2023 Power Ranking: The Top 50 Canadians

[mojo13]

Great stuff as always. Not much to quibble with on the actual rankings. Just a few random comments on some of these 21-30 players.

For a long time I was a big believer in Kabengele, especially as he seemed to address a weak point in the National Team program (big man depth). I liked his rebounding and passable rim protection, with just enough of an outside shot to keep defences honest. However, as his career kind of stalled, and he never suited up for Canada, I have to admit that I've lost a lot of faith. But as you point out, he's still only 26. Hopefully they can get him involved in some of these winter core games over the next few years and see if he's got anything to give.

On Robertson, like you I kind of always thought about him as a shorter Wiltjer type, basically someone who provides great shooting but not much else. However, in some of those qualifying games, he flashed some secondary playmaking skill that I didn't realize he had. I think he's really improved his handle over the past 3-4 years, which makes a big difference.

I'm not saying that he'd ever be a primary ball handler in lineups for the National Team, but in spurts he's now able to use his dribble to get to better spots on the floor when the defence over-commits for his shot, allowing him to create advantages for teammates when the defence reacts. He might have become one of my favourite non-NBA guards for Canada as his leading skill is an absolute weapon, and he's rounded out some of the other areas of his game to not become a total liability if teams overload to take away his outside shot (but yeah, still a sub-par defender).

Good points. I watched quite a bit of Kabengele in the G League last year and came away impressed. The G is not the best league so we'll need to see how he adjusts to playing in Europe but I still have some faith in him. If he can't show much in Europe and still doesn't show up for Team Canada in winters, he'll drop.

I too like Robertson playing with the SMT last summer and you might be right that he's our first non-NBA guard with the apparent decline of Pangos (it's alreayd quite close). Guess the coming season, with both playing in the Euroleauge (for now) will tell.

It is already quite close. Pangos is struggling again in Milan. Already moved to the bench and the media has turned on him.
He is at risk of being waived by Milan if he doesn't turn it around very quickly. Even if he can bring his personal play around, it is not a good fit for Pangos in Milan. He needs the ball in his hands and running a team to be most effective, but right now he is well down the pecking order with Mirotic and Napier there. He is a stand around 3pt shooter right now (shooting 25% from three) and playing his usual bad defense. It makes me question his value to the Summer Core team, but he'd still be great for the Winter Core.

Robertson seems to be starting and playing well for Valencia at the moment.

Kabengele, by the way, needs to be watched. He had a great opening game and hasnt played since for AEK. Supposedly it was not injury related and he didnt show up to the last game. The transition to Europe and a different way of basketball and life can be tough on players and not all can handle it (see Nik Stuaskas). I sure hope Kabengele doesnt bail on Europe for off-court reasons.
There is a game today, versus heavy-weight Olympiacos.

[aminiaturebuddha]

Quick question about Kyle Alexander joining Hapoel Tel Aviv this year. Does anyone know if the Israeli Basketball League is actually going to be playing games in the near future, given the situation in the region?

[mojo13]

Quick question about Kyle Alexander joining Hapoel Tel Aviv this year. Does anyone know if the Israeli Basketball League is actually going to be playing games in the near future, given the situation in the region?

It is a bit of a mess and everything in Israel is on hold for the moment. The teams playing in EuroLegaue, BCL and EuroCup I think are still trying to play - but their games have been posponed over the last few days. Some teams have been relocated to other countries for the time being. Cyprus being one of them (Macabi) . Much is still up in the air.
https://www.eurohoops.net/en/fiba-champions-league/1564158/hapoel-jerusalem-and-hapoel-holon-games-postponed-basketball-champions-league/


As for Kyle's club Haopel Tel Aviv they actually had a couple Academy players murdered by Hamas in the attack.
https://basketnews.com/news-195699-two-hapoel-tel-aviv-academy-players-murdered-during-a-terrorist-attack.html

