Team Canada Basketball Thread

[mojo13]

So with XRM in the league that puts us at 14 on NBA rosters for an all time high. Can anyone confirm if this is most by any other country at any time?
Crazy thought is Wiggington, Barrett, Gilgeous-Alexander, Alexander-Walker, Brissett, Shi-ttu and maybe others are in the NBA in the next two years. Pangos and Ejim are better than many NBA players (maybe they get a call?) and even Nicholson and/or Bennett could return. Some guys like Ennis and/or Stauskas might drop out though, but maybe they hang on by their fingernails.

[Hair Canada]

So with XRM in the league that puts us at 14 on NBA rosters for an all time high. Can anyone confirm if this is most by any other country at any time?
Crazy thought is Wiggington, Barrett, Gilgeous-Alexander, Alexander-Walker, Brissett, Shi-ttu and maybe others are in the NBA in the next two years. Pangos and Ejim are better than many NBA players (maybe they get a call?) and even Nicholson and/or Bennett could return. Some guys like Ennis and/or Stauskas might drop out though, but maybe they hang on by their fingernails.

Yes, you are right. France currently has 11 and I'm pretty sure that's the most they ever had. Spain (including the naturalized Ibaka and Mirotic) and Australia with 9, and that's also a record for them.

In addition to the ones you've mentioned, others I think have a good chance in the next couple of years are Jackson, Akot, Dort, Brezdaikis, Nembhard, and Llewellyn. Clearly not all, but at least some of them have a very decent shot and enough talent. 20 by 2020 doesn't seem that farfetched.

[mojo13]

20 by 2020 doesn't seem that farfetched.

I thought that was too ambitious a few months ago...not anymore.


Here is the weekly round up on players from EuroBasket:
http://www.usbasket.com/Canada/news/525341/Kevin-Pangos-selected-the-top-Canadian-playing-abroad-in-last-week's-games

Great to see Phil Scrubb balling big time again.
Pangos still rolling and Keep an eye on Kenny Cherry - he continues to play really well in the ACB.

And Andrew Wiggins is 5 post ASB games (which coincide with Butler goining down) posts 23 ppg, .489 FG%, .500 3pt% (2.4 3PM), but still unimpressive peripheral stats. Maybe some signs of life here? TooBad....bring me back down to earth!

[frumble]

13 Canadians have played this season, right?

Birch
Brooks
Ennis
Joseph
Lyles

Long
Murray
Olynyk
Powell
Rathan-Mayes

Stauskas
Thompson
Wiggins


Am I forgetting someone? Or is the 14th someone who is on a roster but hasn't played (Boucher)?

In any case, we also had 13 who played in 2014-15 and in 2016-17.

But our guys are getting more minutes. This season we have eight rotation players (Brooks, Joseph, Lyles, Murray, Olynyk, Powell, Thompson, and Wiggins).

That is arguably the same as last season (with Brooks replacing Stauskas), but is a big improvement over previous seasons.
E.g., in 2013-14 we only had four, and two of them were very late career (Dalembert and Nash).


In terms of 20 by 20, even if Birch, Long and XRM stay up, and Ennis and Stauskas hang on, still need seven new players. I think that is a long-shot.

I would be happy with continued growth in the number of rotation players, with Barrett and maybe one or two of SGA, Birch, Boucher, and XRM joining the current eight (and Olynyk and Thompson hanging onto their spots).

[mojo13]

13 Canadians have played this season, right?

Birch
Brooks
Ennis
Joseph
Lyles

Long
Murray
Olynyk
Powell
Rathan-Mayes

Stauskas
Thompson
Wiggins


Am I forgetting someone? Or is the 14th someone who is on a roster but hasn't played (Boucher)?

In any case, we also had 13 who played in 2014-15 and in 2016-17.

But our guys are getting more minutes. This season we have eight rotation players (Brooks, Joseph, Lyles, Murray, Olynyk, Powell, Thompson, and Wiggins).

That is arguably the same as last season (with Brooks replacing Stauskas), but is a big improvement over previous seasons.
E.g., in 2013-14 we only had four, and two of them were very late career (Dalembert and Nash).


