Team Canada Basketball Thread V2.0

TrueNorth31 · Post #2781 » by **TrueNorth31** » Sun Sep 29, 2019 4:59 pm

Seems like Olynyk's knee injury is still lingering.

https://heatnation.com/team-news/report-kelly-olynyk-wont-be-ready-start-miami-heat-training-camp/

TheFutureMM · Post #2782 » by **TheFutureMM** » Sun Sep 29, 2019 7:03 pm

HairCanada what are the odds we can get your usual "5 Players by Class to Watch Out For in the NCAA" thread? I love reading your takes and as per usual, I don't know who to look out for among the Juniors/Seniors (Kobi McEwen?). I'd also love to hear your take on Nembhard, Lawson, Patterson, and any other notable Freshman.

casoldi · Post #2783 » by **casoldi** » Sun Sep 29, 2019 7:06 pm

TheFutureMM wrote:HairCanada what are the odds we can get your usual "5 Players by Class to Watch Out For in the NCAA" thread? I love reading your takes and as per usual, I don't know who to look out for among the Juniors/Seniors (Kobi McEwen?). I'd also love to hear your take on Nembhard, Lawson, Patterson, and any other notable Freshman.

Seconded

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Too Late Crew · Post #2784 » by **Too Late Crew** » Mon Sep 30, 2019 4:04 pm

TrueNorth31 wrote:Seems like Olynyk's knee injury is still lingering.

https://heatnation.com/team-news/report-kelly-olynyk-wont-be-ready-start-miami-heat-training-camp/

I saw that and immediately thought about some of these morons who kept saying “Olynk was just using the injury an excuse and could have played through it”.
This is exactly why a lot of these guys pull out. For all the arguments about nationalism etc these guys earn their living from playing for their NBA teams. If they end up missing training camp or not can worse games it can kill their earning potential when they become free agents etc.

mojo13 · Post #2785 » by **mojo13** » Mon Sep 30, 2019 4:20 pm

Too Late Crew wrote:
TrueNorth31 wrote:Seems like Olynyk's knee injury is still lingering.

https://heatnation.com/team-news/report-kelly-olynyk-wont-be-ready-start-miami-heat-training-camp/

I saw that and immediately thought about some of these morons who kept saying “Olynk was just using the injury an excuse and could have played through it”.
This is exactly why a lot of these guys pull out. For all the arguments about nationalism etc these guys earn their living from playing for their NBA teams. If they end up missing training camp or not can worse games it can kill their earning potential when they become free agents etc.

I don't recall anyone saying “Olynk was just using the injury an excuse and could have played through it”. No serious poster here at least.

The initial reports said it was a minor injury. that he was going to be out a week or two tops and then return to play for Canada. Then once the Heat doctors got their hands on him and did their own evaluation only then did it become serious enough to hold him out the WC.
Rightfully so people were suspicious - not of KO but of the Heat medical staff, as NBA teams have a long history of holding guys out over very minor injuries. Keep in mind, officially, the NBA can not prevent players from playing unless there is a medical concern. Only then can an NBA club prevent a player from playing. It looked suspicious and people thought the Heat staff were overplaying the seriousness of the injury to hold him out. There were Miami media reports sort of implying this (they said the Heat should be cautious to a fault, despite KOs desires, as he may be a valuable trade asset this season and needs to be healthy.
However it turns out it was a real injury.

No one ever questioned KOs integrity or desire to play (at least that I recall). And I agree with you about the concerns for injuries these guys have and this is yet another warning of what could happen and hurting the chances that our NBA guys will play.

aminiaturebuddha · Post #2786 » by **aminiaturebuddha** » Mon Sep 30, 2019 4:33 pm

Yeah, these injury concerns are very real, and I also don't expect that we'll see anything close to a "dream team" next summer for the last chance tournament.

However, one of the best things that might have happened for participation is that the US team lost in the World Cup. Because of that, there's also been a lot of hand-wringing in the US, and guys like Curry, Lillard, Harden and even Lebron have said that they'd like to play next year. If participating in the Olympics becomes a "thing that star players do" again, perhaps the Canadian players that are around those kinds of stars in the NBA will also have more interest in playing next summer.