So far it looks like they are continuing with EuroCup games. They were scheduled to host Venice in a few days, but that game has been swithced back to Venice. Not sure if they are relocating anywhere in the short term.
https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1563867/maccabi-to-play-valencia-at-la-fonteta-instead-of-tel-aviv/

[Hair Canada]

11-20

20 (Last year’s rank: 15). Kevin Pangos | Olympia Milano, Euroleague / Italy | 30.7yo PG | 6'2, 185lbs, 6'0 wingspan | Gonzaga | Holland Landing, ON
Last year's stats: 8.9ppg, 2.4rpg, 3.4apg, 30.3% from 3 in the Euroleague

After a tremendous year in Europe in 2020-21, the last two years have been much worse for Pangos. First, he couldn't find his place in the NBA and then also had an underwhelming year in Italy, marred by injuries, weak shooting, and an overall mediocre play. Turning 31 soon, and after a few serious injuries in recent years, his career might already be on the decline, though it's still early and a comeback year is certainly possible. Regardless, it seems like his Team Canada days might be behind him. He’s too much of a defensive liability relative to our other guards and needs to bring offensive brilliance to justify getting minutes.



19 (21). Dyshawn Pierre | Fenerbahce, Euroleague / Turkey | 29.9yo SF | 6'6, 230lbs | Dayton | Whitby, ON
Last year's stats: 6.8ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.5apg, 46.3% from 3 in the Euroleague

Another solid season for the best Canadian playing overseas, starting his fourth season with Fener in the Euroleague. His production didn't jump off the page but his shooting and efficiently were excellent (jumped from 31% from 3 the previous year to 46% in 2022-23). He remains a glue guy who plays the right way and provides strong defense, efficient scoring, and team chemistry. For me, he's (significantly) better than Ejim at this point and would have helped Team Canada more (especially shooting wise), while coming off the bench and playing in a similar role. But at 30yo, and with many years that have passed since he last suited up for the team, that train might have left the station.



18 (14). Oshae Brissett | Boston Celtics, NBA | 25.3yo PF | 6'7, 210lbs, 7'0 wingspan | Syracuse | Toronto, ON
Last year's stats (Indiana): 6.1ppg, 3.4rpg, 0.7apg, 52% TS

Not a great year for Brissett with the Pacers, as his 3-point shooting continued to trail off and his ability to finish efficiently at the ream also remains a challenge. He is still a dynamic (if somewhat undersized) PF and a good defender, who can also defend wing players. I actually think he might get an opportunity this year to be part of the rotation with the Celtics given their recent moves (particularly the departure of the two Williamses), which left their front court quite depleted, old, and injury-prone. Hopefully, Oshae’s shooting settles down and he can be trusted to play significant minutes with one of the league's primary contenders. In an ideal world, I would also be happy to see him with Team Canada in the Olympics next year, as he adds an element of paint toughness and swichability that the team was certainly lacking.



17 (16). Cory Joseph | Golden State Warriors, NBA | 32.1yo PG | 6'3, 200lbs, 6'6 wingspan | Texas | Toronto, ON
Last year's stats: 6.9ppg, 1.7rpg, 3.5apg, 55.8% TS

Captain Canada had another solid season in the NBA (that was my opener from last year and nothing has changed). After struggling with his outside shooting throughout most of his career (never shot better than 36%), COJO has become a reliable 3-point shooter over the last two years (41.4% this year), a very welcome development for an ageing guard who has lost some of his athleticism. If he can keep that up, he'll be able to stay in the league even as he's getting into his 30s and might be able carve out a steady role with Golden State. His role with Team Canada is somewhat questionable if all of SGA, Murray, Dort, NAW and Nembhard are in the mix. But he's been a steady presence for years and could still be an important piece if a one or two of the others are missing. For me, he’s a significant depth improvement over guys like TBH and Scrubb.



