Team Canada Basketball Thread V3.0

[TrueNorth31]

One thing Grange said that was pointed out to me, is that he was quite specific about his wording on Olynyk and Birch not being there yet as opposed to being more definitive about Brooks and Thompson.

"Tristan Thompson and Dillon Brooks are believed not to be playing while Olynyk and Khem Birch — stalwarts of the program in recent years – are pending free agents who nevertheless indicated they wanted to play but weren’t on the floor Wednesday."

So perhaps there is still some hope yet that these two may be showing up. Maybe I'm just grasping at straws and I would understand if they didn't show, but boy they would really help.

Also I'd like to hear who the coaches are ? They certainly deserve some respect for participating as well.

One bit of good news is that Bediako, Edey and Mathurin appear to be at the camp ( Barrett mentioned them by name ) . Now I don't think they'll take one of them along like SGA in 2016 to the Philippines, but you never know. U19 camp starts Friday in Tampa and these 3 would be a good core group to build the team around ( let's hope Houston, Sharpe and Nembhard are also coming in ).

[mojo13]

Might make sense if they are sitting until insurance is worked out.

[TrueNorth31]

Might make sense if they are sitting until insurance is worked out.

Yes, I've heard that exact speculation.

[mojo13]

So assuming Birch and Olynyk are out (unknown at this point)

We are looking at:

CoJo, NAW, Scrubb (Keane)
Dort, Mulder
Barrett / Ejim
Wiggins / Nicholson
Powell / Lyles / Klassen (LoL!)

Still enough talent mow through everyone if Nurse can pull a team together - but that is far from a given. A very inexperienced team never really having played together, very little FIBA experience. Pretty darn weak defensively up front. Laughably short prep time with no friendlies. Just one of Birch or Olynyk would be a huge boon.

I honestly don’t know if we’d are even favored at this point. Need to wait to see who shows up for Turkey.

[Kenter16]

So assuming Birch and Olynyk are out (unknown at this point)

We are looking at:

CoJo, NAW, Scrubb (Keane)
Dort, Mulder
Barrett / Ejim
Wiggins / Nicholson
Powell / Lyles / Klassen (LoL!)

Still enough talent mow through everyone if Nurse can pull a team together - but that is far from a given. A very inexperienced team never really having played together, very little FIBA experience. Pretty darn weak defensively up front. Laughably short prep time with no friendlies. Just one of Birch or Olynyk would be a huge boon.

I honestly don’t know if we’d are even favored at this point. Need to wait to see who shows up for Turkey.

Kyle Alexander over Klassen! Please!
Hell, Zach Edey is in camp. He would be my preference for a back up big over Klassen.

[mojo13]

I did that to mess with you.

Or did I???


Alexander is a better player...but it could end up more about experience. Klassen has been around the block for Team Canada.

[Mirotic12]

Greece's main small forward, Ioannis Papapetrou, is out with a knee injury.

Greece's updated training camp roster:

PG

Vassilis Spanoulis 6-4
Vassilis Mouratos 6-4
Dimitris Katsivelis 6-5

SG

Kostas Sloukas 6-3
Ioannis Athinaiou 6-4
Michalis Lountzis 6-6

SF

Giannoulis Larentzakis 6-5
Charis Giannopoulos 6-7
Leonidas Kaselakis 6-7
Nikos Rogkavopoulos 6-8

PF

Georgios Printezis 6-9
Dinos Mitoglou 6-11
Linos Chrysikopoulos 6-10
Nikos Chougkaz 6-10

C

Georgios Papagiannis 7-3
Vassilis Kavvadas 6-9
Kostas Antetokounmpo 6-10


Greece is down several options at small forward. Greece is really deep at the position, but all of these injuries at that spot are starting to become a problem. In the latest national team updates, Pitino was said to be experimenting with different lineups and with different players that are not small forwards, playing there out of position. He is supposedly experimenting with small ball 3 guard lineups and also with big lineups of three guys over 6-10, because they have lost so many players at the 3 position.

Spanoulis was said to be the best player so far in the training camp, and they said his conditioning was really good and he was ready to handle big minutes - but then he got injured and evidently he's out for the prep games.

Nick Calathes will supposedly join the team after the prep games. It's not ideal for Spanoulis and Calathes to miss the prep games and then just be thrown into the qualifying tournament.

[mtr15]

One thing Grange said that was pointed out to me, is that he was quite specific about his wording on Olynyk and Birch not being there yet as opposed to being more definitive about Brooks and Thompson.

"Tristan Thompson and Dillon Brooks are believed not to be playing while Olynyk and Khem Birch — stalwarts of the program in recent years – are pending free agents who nevertheless indicated they wanted to play but weren’t on the floor Wednesday."

