't come particularly close to qualifying.

Next powerhouse? Maybe. But we are a long way from the strong Euro teams and we first we need to get back ahead of Puerto Rico, the Dominican, and Mexico; and close to Brazil and Argentina.

Meh, I can see them being an above-average team giving hard time to good teams, but never making it to the medal games in World Cups or Olympics (if they get there).

Is Australia already a powerhouse? If not, It´s Aussies and then Canada

You can easily add Croatia in there too. There's no country in Europe with such a talent in 94-97 like Croatia has.

You can call them powerhouses when they actually wins something.

Von Bismarck wrote:You can easily add Croatia in there too. There's no country in Europe with such a talent in 94-97 like Croatia has.

Croatia is already a powerhouse IMO

BarbaGrizz wrote:

Von Bismarck wrote:You can easily add Croatia in there too. There's no country in Europe with such a talent in 94-97 like Croatia has.

Croatia is already a powerhouse IMO

How are they exactly a powerhouse? 4th place in Euro2013 was their best achievement in 20 years. Countless failures after high expectations before every tournament.

Croatia should have beat USA U19 this year in the finals. Had the game won and lost in OT. Tons of promising talent on that young team. And they didn't even have a couple of their best players, including potential #1 pick next year Bender. Not to mention Hezonja from this year.

If there was a Yugoslovia still I think they would no question be USA's biggest challengers. Vucuviec, Pekovic and Mitroic would be on that team.

Think its between Croatia, Aussies, Canada and possible Brazil to threaten the USA in 2020. 2016 a wrap of Bron and Durant and all them play. Maybe Spain gives it one last run next year.

the_other_guy wrote:

BarbaGrizz wrote:

Von Bismarck wrote:You can easily add Croatia in there too. There's no country in Europe with such a talent in 94-97 like Croatia has.

Croatia is already a powerhouse IMO

How are they exactly a powerhouse? 4th place in Euro2013 was their best achievement in 20 years. Countless failures after high expectations before every tournament.

Once a powerhouse you never cease to be a powerhouse IMO. That´s why on football WC Uruguay is considered a powerhouse even though their last title was in 1950.

BarbaGrizz wrote:

the_other_guy wrote:

BarbaGrizz wrote:
Croatia is already a powerhouse IMO

How are they exactly a powerhouse? 4th place in Euro2013 was their best achievement in 20 years. Countless failures after high expectations before every tournament.

Once a powerhouse you never cease to be a powerhouse IMO. That´s why on football WC Uruguay is considered a powerhouse even though their last title was in 1950.

Except Croatia never won any titles. Silver in 1992 Olympics, Bronze 93,95 Euros and Bronze 94 World. Zilch afterwards.

the_other_guy wrote:

BarbaGrizz wrote:

the_other_guy wrote:

How are they exactly a powerhouse? 4th place in Euro2013 was their best achievement in 20 years. Countless failures after high expectations before every tournament.

Once a powerhouse you never cease to be a powerhouse IMO. That´s why on football WC Uruguay is considered a powerhouse even though their last title was in 1950.

Except Croatia never won any titles. Silver in 1992 Olympics, Bronze 93,95 Euros and Bronze 94 World. Zilch afterwards.

Well, Netherlands never won anything and is considered a powerhouse because of the players...

BarbaGrizz wrote:

the_other_guy wrote:

BarbaGrizz wrote:
Once a powerhouse you never cease to be a powerhouse IMO. That´s why on football WC Uruguay is considered a powerhouse even though their last title was in 1950.

Except Croatia never won any titles. Silver in 1992 Olympics, Bronze 93,95 Euros and Bronze 94 World. Zilch afterwards.

Well, Netherlands never won anything and is considered a powerhouse because of the players...

Netherlands won EURO 1988 and been to the WC finals three times.

the_other_guy wrote:

BarbaGrizz wrote:

the_other_guy wrote:
Except Croatia never won any titles. Silver in 1992 Olympics, Bronze 93,95 Euros and Bronze 94 World. Zilch afterwards.

Well, Netherlands never won anything and is considered a powerhouse because of the players...

Netherlands won EURO 1988 and been to the WC finals three times.

I just searched about croatian basketball and their results don´t measure to their players, you´re right.

Canada just lost to a 35-year old Luis Scola, who scored 35 points to give Argentina the win vs Wiggins, Olynyk, Stauskas, Joseph, Nichsolson, Bennett and others.

Dawkins wrote:Canada just lost to a 35-year old Luis Scola, who scored 35 points to give Argentina the win vs Wiggins, Olynyk, Stauskas, Joseph, Nichsolson, Bennett and others.

Yes, I watched the game. Of course the group games are not that intense. But Canada is very far from being the 2nd best team in the world. They could not beat any good European national team in an elimination game. And I also have doubts if they could beat Brazil or Argentina either.

Of course it is possible, but Canada looks like they are a poor man's version of France from a few years back. A lot of hype for them, when they are at the level they are at. Either they are playing possum in the group stage, or their coach is awful, or they are just a mediocre team and super over hyped team, due to having a bunch of NBA players.

After losing that tough game to Argentina, Canada has gone 5-0 and beaten everyone by an average of 29 points.

Considering most of the team is 23 or under, they'll be fine.

I do not find that convincing at all cause the quality of the teams on that tournament besides Canada and Argentina is awful. I watched Argentina vs Panama and Canada vs Uruguay I think and all I have to say is that TOP5 European U19 teams would destroy them as well.

Yeah im not convinced either, the quality of the teams they beat are just awful... But they will get better and better each year. Going to be a fun team to watch in the future.