16 (22). Zach Edey | Purdue, NCAA | 21.6yo C | 7'4, 305lbs, 7'11 wingspan | Toronto, ON
Last year's stats: 22.3ppg, 12.9rpg, 1.5apg, 63.9% TS

The reigning NCAA player of the year, at 21 Edey is already a college legend. The way he dominated college last year was awe inspiring and the scary thing is that he still has room to grow. But his minutes with the National Team this summer, at both the prep games and the World Cup itself, again exposed his defensive liabilities, particularly defending in space (which was also evident during the college year). You really have to adjust your defense around him (which Jordi hasn't really done with Team Canada) for him to be able to stay on the court. This part of the game is probably always going to be a challenge. That said, he's only 21 and has only been playing basketball seriously for 5 years. There's still plenty he can improve on, including his defensive acumen. Even if he’s not going to be much quicker, he could still improve his defensive positioning, understanding of angles, and ability to hold against quicker bigs and in the P&R. I remain a believer in him as a pillar (literally) for Canada in the paint. He's probably going to get a shot at the NBA next year but it's going to be an uphill battle for him to become a steady rotation guy. The international game suits him much better and he can be fantastic there, playing in a similar role to Real Madrid's Edey Tavares (arguably the best center in Europe).



15 (13). Trey Lyles | Sacramento Kings, NBA | 27.9yo PF | 6'10, 235lbs, 7'2 wingspan | Kentucky | Saskatoon, SK
Last year's stats: 7.6ppg, 4.1rpg, 0.9apg, 60.7% TS

After moving around quite a bit in his first few years in the league, Lyles has found a home and settled in nicely into his backup big role at Sacramento. Shooting efficiency has stabilized and both he and the team seem to be at a good place, having a defined role, continuity, and a trusting relationship with the coaching staff. Lyles will probably be out of next year's Olympics but I hope he's not done with the national team quite yet. He'll be 32 in the next big cycle (WC and Olympics), with plenty of NBA experience, and, hopefully, maintaining his solid level of play. Could still be an important future piece as Olynyk and Powell get older.



14 (20). Bennedict Mathurin | Indiana Pacers, NBA | 21.3yo SF | 6'7, 210lbs, 6'10 wingspan | Arizona | Montreal, QC
Last year's stats: 16.7ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.5apg, 56.6% TS

Mathurin had an amazing start to his rookie year and looked like an absolute steal and a potential future All-Star. But after two great months, the shooting really regressed and the defense also didn't look very good. I’m also a bit concerned about the passing, as he was charging into walls instead of making the right read. Still, his ability to get to the line at a really high rate gave him a baseline scoring punch that he should be able to build on in the coming season. He's a better perimeter shooter than what he showed during the second half of last season and if he can get that 3-point shooting falling again, it's going to really open up his game. Alongside some defensive improvement (he has the physical tools), he should keep climbing this list in years to come and could potentially become a top-5 player with time.



13 (26). Andrew Nembhard | Indiana Pacers, NBA | 23.7yo PG | 6'5, 195lbs, 6'4 wingspan | Gonzaga | Aurora, ON
Last year's stats: 9.5ppg, 2.7rpg, 4.5apg, 52.8% TS

Despite a great senior season at Gonzaga, Nembhard was the biggest surprise among NBA Canadians last year, with an impressive rookie year. There were many question marks on how his relative lack of explosiveness and seeming defensive limitations would translate to a higher level. He answered them with an exclamation mark. Throughout his career, coaches wanted him on the court at any level (At Gonzaga, Mark Few would not sit him for entire games) and Carlisle was no different. A big part of it was Nembhard showing that beyond his steady decision making, he can also hold his own quite well defensively against NBA guards and at times even SFs. At nearly 24, Nembhard is significantly older than Sharpe and Mathurin and the upside is not as high. But for now, he's one of the better Canadians in the league and someone I would have loved coming off the bench for Team Canada in the World Cup (perhaps next year in the Olympics).