So perhaps there is still some hope yet that these two may be showing up. Maybe I'm just grasping at straws and I would understand if they didn't show, but boy they would really help.

Also I'd like to hear who the coaches are ? They certainly deserve some respect for participating as well.

One bit of good news is that Bediako, Edey and Mathurin appear to be at the camp ( Barrett mentioned them by name ) . Now I don't think they'll take one of them along like SGA in 2016 to the Philippines, but you never know. U19 camp starts Friday in Tampa and these 3 would be a good core group to build the team around ( let's hope Houston, Sharpe and Nembhard are also coming in ).

According to Wes Brown, Shadeon Sharpe declined the invite from Canada Basketball and wont be at the U19.

Read on Twitter

But it looks like Elijah FIsher did accept the invite as he posted a picture on Snapchat this morning being at the Orlando Airport.

[mojo13]

Nurse presser is going on.

Seems more and more likely KO and Birch arent playing.

Check out Murphy, Koreen, Grange etcs Twitter feeds.

Read on Twitter

?s=20

[Mattd97]

So assuming Birch and Olynyk are out (unknown at this point)

We are looking at:

CoJo, NAW, Scrubb (Keane)
Dort, Mulder
Barrett / Ejim / Doornekamp
Wiggins / Nicholson
Powell / Lyles / Klassen (LoL!)

Still enough talent mow through everyone if Nurse can pull a team together - but that is far from a given. A very inexperienced team never really having played together, very little FIBA experience. Pretty darn weak defensively up front. Laughably short prep time with no friendlies. Just one of Birch or Olynyk would be a huge boon.

I honestly don’t know if we’d are even favored at this point. Need to wait to see who shows up for Turkey.

Fixed it for you

[Mattd97]

Nurse presser is going on.

Seems more and more likely KO and Birch arent playing.

Check out Murphy, Koreen, Grange etcs Twitter feeds.

Read on Twitter

?s=20

See this is why you don't make doornekamp jokes. Should have known better

[ItsDanger]

7 week commitment is kind of long especially with these quarantine/covid rules still being applied. FIBA really needs to get their act together regarding these qualifiers. Seems there are other motives in play. Really, 2019 should have been the time these guys all suited up and then the duration for olympic team would have been much shorter.

[frumble]

So is this the full list of bigs who are in camp:

"Says Powell, Lyles, Nicholson, Klassen, Doornekamp, Ejim all options inside."

Alexander? Bennett?

[Dalek]

I expect Sengun to feast on Team Canada without any real defensive threats. Dwight Powell will be a good test to see if he can handle NBA level athletes.

I don't really worry about Canada's chances. We have Wiggins, Barrett, Dort and NAW. That is major firepower for Nurse to work with. No other team even comes close to that talent level.

[mojo13]

So is this the full list of bigs who are in camp:

"Says Powell, Lyles, Nicholson, Klassen, Doornekamp, Ejim all options inside."

Alexander? Bennett?

I dont know if that is written in blood - and I'd cosnider it a worst case scenario.

Bennett I think may be there but conflicted out to play, because the PR league is a summer league (he signed a couple weeks back).

Alexander now seems a question mark with that Tweet - but still not certain.

KO and/or Birch could still work their issues out - I would not write them off quite yet (but is becoming more and more likley)

[Kid Canada]

Powell is a good fit with the roster. He wont demand the ball and if highly efficient.

[frumble]

Anyone watch much of Powell this year? How has he looked post achilles injury?

[Hair Canada]

Anyone watch much of Powell this year? How has he looked post achilles injury?

Not great at the beginning, as was expected. Much better in the last two months. There were times where he looked like his old self, including one fantastic game in the playoffs. Overall, quite encouraging I think.

[aminiaturebuddha]

There's a thread about it on the board, but it looks like Nate Bjorkgren is back to help Nurse out with coaching duties. Now it's even more of a shame that Brissett got talked out of playing, since Bjorkgren seemed to get the best out of him those final couple of months in Indiana.

Or here's a tinfoil hat conspiracy for you - maybe things are so bad between Bjorkgren and the Pacers, that they told Brissett not to play as an FU to their former coach....(nah, I don't actually believe that, just having fun)

[aminiaturebuddha]

As for the roster, I'm a little worried about the center position now, as many are. I have a bad feeling that the team will get killed on the boards in a few matchups. That'll force the wings like Barrett and Wiggins to stay at home to help secure the defensive rebounds, rather than leak out in transition, which otherwise would be a clear strength for this team.

I didn't expect we'd get everyone, but I didn't think that we wouldn't have any of TT, Olynyk, Birch, or Boucher. I thought Birch, at least, was almost a lock. You'd think by now I'd know better when it comes to national team participation.