Team Canada Basketball Thread V2.0

TrueNorth31 · Post #3801 » by **TrueNorth31** » Tue Feb 9, 2021 9:11 pm

I see some games in the Asian qualifier have been just cancelled. First of many ?

http://www.fiba.basketball/asiacup/2021/qualifiers/news/fiba-asia-cup-2021-qualifiers-games-between-hong-kong-and-guam-postponed

BilboBanginz · Post #3802 » by **BilboBanginz** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:59 pm

Anyone else oddly excited to watch some G-League? The single elimination playoffs sounds fun!

Anyways, here is the Can-Con for todays games:

3:30pm ET:
Naz Mitrou-Long & Oshae Brissett (Fort Wayne Mad Ants) vs. Simi Shittu & Ignas Brazdeikis (Westchester Knicks)

7:00pm ET:
Lindell Wigginton (Iowa Wolves) vs. Long Island Nets

7:30pm ET:
Nik Stauskas (Raptors905) vs. Rio Grande Valley Vipers

TrueNorth31 · Post #3803 » by **TrueNorth31** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 7:10 pm

Thanks Bilbo interested in seeing how Stauskas plays.

This may help Canada Basketball in sending Canadian based players abroad.

"Radio-Canada is reporting that the federal government has a plan that will exempt Olympic and Paralympic athletes, as well as members of their support teams, from quarantine-related travel restrictions as they prepare for this year’s Tokyo Summer Olympics."

https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2021/02/10/olympics/

Reading the fine print , athletes still have to quarantine , but the federal government picks up the tab. If you have to go into a quarantine hotel however, they seem like pretty grim places. More like a prison than a hotel.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-hotel-quarantine-covid-19-isolation-public-health-1.5900876

TrueNorth31 · Post #3804 » by **TrueNorth31** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 8:35 pm

Well here it is boys , the preliminary Team Canada roster for the Americas Cup Qualifier from the Tournament website. This lists 21 players, given Covid issues some guys may not in the end be available. It's as we suspected a mix of U Sports players, CEBL guys and some Euro pro's and guys who are recent D1 grads . Also Anthony Bennett returns from the dead !

http://www.fiba.basketball/americup/2022/qualifiers/team/Canada#|tab=roster

Good on these guys for stepping up for the country !

BilboBanginz · Post #3805 » by **BilboBanginz** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 9:25 pm

TrueNorth31 wrote:Well here it is boys , the preliminary Team Canada roster for the Americas Cup Qualifier from the Tournament website. This lists 21 players, given Covid issues some guys may not in the end be available. It's as we suspected a mix of U Sports players, CEBL guys and some Euro pro's and guys who are recent D1 grads . Also Anthony Bennett returns from the dead !

http://www.fiba.basketball/americup/2022/qualifiers/team/Canada#|tab=roster

Good on these guys for stepping up for the country !

That's... actually not too bad. Should be favourites against both Cuba and the Virgin Islands. Actually kind of excited to see how Bennett looks these days.

Kenter16 · Post #3806 » by **Kenter16** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 1:35 am

Pretty similar to our qualifying team at this time last year. Swap in Bennett for Nicholson. This roster is good enough to get us through.

My starters

Kaza
Scrubb
Scrubb
Bennett
Klassen

Best, McIntosh and Morgan are solid bench pieces.
With 4 games in a tight window we should see plenty of all of these guys. Bennett will be very intriguing to watch. Hopefully he plays well and gets a chance to play somewhere.

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aminiaturebuddha · Post #3807 » by **aminiaturebuddha** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 3:11 am

Agreed, not a horrible roster all things considered.

I'll be interested to see if they get anything at all out of Jermaine Haley or Jalen Poyser, two guards that at one point looked like solid players in their age groups, but then had their careers come off the rails with injuries and transfers.

Also, Grant Shephard is one of those guys you have to respect. Definitely not the most skilled or talented guy around, but always commits to the program and shows up and works hard whenever he's needed. That said, if he's getting many minutes with Bennett, Klassen, Morgan, and Landry also on the team, we're in trouble. In fact, he might not even make the final roster.

mojo13 · Post #3808 » by **mojo13** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 6:19 am

I'd advise caution with this. We have seen in the past "rosters" posted to FIBA sites that were not overly accurate.
But sometimes they have been. I'd guess Canada was forced by FIBA to submit an extended roster or "pool" of players by a certain deadline so as you said this is quite tentative until we see something official.

That said it could be an excellent roster all things considered if the best of this pool do indeed show. We'd be massive favorites over Cuba and USVI if just 4 or 5 of these better players show up (the Scrubbs, Morgan, Johnny B, Keane, McIntosh).

If the best of this list show up - I'd go with:

Kaza
Scrubb
Scrubb
Morgan (Bennett aint in game shape....no way)
Klassen

Cohee (maybe Grey)
Johnny B
Best
McIntosh / Bennett
Landry (who's retired but playing 3x3)

Besides Bennett / Landry (and Grey I think)- all these guys are currently playing in Europe and in game shape. Cohee is playing in the Georgian League - all the others are playing in the Spanish ACB, French Pro-A or German BBL (lots of Pro-A guys). Sure...throw some young guys in to gain experience, but the guys listed above are the much better players.