12 (40). Shaedon Sharpe | Portland Trail Blazers, NBA | 20.4yo SG | 6'5, 200lbs, 7'0 wingspan | Kentucky | London, ON
Last year's stats: 9.9ppg, 3rpg, 1.2apg, 56.8% TS

Last year he was the hardest guy to place on this list given his lack of experience playing at even a college level. But I also wrote that I'm a big believer and he'll shoot up the ranks if he can live up to his potential. So now he's the biggest riser on my list (up 28 spots). To be clear, I don't think he's currently the 12th best player on this list, as he still has plenty of room to grow, especially in terms of his defense, ball handling and assertiveness. But I'm making a gamble that by the end of this season he's going to get there and justify this ranking with a breakout year. Unlike last year, he now has the perfect situation at Portland. He should get plenty of minutes, the ball should be in his hands more, and the team has no pressure to win now. Even with a breakout year, it might still not be enough to buy him a spot on the national team next summer, especially if the defense continues to lag behind, and given the desire to respect the commitment to the core 14 as much as possible. But Shaedon is the future of Canada basketball.



11 (12). Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA | 25.1yo SG | 6'6, 210lbs, 6'10 wingspan | Virginia Tech | Vaughan, ON
Last year's stats: 6.2ppg, 1.7rpg, 1.8apg, 56.5% TS

I really like Nickeil's newfound role and confidence with the Timberwolves as a defensive stopper off the bench who can also hit the open 3 and serve as a secondary creator here and there. This is also the perfect role for his with Team Canada, as he showed this summer, and he should remain an important piece for years to come. If Leonard Miller works out, the Timberwolves could become a new Canadian favorite.

[aminiaturebuddha]

Not too much to argue with on the 11-20 part of the list.

Brissett continues to be one of the most frustrating Canadian players I've watched over the past 20 years. He's a good defender and rebounder for his position, and seems to have all of the physical tools, but he has a bafflingly bad touch around the rim, and an inconsistent outside shot. This has been his weakness going back to high school, and at 25-years-old, I guess this is just who he is. It's a shame because even with an average touch he could have been a consistent starter in the league.

I think Sharpe is a bit too high. I realize that you say that this is where he'll end up by the end of the year, and not right now, but I'm still not sure we've seen enough to justify taking him over Mathurin or Nembhard yet. I'm really high on Sharpe's potential, and believe he'll get there eventually, but even this year I expect him to be an inefficient volume shooter with shaky defence that doesn't impact winning at all. On the other hand, Nembhard consistently makes winning plays, and Mathurin has a more refined game right now than Sharpe (they've actually got very similar advanced stats, but I believe Mathurin plays more within a team structure at this point).

[mojo13]

I think my big issue here is with Zach Edey being way too high. Probably 10 to 15 spots too high for me.
I know you are weighing future potential and usefulness to the SMNT really high here. But perhaps we are getting a little ahead of ourselves and there still a couple years time for Zach to prove a ranking like this.

Clearly Kyle Alexander was more useful to the SMNT than Edey this summer. TT probabaly would have been too. Heck I'd rather have seen Kabengele this summer than Edey. Certainly CoJo or Brissett would have been more useful. Pierre too considering Ejim's minutes and role. And if we are talking prospects and future potential, I'm way more excited about Leonard Miller at 29 than Edey at 16. But here and now, Edey is not Top 20.

You say yourself that a team defense must warp itself to fit around Edey for him to be effective. I agree and I just do'nt see that happening for a back-up big on a team whose identity is built around quick, switch defense. This won't happen in the NBA either and perhaps not the EuroLeague either. Certain a BCL/EuroCup teams would do it along with Canada's Winter Core. I personally think Zach is destined to hang around on the end of NBA rosters not developing his game in a way that will help the SMNT or he ends up in China which will likely destroy his SMNT potential. I hope I'm wrong and he ends up in Europe, excels with a BCL/EuroCup level team, plays for Canada's Winter Core, hopefully works his way in the EuroLeague and really learns the FIBA game.

I'd have Zach in the mid to high 20's here as he still has a ways to go to prove himself better than Canada's top European players and bottom end NBA players.

[KL78192020]

The new season is right around the corner, with NBA pre-season games already in motion and Canadians already playing basketball in Europe and around the world.

So I’m putting up my 7th edition of the pre-season top 50 Canadians power ranking.