Hair Canada · Post #2787 » by **Hair Canada** » Tue Oct 1, 2019 12:06 am

TheFutureMM wrote:HairCanada what are the odds we can get your usual "5 Players by Class to Watch Out For in the NCAA" thread? I love reading your takes and as per usual, I don't know who to look out for among the Juniors/Seniors (Kobi McEwen?). I'd also love to hear your take on Nembhard, Lawson, Patterson, and any other notable Freshman.

Busy times. Will try to write something up as we get closer to the beginning of the season, but I'm not sure if I can get to it. The field is certainly not as interesting as it was last year, but there might still be a few sleepers.

peja_the_legend · Post #2788 » by **peja_the_legend** » Tue Oct 1, 2019 12:45 pm

How come noone mentioned that Jamal Murray took part in that Kobe camp in late August?Which means his injury excuse was kinda bs.

mojo13 · Post #2789 » by **mojo13** » Tue Oct 1, 2019 4:00 pm

peja_the_legend wrote:How come noone mentioned that Jamal Murray took part in that Kobe camp in late August?Which means his injury excuse was kinda bs.

I dont know how much intense game time was at that camp - I heard it was allot of film, and sport psych sessions - however I do think Murray and RJ has the sketchiest excuses around injuries.
Murray was supposedly seen around camp with noticeable ankle swelling and a limp...but who knows the seriousness of it (that could have been BS).
However they both have very legit other excuses - RJ being a rookie just has so much to do and so little time to get ready for his first season. I wish they just said that - and I kind of feel the "injury" was just face-saving ploy.
Murray heading into the max deal just has such high club expectations him. Too much pressure from his club and agent, and still much to work on with his game. It is the opposite end of the spectrum of a vet journeyman like CoJo or a third stringer like Birch who just needs any shot at big game minutes he can find.

I think the young guys facing down bigger contracts are going to be tough gets for Team Canada - SGA, Murray, RJ, NAW, Clarke etc. Until they get well settled into their careers. It almost makes me think we have a better near term shot at Wiggins as he is closer to settling in to what he is. I think the pressure of being a perpetual disappointment that need to improve his game in the offseason has had a large part of him skipping Team Canada. Once everyone just accepts what he is, that pressure may release.

I lived nextdoor to a young late 1st round draft pick for 2 years (2nd and 3rd year of his rookie deal) - Great guy, friendly and I chatted to him every few days. It is clear he had two priorities in life. Improve his game and don't get hurt. All he was focused on was that second contract - he view himself as living on the edge until that life changing $40M deal came through. I'd expect the young Canadian guys looking at the world the same way. Unless they are certain a Team Canada commitment helps them secure that big contract, they are going to shy away. Thus we should be looking to the mid career vets to carry the load here - CoJo, KO, TT, Powell - maybe even Wiggins one day. Plus the Euro vets and the straggler NBA guys who need the time with Canada to give them an edge or show themselves to European leagues. Like Birch - and I thought Boucher was that guy too.

Honestly - the guy I was most disappointed with this summer was Dwight Powell. Just signed his 2nd big contract and has routinely played for Canada in the past. I guess the pressure of being a full time starter was too much. He supposedly was told to drastically bulk up as he needs to better defend the paint and rebound better. Reports are that his is pretty yolked up - so at least he used his time properly.

TheFutureMM · Post #2790 » by **TheFutureMM** » Wed Oct 2, 2019 12:53 am

Hair Canada wrote:
TheFutureMM wrote:HairCanada what are the odds we can get your usual "5 Players by Class to Watch Out For in the NCAA" thread? I love reading your takes and as per usual, I don't know who to look out for among the Juniors/Seniors (Kobi McEwen?). I'd also love to hear your take on Nembhard, Lawson, Patterson, and any other notable Freshman.

Busy times. Will try to write something up as we get closer to the beginning of the season, but I'm not sure if I can get to it. The field is certainly not as interesting as it was last year, but there might still be a few sleepers.

No pressure bud. Would love if you found the inspiration but as you mentioned it's not as crazy as last year.

mojo13 · Post #2791 » by **mojo13** » Wed Oct 2, 2019 4:49 pm

Quick note that Canada is indeed working on a bid to host a Qualifier tourney.

Read on Twitter

?s=20

Read on Twitter

?s=20

Read on Twitter

?s=20

From what I can tell - it seems Lithuania, Serbia , Greece and Canada are attempting a bid. Not sure of who else yet.
Serbia hosted in 2016 so I'd put Lithuania and Greece ahead of them and then FIBA likely looking to go beyond Europe with the other two.