BilboBanginz · Post #3809 » by **BilboBanginz** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 1:30 pm

Dort looking like he could be a starter on whatever Canada's future "A" team is.

Watch on YouTube

TrueNorth31 · Post #3810 » by **TrueNorth31** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 3:58 pm

I'd advocate caution to, this is just a preliminary list. I'd be happy with just getting Landry/ Bennett and half the euro guys. I imagine Gord Herbert now coaching in the Russian Super League and another former national team member, JD Jackson who's coached in the top French League will man the bench. Lot's of U Sports guys would be available as well.

I was hoping to see either Shayok or Kyle Alexander make their debuts , but who knows what happened ? Going with an experienced group certainly has its advantages given the lack of preparation time this unit will have.

Kenter16 · Post #3811 » by **Kenter16** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 4:26 pm

Hopefully we get some announcement from Canada Basketball today or tomorrow. These games are less than a week away. The players should be getting on flights this weekend. I assume there is a couple day stay in a hotel and some testing to do before they are allowed to practice.

Does anybody know where these games will be televised?

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TrueNorth31 · Post #3812 » by **TrueNorth31** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 5:02 pm

In terms of broadcasting it looks like DAZN is covering it.

Per Dazn schedule:

https://www.dazn.com/en-CA/l/sports/

They do have free trials for newcomers. I should note Canada Basketball do not hold the broadcasting rights , FIBA does and sells it to whomever they choose regardless of how the local federation feels . Now in the past CBC which is the host Olympic broadcaster has sub leased the rights from DAZN for certain FIBA events. We'll see what happens next ?

TrueNorth31 · Post #3813 » by **TrueNorth31** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 5:12 pm

The Fiba streaming platform also covers the event, but you have to buy a monthly pass ( remember to cancel as it is recurring- $ 8 bucks US ).

In the past some games I've found have been tape delayed.

https://www.livebasketball.tv/archive/all

mojo13 · Post #3814 » by **mojo13** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 5:48 pm

For those that can access it. ESPN+ will have all Qualifier games world wide. Europe, Asia, Americas, etc.
Usually really good streams too.
Canadians may need to tunnel into the US via a VPN to get to it...

mojo13 · Post #3815 » by **mojo13** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 2:44 am

Reports coming out that Cuba will not be participating in the Qualifiers next week.

Read on Twitter

?s=21

Read on Twitter

?s=21

Hair Canada · Post #3816 » by **Hair Canada** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 2:09 pm

The Canadians in the G looking good in the first two days of play:

Iggy with 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Simi (2 games): 15.5, 13, 3, and 2 blocks.
Stauskas: 19, 7, and 4.
Brissett (2 games): 17.5, 7, 3, and 1 block
Naz: 15.5, 5, 4.
Even Wigginton with 18, 4, and 4.

Who do you think still has the best chance to become a regular leaguer?

aminiaturebuddha · Post #3817 » by **aminiaturebuddha** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 2:32 pm

Hair Canada wrote:The Canadians in the G looking good in the first two days of play:

Iggy with 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Simi (2 games): 15.5, 13, 3, and 2 blocks.
Stauskas: 19, 7, and 4.
Brissett (2 games): 17.5, 7, 3, and 1 block
Naz: 15.5, 5, 4.
Even Wigginton with 18, 4, and 4.

Who do you think still has the best chance to become a regular leaguer?

I know he's got a long way to go, especially on the defensive end and in terms of shot selection, but I still have some hope for Simi. At times when I see the way he can move around out there I see a homeless man's Pascal Siakam (at least one the offensive end).

Hopefully he can stay healthy and put things together to become an energy big off the bench for some team in the future.

TrueNorth31 · Post #3818 » by **TrueNorth31** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:09 pm

Well here's the final team list.

https://www.basketball.ca/news/16-athletes-named-to-roster-for-third-window-of-fiba-americup-2022-qualifiers

- Not sure who was dropped , but Junior Cadougan was added to the list.

- Herbert is indeed the coach.

- They named 16 guys, due to possible Covid protocols I imagine they need a taxi squad.

- Six players were with the World Cup training group so that will help them hit the ground running.

All in all a very solid group. Again credit to Canada Basketball and to these guys for stepping up.....

Kenter16 · Post #3819 » by **Kenter16** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:31 pm

TrueNorth31 wrote:Well here's the final team list.

https://www.basketball.ca/news/16-athletes-named-to-roster-for-third-window-of-fiba-americup-2022-qualifiers

- Not sure who was dropped , but Junior Cadougan was added to the list.

- Herbert is indeed the coach.

- They named 16 guys, due to possible Covid protocols I imagine they need a taxi squad.

All in all a very solid group. Again credit to these guys for stepping up.....

The article mentions four games. Did Cuba figure out there Visa issues?

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TrueNorth31 · Post #3820 » by **TrueNorth31** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:45 pm

I'm not sure what to make of the Cuban situation. Perhaps they are terrified that their athletes will seek asylum on American soil ? Truth be told , with Canada sending a relatively strong team this must frustrate and disappoint them to a certain degree. If we'd sent a group of young U Sports guys they'd have much more of a chance, but with our current group they'll likely be quite overmatched. Cuba did split their games with the Virgin Islands so finishing third is still a possibility for them so let's hope they show up.