In terms of 20 by 20, even if Birch, Long and XRM stay up, and Ennis and Stauskas hang on, still need seven new players. I think that is a long-shot.

I would be happy with continued growth in the number of rotation players, with Barrett and maybe one or two of SGA, Birch, Boucher, and XRM joining the current eight (and Olynyk and Thompson hanging onto their spots).

I counted Chris Boucher as he is technically on an NBA roster. Although as you note, has not played an NBA game. I bet he gets a little run late in the season when he is fully recovered and the Warriors start resting guys.

[Peja Stojakovic]

this isn't really the appropriate thread but it's the closest recent one to say i had no idea royce white had become a NBL legend in london ontario. i guess i know they bus to away games now

[Hair Canada]

13 Canadians have played this season, right?

Birch
Brooks
Ennis
Joseph
Lyles

Long
Murray
Olynyk
Powell
Rathan-Mayes

Stauskas
Thompson
Wiggins


Am I forgetting someone? Or is the 14th someone who is on a roster but hasn't played (Boucher)?

In any case, we also had 13 who played in 2014-15 and in 2016-17.

But our guys are getting more minutes. This season we have eight rotation players (Brooks, Joseph, Lyles, Murray, Olynyk, Powell, Thompson, and Wiggins).

That is arguably the same as last season (with Brooks replacing Stauskas), but is a big improvement over previous seasons.
E.g., in 2013-14 we only had four, and two of them were very late career (Dalembert and Nash).


In terms of 20 by 20, even if Birch, Long and XRM stay up, and Ennis and Stauskas hang on, still need seven new players. I think that is a long-shot.

I would be happy with continued growth in the number of rotation players, with Barrett and maybe one or two of SGA, Birch, Boucher, and XRM joining the current eight (and Olynyk and Thompson hanging onto their spots).

I don't know. I usually tend toward a conservative view on this, but I actually think 20 by 20, or something like that, is a rather realistic prediction, although naturally, it might not happen.

Let's agree that it's likely that 3-4 out of the six (Birch, Long, XRM, Ennis, Stauskas, and Boucher) do not survive long-term. That puts the tally at around 10. But there are at least 20 guys with the potential to join these over the next 2-3 years.

First, there are the 12 or so 2017-2018 guys that mojo and I mentioned. If 7-8 of these are able to make the move in the next two years, that already puts it pretty close. Note that about 5-6 of these are projected to go in the first round this summer and next one.

Then, as mojo points out, there are guys like Bennet, Nicholson, Ejim, Pangos, and I would add Phil Scrubb. All could find themselves in the NBA under a certain constellation, some more likely than others. A year ago, Heslip, Wiltjer, and Hanlan were also in that conversation, but maybe no longer.

Next, there are some college guys who might make it. The two seniors we've been mentioning lately -- Robertson and Bell-Haynes -- gave impressive seasons, at least as good, if not better than those of Naz Long and XRM last year. If they go to the G-League, perform well, and are patient, both could be called up to the big league at some point.

Another senior, MiKyle McIntosh is putting up a solid season at Oregon. ESPN recently put him at #80 in their ranking of the 100 best draft prospects for this year. This list includes players unlikely to go this year, such as Justin Jackson (40) and Brissett (62), which means McIntosh might be a late second rounder.

ESPN also projected Kyle Alexander to go at the end of the first round in 2019. I think it's not very likely, but who knows.

Then there are guys like Koby McEwen, who will be a senior by the 2019-20 season, Abu Kigab, who has enough talent and character if he is in the right situation, Brandon Clarke (next year in Gonzaga and due for a breakout season according to mojo), and a few others.

All in all, hard to project how each of these will do, but we're talking about a big pool of guys who have a chance to make it in the next 2-3 years, and some almost surely will. So yes, I think by 2020 or 2021 there's a good chance we'll cross the 20 mark. And since almost all of our guys are 26 and under, I think within 5-6 years the number might go up some more to 25+.

I do agree though that it's more important for more guys to turn into rotation players than to just make it to the league.

