Hair Canada wrote:Some thoughts about the first game and the win (80:71) over Lituania:
First, this is probably the worst we can play. Lithuania, as expected, is quite thin on elite talent but played really great team basketball and showcased the terrific Tubelis. We had a really bad start, with shots that just wouldn't go in, a lot of silly turnovers, bad shot selection and some hero-ball, and defense that was really uncoordinated and gave too many open 3s and points in the paint for Tubelis.
All that, together with some bad individual performances (below) and a brilliant, near-perfect game from Tubelis, who looked like a young Sabonis, put us in a 14-point hole with 3 minutes to go in the third. The last 13 minutes were obviously much more encouraging (we scored 25 more points than the Lithuanians in these) and we should build on these. Just as a reminder, the 2017 U19 team looked pretty bad in its opening game (Barrett was also weak) and lost to a good but not great Spanish team. We all know how that ended.
In terms of individual performances.
THE GOOD:
Fisher gave the spark this time and deserves to come first here. Finishes with the highest +/- on the team (26) and it was not a coincidence. He didn't start well and committed some silly fouls that drove him off the court, but in the second half, he showed his defensive potential as a point-of-attack defender, where his strength, lateral speed, length, and enthusiasm really bothered the Lithuanian PG and completely changed the momentum of the game. He also played within himself on offense and let the game come to him, not forcing shots. Let's hope he can continue with that and maybe even get more confidence.
Nembhard was uncharacteristically horrible in the first 3 and a half quarters, which exposed again how much this team depends on him (Kyle Duke was only thrown in for a couple of minutes when there seemed to be no choice). Bad decisions (again, not characteristic), missed open shots, and just couldn't be positive. But what I really like about him is that, unlike his older brother, he never puts his head down and just continues to attack the basket and create. And in the final 4 minutes of the game, really it paid off, with 14 points (!) that won the game.
Edey was a bit of a mixed bag. Showed how he can dominate at this level and was really good on the boards at both ends. But also made some bad decisions (should not get the ball away from the basket), didn't always finish emphatically (resulting in point-blank misses), was uncharacteristically inaccurate from the line, and had some trouble staying with quick guys on defense because of his quick feet. Overall, though, hs was positive for me.
Houstan showed again why he's our best player and prospect, though he did not have a particularly efficient game. Forced too many tough shots, but his shooting and feel are elite and he has a knack for scoring.
Owusu-Anane played quite a bit and gave good energies (was +17) and some finishing under the rim.
THE BAD:
Here we have to start with Mathurin, who was really quite awful. His shot didn't fall and he did try to stay aggressive, but made bad decisions and just couldn't get into the game. The only way from here for him is up and I'm sure he'll bounce back.
Bediako also couldn't get into the game, with quick fouls that kind of derailed him and some silly misses under the rim. Same as Mathurin, he'll be better henceforward and I still think he has an important role on this team.
O-Max actually started well, but later on, kind of got lost on the offensive end and was not at all able to contain Tubelis despite considerable efforts. He can also play better.
The rest of the guys didn't play enough (Hill didn't see the court at all) to say anything about them.
Taking a bird's eye look, this win almost surely means we're gonna end 1st in Group A and I expect the next three games (Senegal and Japan, and then a game against the worst team in Group C) to be smooth sailing.
Then we'll get a decent rival in the quarter-finals (hopefully when we're already running full speed) and the bad news is that we're heading toward a meeting with the US in the semis. But there's still time till we're there.
Good analysis - my thoughts.
- As typical for Canada our relative lack of preparation and to a certain degree continuity compared to other countries hurt us. In the early going we were really sloppy with our offensive sets and defensive rotations. We looked like a bunch of jet lagged kids with no official exhibition games and a little over a week of practice. Like so many Canadian teams ( as in hockey ) we tend to improve as things roll along.
- Give Lithuania credit. They have only 2.8 million people , but basketball is their passion and number one sport. They also tend to have a lot of big people and Tubelis was great. They play with heart and run great stuff , but their level of athletic guard play was poor.
- The defensive intensity of Fisher was huge. He's Lou Dort at this level ( except a little longer and a much better handle at the same age ) . His defence on Sarunas Marciulionis son was great ( I was underwhelmed by his kid - bad attitude ( took a T for flopping ) almost started 2 fights and generally wasn't much good , although I give him credit for his compete level ) . Keep in mind Fisher is real young only age 17 in a 19 year old tournament.
- Edey was his usual unpolished self ( the hot take honey's on twitter were being silly ) looking great 1 minute, poor the next. People need to remember he's a work in progress as he's relatively new to basketball ( was a hockey/baseball player growing up ). I agree he was generally positive ( + 16 with 16 rebounds ) and Bediako will be better which will keep Edey fresher. Edey is also a much better free throw shooter who averaged 71.4 % from the line in college than he showed today, the kid has some touch.
- Nembhard is certainly a fighter. Starting on the top prep school in the country certainly gives you a lot of confidence ( is he a young Kevin Pangos ? ) I just wish he was a little taller like his brother.
- If we actually start to run some plays , Mathurin and Houstan will be better.
Still in many ways can't believe we actually won.
