State of the Union. Team Canada Basketball. (FIBA Americas Aug.31-Sep.15)

[orbesnet]

nice trouncing!

[hsb]

This team has no defence tho! Like, how you gonna let Puerto Rico drop 90 on you in 40 minutes?

This game was only about seeding, they don't need to tire themselves out to beat PR. Nice win, glad Powell sat out in a sense.

[C_Money]

My friend just told me Mexico gets to choose who they play in the next round? WTF is that? Doesn't make any sense.

[TheFutureMM]

My takeaways from tonight's game...

- When Nick is playing well this team reaches another level. Out of all the starters his performance on any given day is what transforms this team from good to great.
- Andrew Nicholson is looking really rough - nice to see him hit that three but otherwise as others have said when he isn't making baskets he becomes pretty invisible.
- Our team is super soft inside and I can't wait to get Tristan Thompson back out there to collect some rebounds.
- Good game from Sacre. First time I think I've ever seen him look like an NBA player.

[Dtown84]

This team has no defence tho! Like, how you gonna let Puerto Rico drop 90 on you in 40 minutes?

This game was only about seeding, they don't need to tire themselves out to beat PR. Nice win, glad Powell sat out in a sense.

Wins/losses and point differential carry over to the next round so it's not just for seeding. The only thing that isn't carried over are stats against against the last place team (Cuba). Everything else matters for Canada.

edit: for those that don't know, next round is not a knock out stage it is an 8 team group. In which Canada plays the four survivors of the other group, and all their stats against Argentina, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico carry over. They're 2-1 with 4 games to play.

[mojo13]

Doornekamp plays defence better than Wiltjer?
And how important is that defence?... This is the FIBA Americas. I doubt there's ever gonna be a situation where they're like "boy.. if only we had Doornekamp instead of Wiltjer for the defence".. when they can just put Wiggins or Ejim on instead.

Sorry I know it's not my argument but I kind of agree that Doornekamp probably plays better defense than Wiltjer. I don't know if you watched any Pan AMs or college ball last year (you probably did) but it's pretty clear that Wiltjer is a 4. Wiltjer has a really hard time covering the 4 (one of the reasons he likely won't get drafted) and he would get absolutely killed at the 3 which is what the staff sees Doornekamp as.

To be honest I'd be surprised if he made the Olympic / World Cup team over the next couple years as we're LOADED with bigs and he's clearly not a wing.

You make some valid points but I think the flaws you're pointing out really apply a lot more to WIltjer's NBA translation moreso than FIBA translation.
Gonzaga found a way for WIltjer to a great college player & NCAA is a bit more similar to FIBA basketball than NBA basketball to me.
Wiltjer's defensive problems covering the 3's & 4's aren't as glaring unless Canada is playing talented teams like USA, France or Spain.

Your view of Witljer is very incorrect. He never, ever played SF for Gonzaga. He has been exclusively a PF for his entire career. His defense is horrible enough against PFs at the NCAA level and would be outright brutal against SFs (and especially bad in FIBA). He is just too slow (and weak) and it is his major weakness as others pointed out. He is a brilliant offensive player but that is not needed for this Team Canada at the 4. Unless you want to argue he should be there over Nicholson, since they are similar players - but Nicholson is a proven FIBA player. I know Wiltjer is working hard on his D but as others said his D will be the primary reason he will likely be excluded from the NBA.
Wiltjer is so far from being comparable to Doornekamp it is laughable. They fill practically opposite roles let alone don't even play the same position.

By the way KO averaged more points per game than Wiltjer in their junior year (17 vs 16) and KO put up a couple games with over 30 points. KO was an All American if I recall - which I do think Wiltjer has a shot at this year. We will need Wiltjer at some point as the WC qualification system changes so I am happy to have him in the fold with Team Canada. However his is going to need to be paired between a very good defensive center and small forward unless he improves his D substantially.

[mojo13]

This team has no defence tho! Like, how you gonna let Puerto Rico drop 90 on you in 40 minutes?

This game was only about seeding, they don't need to tire themselves out to beat PR. Nice win, glad Powell sat out in a sense.

It is NOT only about seeding. I dont think you guys know how this tournament works. This game mattered, so did the point differential. The win carries over to the 2nd round and after we play the 4 teams that come forward from the other pool only the top four records make the "playoffs", the semis. there is not quarterfinal elimination games.

[DreamTeam09]

Ideally this team needs another 3+D guy, another big(TT) and another pg. Murray would really help this team if he was the point with Cojo backing him up. But Murray and Stukas or Brady would give up a lot of points and is a horrible defensive backcourt. We need a defender at sg or an athletic 3+D guy behind wiggins.

[mojo13]

My friend just told me Mexico gets to choose who they play in the next round? WTF is that? Doesn't make any sense.

If true, it doesn't really matter much. The second round consists of each top 4 teams from each pool in the 1st round playing each team from the other pool they haven't payed yet. Mexico could be given the opportunity of the order of who they play.