[Hair Canada]

And here's a nice piece on Robertson and the journey he's made. Would really love for him to make it professionally.

http://amp.kansascity.com/sports/college/sec/university-of-missouri/article203115764.html

[TooBad]

13 Canadians have played this season, right?

Birch
Brooks
Ennis
Joseph
Lyles

Long
Murray
Olynyk
Powell
Rathan-Mayes

Stauskas
Thompson
Wiggins


Am I forgetting someone? Or is the 14th someone who is on a roster but hasn't played (Boucher)?

In any case, we also had 13 who played in 2014-15 and in 2016-17.

But our guys are getting more minutes. This season we have eight rotation players (Brooks, Joseph, Lyles, Murray, Olynyk, Powell, Thompson, and Wiggins).

That is arguably the same as last season (with Brooks replacing Stauskas), but is a big improvement over previous seasons.
E.g., in 2013-14 we only had four, and two of them were very late career (Dalembert and Nash).


In terms of 20 by 20, even if Birch, Long and XRM stay up, and Ennis and Stauskas hang on, still need seven new players. I think that is a long-shot.

I would be happy with continued growth in the number of rotation players, with Barrett and maybe one or two of SGA, Birch, Boucher, and XRM joining the current eight (and Olynyk and Thompson hanging onto their spots).

I counted Chris Boucher as he is technically on an NBA roster. Although as you note, has not played an NBA game. I bet he gets a little run late in the season when he is fully recovered and the Warriors start resting guys.

Boucher was dumb to sign with the Warriors. He would be getting actual time on some of bottom feeders.

[TooBad]

20 by 2020 doesn't seem that farfetched.

I thought that was too ambitious a few months ago...not anymore.


Here is the weekly round up on players from EuroBasket:
http://www.usbasket.com/Canada/news/525341/Kevin-Pangos-selected-the-top-Canadian-playing-abroad-in-last-week's-games

Great to see Phil Scrubb balling big time again.
Pangos still rolling and Keep an eye on Kenny Cherry - he continues to play really well in the ACB.

And Andrew Wiggins is 5 post ASB games (which coincide with Butler goining down) posts 23 ppg, .489 FG%, .500 3pt% (2.4 3PM), but still unimpressive peripheral stats. Maybe some signs of life here? TooBad....bring me back down to earth!

To be fair he done this multiple times for stretches and he is still what I always said about him a scorer and nothing else. His efficiency is nice to see but he's done that before too (beginning of the year). If he stays efficient for the rest of the season and the playoffs than I would say he's taken a step but until then the sample is too small.

[TooBad]

Looks like XRM is impressing his coaching staff already. Maybe he'll stick in the NBA. His FTs are embarrassing though,

https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/nba/grizzlies/2018/03/06/memphis-grizzlies-nba-xavier-rathan-mayes-san-antonio-spurs-tony-parker-marc-gasol-mike-conley/401104002/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[slothrop8]

And Andrew Wiggins is 5 post ASB games (which coincide with Butler goining down) posts 23 ppg, .489 FG%, .500 3pt% (2.4 3PM), but still unimpressive peripheral stats. Maybe some signs of life here? TooBad....bring me back down to earth!

I don't think there's any doubt that he'll spike upwards efficiency wise the rest of this season over where he's at currently. He's been terrible so far this year, and he's not that bad - we have several years of data to support he's better than he has been. He's a good bet to score more efficiently the rest of the way to get back closer to his career norm in terms of TS%, and his PPG will be up with Butler out. However, he's also still contributing little else other than scoring and he shouldn't be scuffling to get back to his career norms in efficiency at this point, he ought to be exceeding them and demonstrating sustained improvement. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened yet.

[mojo13]

And here's a nice piece on Robertson and the journey he's made. Would really love for him to make it professionally.

http://amp.kansascity.com/sports/college/sec/university-of-missouri/article203115764.html

Great read Hair, thanks.

Guys like Kassius are hard to read for me. He is already 23 and this could be the case of beating up on kids you are 4 years older than. Or is he really a late bloomer here?
Does he still have big upside potential or is fairly mature?