Some talk of Senegal out there (but doubtful) and China (more realistic) - but nothing official.

casoldi · Post #2792 » by **casoldi** » Wed Oct 2, 2019 7:57 pm

NPH with an exhaustive list of players in the NCAA next season. http://northpolehoops.com/2019/10/01/record-140-canadians-playing-ncaa-d1-mens-basketball-in-2019-2020/

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mojo13 · Post #2793 » by **mojo13** » Thu Oct 3, 2019 3:32 am

Anthony Bennett’s knee issue has lead to surgery and he will he waived by the Rockets.
This sucks - he was playing really well in the G and I thought he could carve out a role with the Rockets. This was supposed to be the feel good story of the year.

mojo13 · Post #2794 » by **mojo13** » Thu Oct 3, 2019 4:22 pm

Maybe...

Read on Twitter

?s=20

Al_Oliver · Post #2795 » by **Al_Oliver** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 11:54 am

mojo13 wrote:Maybe...

Read on Twitter
?s=20

This would be great, another reason to get to Montreal...

BilboBanginz · Post #2796 » by **BilboBanginz** » Sun Oct 6, 2019 6:03 pm

New Elijah Fisher footage.

Watch on YouTube

super_balls · Post #2797 » by **super_balls** » Sun Oct 6, 2019 6:43 pm

BilboBanginz wrote:New Elijah Fisher footage.

Watch on YouTube

This kids been grade 9 for the past 3 years now lol

CAConductor · Post #2798 » by **CAConductor** » Mon Oct 7, 2019 2:32 am

If I'm not mistaken in Canada he is in the 10th grade. However in America he is considered to be in the 9th grade.

mojo13 · Post #2799 » by **mojo13** » Mon Oct 7, 2019 3:53 pm

Any unbiased scouting reports out there on him?

All I have seen to dates the the ever unreliable Canadian based "hype-em-up" sources like North Pole Hoops talking about him.
I am having a tough time figuring out if he is a legit elite potential prospect or just another in the long line of personal hype favorites that these guys spit out year after year.

Hair Canada · Post #2800 » by **Hair Canada** » Mon Oct 7, 2019 5:59 pm

mojo13 wrote:Any unbiased scouting reports out there on him?

All I have seen to dates the the ever unreliable Canadian based "hype-em-up" sources like North Pole Hopes talking about him.
I am having a tough time figuring out if he is a legit elite potential prospect or just another in the long line of personal hype favorites that these guys spit out year after year.

I'm not a professional scout, but I did have a chance to watch him in about 30 full games over the last two years. He's still too young to form a decisive view, but below are my impressions (which I wrote before the U16 FIBA Americas, in which he did not participate for some obscure reason). The bottom line is that this is by no means "just" hype (nothing like NPH flying high on Okay Djamgouz). But it's also not a sure thing and I think it's really too early to know how high he'll get. Still many holes in his game and some reasons to remain skeptic when projecting him as a future NBA star (or even just a good NBA player).

Elijah Fisher (c/o 2023) is a 6’6 wing with good length. He’s an excellent and explosive athlete with good speed. He’s also very strong (defenders bounce off him) and has great body control. A real freight train in the open court and has a dog mentality, looking to attack the basket and score and cherishing contact. He’s also a good on-ball defender, who can be quite dominant with his athleticism, strength, quick lateral movement and vertical explosiveness. I see here quite a few similarities to RJ Barrett, first with their unwavering attack mode and desire to score and dominate the opponents. While Barrett is very left-hand dominant, Fisher is similarly right-hand dominant and often forces the issue. Like Barrett, Fisher also tends to have tunnel-vision, charge into a wall, and play bully-ball. But when he chooses to look up, he actually has pretty good vision. He can split the defense with one-handed passes, and make nice full-court passes. Also like Barrett, he lacks some wiggle (mainly finishes straight-line drives with force and will-power) and his handle can be shaky. Finally, he also seems to, unfortunately, share Barrett’s questionable shooting touch. He can shoot the 3 but his percentage from that range tends to be quite low. He also almost never shoots anything from mid-range. No floaters or short-stops either. In sum, while I still think he’s probably the most promising Canadian player from this generation, I might not be as high as some others and I’m not that sure how far he’ll actually get. His physical growth seems to have slowed down considerably, so he’ll need to really improve his skill level and shooting to remain on top of this class.