This year, constructing this list was really fun because for once it wasn’t just an academic exercise. Finally, after years of disappointments, Canada was able to put up a strong team for a big competition this summer. And the reward was a Bronze medal after beating the US, while also securing an Olympic Berth as a bonus!

And Canada is not done. Once again, we’re starting the season with a record number of Canadians on NBA team rosters. By my count, we’re up to 28 this year (27 this time last year) and a few others will play in the G-league ready for a call.

Overseas, there will be three Canadians in the Euroleague and multiple guys in other strong domestic leagues, including Spain, Greece, Italy, France, Turkey, Germany, Israel, Australia, and China.

So how many of these guys are NBA material?

[Hair Canada]

1-10

10 (8). Brandon Clarke | Memphis Grizzlies, NBA | 27.1yo PF | 6'8, 210lbs, 6'8 wingspan | Gonzaga | Vancouver, BC
Last year's stats: 10ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.3apg, 68.2% TS

Clarke maintained his regular form, with super high efficiency, great energy, and elite touch around the rim in limited minutes off the Memphis bench. Unlike a guy like Boucher, I still have hopes that he suits up for Team Canada during the next cycle of big events (2027-28). He'd be the ultimate (and potentially improved) Dwight Powell replacement with his rim running, swichability, and excellent shooting touch. The only reason he's a bit down here relative to last year is his unfortunate injury (which also emulates the one that Powell had). Hopefully he comes back from it as good as new and his godly burst doesn't suffer much.



9 (Last year’s rank: 10). Chris Boucher | Toronto Raptors, NBA | 30.7yo PF | 6'10, 215lbs, 7'4 wingspan | Oregon | Montreal, QC
Last year's stats: 9.4ppg, 5.5rpg, 0.4apg, 59% TS

For some reason, Boucher hasn't been part of Team Canada over the last few years, which will likely stay the case in the foreseeable future. Given that he's already 31, it might not happen, which would be a shame. Regardless, I continue to like his high energy, mobility, rim protection, and opportunistic scoring off the bench and I think he has a few more good seasons at this level, as he hasn't played professional basketball till he was 20 and his body should be fairly durable with the limited playing time he's getting off the Raptors bench.



8 (9). Dwight Powell | Dallas Mavericks, NBA | 32.2yo C | 6'10, 240lbs, 7'0 wingspan | Stanford | Toronto, ON
Last year's stats: 6.7ppg, 4.1rpg, 0.9apg, 73.8% TS

Powell had another solid season with the Mavs, shooting the ball more efficiently than ever. His offensive limitations continue to make him a burden in the playoffs (which the Mavericks didn't even get to this year) and he's one of the weakest starting centers in the league. This might change this year, simply because I think he might come off the bench, though Dallas still doesn't really have a big man who's clearly better than him right now. Turning to Team Canada, Powell was arguably the team’s most important big, the only one who held his own in the P&R and who was able to provide real defensive impact. Unfortunately, for now we don't really have anyone better in the paint.



7 (7). Luguentz Dort | OKC Thunder, NBA | 24.5yo SG | 6'4, 220lbs, 6'9 wingspan | Arizona State | Montreal, QC
Last year's stats: 13.7ppg, 4.6rpg, 2.1apg, 51.3% TS

A bit of a down year for Dort in OKC. In particular, his ability to finish in the paint completely derailed and he was one of the least efficient paint finishers in the league, which affected his overall offensive efficiency. With the rise of younger and more offensively gifted players in OKC, one might hope that his offensive usage declines a bit while his efficiency shoots back up. Otherwise, OKC might give up on him as part of its future core. He also had a solid, though unspectacular, showing with Team Canada this summer and was certainly an integral part of their Bronze Medal run with his energy and defense off the bench.