I didn’t really peg Dylan Ennis as a EuroLeague player, so I could get surprised here. XRM was a little older but still rapidly developing into a PG. But I am skeptical still with Kassius and the NBA. As always, I hope to be proved wrong and the very least we likely have another good Euro pro and more depth for the national team.

[Mattd97]

Boucher was dumb to sign with the Warriors. He would be getting actual time on some of bottom feeders.

While I'm not sure why you think an injured player with little experience would have his choice of destinations; one of the best ways to get a career in the NBA is having a small role on a good team with a system and teammates who make you look good. Have a few good minutes when other guys are resting and you've got yourself a guaranteed contract from another team

[slothrop8]

Nice article here about various Canadians earning All-Conference status in various NCAA conferences. A few players here in some of the more obscure conferences that I hadn't been aware of before:

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/canadians-cleaned-earning-ncaa-star-awards-conference-play-153022416.html

[frumble]

Nice article here about various Canadians earning All-Conference status in various NCAA conferences. A few players here in some of the more obscure conferences that I hadn't been aware of before:

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/canadians-cleaned-earning-ncaa-star-awards-conference-play-153022416.html

Thanks for posting the article.

To add to the list of accolades, SGA was named SEC freshman of the year today.

[mojo13]

Boucher was dumb to sign with the Warriors. He would be getting actual time on some of bottom feeders.

While I'm not sure why you think an injured player with little experience would have his choice of destinations; one of the best ways to get a career in the NBA is having a small role on a good team with a system and teammates who make you look good. Have a few good minutes when other guys are resting and you've got yourself a guaranteed contract from another team

I couldn't agree more. Boucher has a fantastic opportunity with the Warriors. They are a proven progressive organization that has a history of utilizing and integrating unique players like Boucher - and he fits their needs really well. They are cash strapped with the big name contracts and need desperately to mine gems from minimum level contracts. Jordan Bell was a wicked steal by the Warriors and Boucher hopefully will prove the same. The Warriors signed Boucher to a 2-way contract hours after the draft - they know what they are doing.

Boucher got his first start last night for the Santa Cruz Warriors and crushed it.
37 minutes, 9-18 from the floor (1-4 from three), 15 rbds (7 offensive!), 2 steals, 2 blocks, 21 points.

He has Warriors written all over him. Just a matter of time before he gets a call up.

Edit: I noticed Jordan Bell is rehabbing in Santa Cruz as well. That could be a hindrance to Boucher getting a call up if Bell is back. I thought he was going to be out longer.

[slothrop8]

Nice article here about various Canadians earning All-Conference status in various NCAA conferences. A few players here in some of the more obscure conferences that I hadn't been aware of before:

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/canadians-cleaned-earning-ncaa-star-awards-conference-play-153022416.html

Thanks for posting the article.

To add to the list of accolades, SGA was named SEC freshman of the year today.

I think he made 2nd team All-SEC and the All-Freshman team, but don't believe he was Freshman of the Year. I'm prepared to be corrected though - but I saw Knox and Sexton were named co-Freshman of the Year.

[frumble]

Nice article here about various Canadians earning All-Conference status in various NCAA conferences. A few players here in some of the more obscure conferences that I hadn't been aware of before:

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/canadians-cleaned-earning-ncaa-star-awards-conference-play-153022416.html

Thanks for posting the article.

To add to the list of accolades, SGA was named SEC freshman of the year today.

I think he made 2nd team All-SEC and the All-Freshman team, but don't believe he was Freshman of the Year. I'm prepared to be corrected though - but I saw Knox and Sexton were named co-Freshman of the Year.

You are right.

[Hair Canada]

Dylan Brooks with a great career-high 29 points yesterday, 20 in the fourth! The X-man also with a solid game. They both played the entire fourth quarter (X with 6 points and 4 assists in that quarter, most of them to Brooks) and almost managed to come back from a 20-point deficit. X finished with 9 and 7 assists. As funny as it sounds for a player with a 10-day contract, he's currently the Grizzlies' best PG. If only he can start making outside shots (0-4 from three yesterday).