Tor_Raps wrote:mojo13 wrote:Tor_Raps wrote:I am so pumped to hopefully see Team Canada play one day. If we end up having a 2021 team, I see the following depth chart:
PG Murray/ Joseph/ Dort
SG Shai/ Brooks/ Nickael
SF Wiggins/ Lyles
PF Barrett/ Olynyk/ Boucher
C Thompson/ Clarke/ Powell/ Birch
Or maybe start Olynyk over Barrett to better spread the depth.
Why would Barrett start at PF over, let's say Clarke, who had a way better rookie season and is currently a way better player. And is a PF too! Let alone Olynyk who has been Canada's best FIBA player for the past 5-7 years. Powell & Boucher are both much better options too. Even then Brooks, Dort, CoJo are all better players than Barrett today. Barrett next summer? Who knows, but.....Knicks.
Anyways....its all moot this point. People better be hoping the next rendition of Team Canada looks more like this:
Guards:
Kevin Pangos, Tyler Ennis, Phil Scrubb, Dylan Ennis
Wings
Nik Stauskas, Dyshawn Pierre, Thomas Scrubb, Melvin Ejim
Bigs
Andrew Nicholson, Kyle Wiltjer, Owen Klassen, Connor Morgan
That's probably the best we can do for the June Qualifiers in Victoria. Unless by some miracle the timing works out for a few NBA guys who miss the playoffs.
Honestly....at this point it seems less than 50/50 we even make the Olympics. Greece is going to have a better team on paper. Turkey and Czech could be equivalents to Canada, but at least both are hurt badly by missing NBA players as well.
Only reason why I had Barrett there at PF was because I am hoping he takes a huge step next season. If he does, it might be to a point where he's too good to come off the bench.
I agree that as it stands now, id rather have Olynyk starting. It also helps balance the overall lineup better too. I stated that at the bottom of my lineup projection for very reason if Barrett disappoints next season lol.
I am with you in hoping Barrett takes a HUGE step next year. But I prefer to advocate for what they are rather than what I hope they may be.
RJ Barrett shooting splits this season: 40/32/61 with .48 TS%
Brandon Clarke: 62/36/76 with .66 TS%
Kelly Olynyk: 46/41/86 with .62 TS%
The later two are actually bigs where Barrett is a guard who could get by as a wing.
Brandon Clarke just put in an historically efficient year let alone rookie campaign. Barrett on the other hand was pretty mediocre (if not pretty bad). He is young and hopefully improves but saying he will be better than Clarke, Olynyk, Powell, Brooks, Dort or whoever by next summer is very speculative. At this point no one is sure if Barrett is more Wiggins or Murray/SGA. He's young and by all accounts has the heart and drive but has to fix that shot ASAP. He is not close to my Top 5 right now and may not be Top 10. Hopefully he is firmly Top 10 by next summer, but I'm doubtful he'd be Top 5.
Always tough to rank players but if I went by tiers it would be:
1. Murray, SGA, Wiggins
2. TT, KO, Brooks, Clarke, Powell
3. Dort, Barrett, CoJo, Birch, Lyles, Boucher
4. NAW, Kabengele, Long, Mulder, Shayok, Alexander, Brazdeikis, Brissett
Bunch of non-NBA guys I'd stick in Tier 4 - Nik Stauskas, Tyler Ennis, Andrew Nicholson, Kevin Pangos, Dylan Ennis, Kyle Wiltjer, Dyshawn Pierre, Melvin Ejim are all better than most of the NBA Tier 4 guys, especially at FIBA.