Canada plays four more games in the second round. Then the top 4 best overall records go to the semi finals.

[mojo13]

Cojo is a far better PG right now that Murray - I am still baffled at what people here think of an 18 year old Murray. Cojo, Pangos, Scrubb, Hanlan are all better options than Murray for this tournament. Let it go guys - worry about the team we have out there, not the crazy "what ifs" that are sketchy ideas anyways.

[Dr Comeback]

Doornekamp plays defence better than Wiltjer?
And how important is that defence?... This is the FIBA Americas. I doubt there's ever gonna be a situation where they're like "boy.. if only we had Doornekamp instead of Wiltjer for the defence".. when they can just put Wiggins or Ejim on instead.

Sorry I know it's not my argument but I kind of agree that Doornekamp probably plays better defense than Wiltjer. I don't know if you watched any Pan AMs or college ball last year (you probably did) but it's pretty clear that Wiltjer is a 4. Wiltjer has a really hard time covering the 4 (one of the reasons he likely won't get drafted) and he would get absolutely killed at the 3 which is what the staff sees Doornekamp as.

To be honest I'd be surprised if he made the Olympic / World Cup team over the next couple years as we're LOADED with bigs and he's clearly not a wing.

You make some valid points but I think the flaws you're pointing out really apply a lot more to WIltjer's NBA translation moreso than FIBA translation.
Gonzaga found a way for WIltjer to a great college player & NCAA is a bit more similar to FIBA basketball than NBA basketball to me.
Wiltjer's defensive problems covering the 3's & 4's aren't as glaring unless Canada is playing talented teams like USA, France or Spain.

Kyle Wiltjer is one of the worst defensive players I have ever seen. He's unplayable at the 3, he can barely guard 4's at the college level. He is a liability at any level of basketball.

Aaron Dornecamp is 10 times tougher and ten times the defender.


and I love Kyle Wiltjer. but lets get a grip.

[DreamTeam09]

Cojo is a far better PG right now that Murray - I am still baffled at what people here think of an 18 year old Murray. Cojo, Pangos, Scrubb, Hanlan are all better options than Murray for this tournament. Let it go guys - worry about the team we have out there, not the crazy "what ifs" that are sketchy ideas anyways.

You probably meant to quote me but Murray is better than pangos, scrubb, and Hanlan. Cojo is a better pg right now than Murray but ideally this would be the best starting lineup

Murray
A do it all sg that locks up
Wiggins
Bennet and TT or TT and KO

[aminiaturebuddha]

My takeaways from tonight's game...

- When Nick is playing well this team reaches another level. Out of all the starters his performance on any given day is what transforms this team from good to great.

I agree. And not just his shooting, but his playmaking as well. When he and Olynyk are playing well, it gives Canada two extra good playmakers on the court and can really take the pressure off of Joseph, allowing him to concentrate on defence and other things.

[hsb]

This team has no defence tho! Like, how you gonna let Puerto Rico drop 90 on you in 40 minutes?

This game was only about seeding, they don't need to tire themselves out to beat PR. Nice win, glad Powell sat out in a sense.

It is NOT only about seeding. I dont think you guys know how this tournament works. This game mattered, so did the point differential. The win carries over to the 2nd round and after we play the 4 teams that come forward from the other pool only the top four records make the "playoffs", the semis. there is not quarterfinal elimination games.

Sure, all that was already mentioned by the commentators. I was just making sense from a defensive perspective though, in a game they wisely chose to sit out Powell. It's a long tournament and you have to pick and choose certain things over the course of it. They won by 20 and are now second in their group, I'm not complaining.

[Dr Comeback]

Also the complaining and second guessing Triano is bordering on self parody.


I'm no fan of Triano, but people in here were acting like our qualification hopes hinged on the difference between Hanlan and Scrubb. Like Triano made some tragic mistake not taking Hanlan,


nevermind the fact that we have less information than Triano who actually watched them practice and the information we do have gives us no indication that Hanlan is some significant upgrade over Scrubb.

[vi3t]

well ballstream dropped the ball on today's stream, they better have it fixed for the next round

[Samurai_Raps]

I've been very impressed with Scrubb, and really like the way he played with the first unit. In some ways, it was nice to have Cojo's playmaking and scoring abilities with the second unit, although I doubt we will see this going forward.

[aligator]

Scrubb is a far superior player to Hanlan. This should be obvious. The immaturity of this board drives one to other more informative sites.

[Samurai_Raps]

to be fair, I think many people were saying Hanlan should be on the team for added insurance for guard play, if Cojo or Scrubb went down with injury. Not necessarily saying Hanlan is superior to Scrubb. Losing a PG would have such huge impact in a tournament of this nature and the gruelling schedule.

[Samurai_Raps]

curious if posters here would rather face Argentina or Mexico in the Semifinals?