6 (4). Kelly Olynyk | Utah Jazz, NBA | 32.5yo C | 7'0, 240lbs, 6'10 wingspan | Gonzaga | Kamloops, BC | Last year's stats: 12.5ppg, 6.2rpg, 3.7apg, 64.3% TS

Kelly had one of his best seasons with the Jazz last year, providing shooting and passing to a young team that certainly needed these. His campaign with Team Canada in the summer was less impressive, as he struggled quite mightily defensively and often had a hard time staying on the court, as quicker guards and forwards easily went by him on their way to the rim. He still managed to make his mark offensively, but it wasn't the level of dominance that I've come to expect from him when playing FIBA ball. I still see him as our best big, though the margin has narrowed and I can see an argument for Powell with his superior P&R and paint defense being the more important guy for Team Canada.



5 (6). RJ Barrett | NY Knicks, NBA | 23.3yo SG | 6'7, 215lbs, 6'10 wingspan | Duke | Toronto, ON
Last year's stats: 19.6ppg, 5rpg, 2.8apg, 53.1% TS

RJ had a somewhat disappointing season with the Knicks, in which he showed little progress. He was much better in their playoff run and was also solid with Team Canada this summer. I continue to hope that he'll be able to show more shooting stability and improve his finishing at the rim to become a more efficient scorer. But I'm less confident that this will happen than I was last year and he's also not the defensive stopper that his size and physicality would suggest he's capable of being. Regardless, he remains an important part of the future for both the Knicks and Team Canada, even if it now seems quite unlikely he'll ever become the top dog in either.



4 (5). Dillon Brooks | Houston Rockets, NBA | 27.7yo SF | 6'7, 220lbs, 6'7 wingspan | Oregon | Mississauga, ON
Last year's stats (Memphis): 14.3ppg, 3.3rpg, 2.6apg, 49.4% TS

I've been generally higher on Brooks than the consensus, consistently ranking him among my top-5 Canadian players year after year. At the beginning of the summer, it seemed like this was the year I was finally proven wrong. With his shooting tanking to the point of becaming almost unplayable in the playoffs and his antics getting him booted out of Memphis in an embarrassing fashion, many fans around the league were happy to bid him farewell on his way to China. But then came the vote of trust from the Rockets and after it the brilliant campaign with Team Canada, and the villain was once again validated. I'm trying not to let recency bias creep in too much, but I continue to love Dillon and what he brings to his teams (I’ll take the good with the bad), so he remains in my top 5. I also think he's headed into a much better season this year at Houston.



3 (3). Andrew Wiggins | Golden State Warriors, NBA | 28.6yo SF | 6'8, 200lbs, 7'0 wingspan | Kansas | Toronto, ON
Last year's stats: 17.1ppg, 5rpg, 2.3apg, 56.4% TS

After being the second-best player in the playoffs on a championship team a year ago, last season Wiggins took a step back, though he was still solid. Personal matters really derailed his season and he couldn't quite bring the same level of intensity when he came back in the playoffs. Regardless, he remains Canada's third-best player and a really important potential addition to next year's Olympic Team on both ends of the court, assuming things get sorted out with his commitment and the team is willing to make the exception.



2 (2). Jamal Murray | Denver Nuggets, NBA | 26.6yo PG | 6'5, 215lbs, 6'7 wingspan | Kentucky | Kitchener, ON
Last year's stats: 20ppg, 4rpg, 6.2apg, 57.1% TS

What a comeback year for Jamal! He started a bit slow, as expected, but after the start of the new year, he picked up pretty much where he left before the injury. And then came the playoff, and with it playoff Jamal, leading the Nuggets to a historic championship with tremendous performances. If I'm Denver, there are very few guards in the world (if any) that I would take ahead of Murray to play next to the Joker. He’s a legit top 20 player in the league and the fact that Canada now has two of these (and both a quite young) is really awesome. Now we just need him to bring his magic to Team Canada next year in the Olympics.



1 (1). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | OKC Thunder, NBA | 25.2yo PG | 6'6, 200lbs, 7'0 wingspan | Kentucky | Toronto, ON
Last year's stats: 31.4ppg, 4.8rpg, 5.5apg, 62.6% TS

Despite Murray's amazing playoff run and championship, SGA remains the undisputed top Canadian dog. And he showed that he deserves it both with a fantastic season with the Thunder (first time All-Star appearance and a First Team All NBA selection) and by leading Canada to the Bronze medal this summer as arguably the best player in the championship, who also came through in big moments. I'm hoping for OKC to make a jump this year with the addition of Holmgren and with Giddy and Williams taking another step forward. That would allow Shai to get more playoff experience on his way to becoming a top-5 player in the NBA with the slow decline of some of the league's older superstars.

[DreamTeam09]

We need a dominant big man to really make noise, or another longer Wiggins type. I guess Ben Mat is the wing player on the rise but the C spot is where we fall flat.

Shai
Murray/Ben
Brooks/RJ
Wiggins
Kelly

[mojo13]

Seem about right for a Top 10.
RJ still confuses the heck out of me and some days I'm not sure he is any better than NAW or Dort considering both of their defensive abilities. I've seen some stats showing RJ as one of the worst perimeter defenders inthe league. Throw the effecientcy issues on top of that and it is sometimes hard to see what he bring to the table. The highschool hype and #3 draft position muddy the waters.

Anyways he seems primed for a huge breakout every year - maybe this is the one.

[ForeverTFC]

Awesome job, thanks for doing this again.

[lobosloboslobos]

[tecumseh18]

We need a dominant big man to really make noise, or another longer Wiggins type. I guess Ben Mat is the wing player on the rise but the C spot is where we fall flat.

Yeah, normally we should be excited that the US college player of the year is a Canadian C, but ...

With Embiid starting for the US team, some sort of defensive big is crucial. Khem did an ok job on Embiid in the 2022 playoffs, in limited minutes. (And Precious made him look silly at times). OTOH, a guy like Kelly who can pull Embiid out to the perimeter would be helpful.

Oddly, Jak isn't listed on the Austrian MNT roster. Has he played for him? Now that he's back in Toronto for four years, could he get Canadian citizenship and play for us by next summer? Unlike the Raps, Team Canada has a lot of shooters they can surround him with.

[mojo13]

We need a dominant big man to really make noise, or another longer Wiggins type. I guess Ben Mat is the wing player on the rise but the C spot is where we fall flat.

Yeah, normally we should be excited that the US college player of the year is a Canadian C, but ...

With Embiid starting for the US team, some sort of defensive big is crucial. Khem did an ok job on Embiid in the 2022 playoffs, in limited minutes. (And Precious made him look silly at times). OTOH, a guy like Kelly who can pull Embiid out to the perimeter would be helpful.

Oddly, Jak isn't listed on the Austrian MNT roster. Has he played for him? Now that he's back in Toronto for four years, could he get Canadian citizenship and play for us by next summer? Unlike the Raps, Team Canada has a lot of shooters they can surround him with.

Poeltl has played for Austria plenty of times and is cap tied.
and no he couldnt become a Canadian citizen anyways. He needs to have spent 1095 days in the last 5 years in Canada. I don't think even Siakam qualifies.
Stop dreaming about nationalizing some other county's baller. We have enough talent to stand on our own two feet.

[ItsDanger]

You don't have the all purpose C on this roster so you adjust to your talent. Don't adopt exact same style regardless of who is on the floor, that's idiotic. Give up long mid range and contested 3s, live with the results. The alternatives are worse and results in high % shots almost every time. Its only about 10 minutes anyways for the backup guys. Its the other end you need to focus on. Stop taking inefficient shots when you have a better option.

[tecumseh18]

Stop dreaming about nationalizing some other county's baller. We have enough talent to stand on our own two feet.

I would have thought the US had "enough talent to stand on [its] own two feet", but they've pulled this weaksauce KD to GSW-type move weeks after we beat their C team in the Worlds. There's nothing ethically wrong with fighting fire with fire.

But without an Act of Parliament, it's clearly impossible for Poeltl to meet the legal requirements for Canadian citizenship by next summer. Not sure the impact of him having played for Austria before.