OT: The State of Canadian Basketball

[LeafChief]

Are there any big followers of Canada Basketball on here?

I know in the last 4-5 years there have been a real influx of Canadians in the NCAA and NBA and it's really refreshing.

I just came across the short documentary on TSN about the Canadian prep school in Orangeville, ON that is attracting quality talent and competing with the high end American prep schools and it got me thinking.

My question is, if this were an Olympic year (and Canada qualified for the Olympics), who would make up the Canadian team?

Click to read more...

 

[RyanOhReally]

PG - Tyler Ennis
SG - Andrew Wiggins
SF - Anthony Bennett
PF - Tristan Thompson
C - Kelly Olynyk

SG - Nick Stauskas
C/PF - Trey Liles
SG - Corey Joseph
PG - Xavier Rathan-Mayes
C - Samuel Dalembert (?)

Just off the top of my head... I'm most likely missing some people.

 

[hamzarocks]

Also some really nice players like jamal murray 2016 draft pick probably top 10 and justin jackson another top 10, aswell as jordon henry 2017 draft possible 1st round maybe higher, coming out of ontario

 

[Stats01]

First ever All-Canadian stars basketball showcase game in April. Canadian basketball is entering it's golden age, it's awakening. This is just the beginning. With hockey prices going up, sports like basketball have gained more and more traction with the population and a lot of people around the U.S, Canada etc have said that Canada is the next big threat in basketball. This is just the beginning. We have a bright future upcoming, this All-Canadian stars game is a good start, I'd like more money put into it to be quite honest. The grassroots of this game are exploding, we just need more support from the corporate side. All in all I see a great future for this sport in this country.

 

[91Kadri91*]

First ever All-Canadian stars basketball showcase game later this month. Canadian basketball is entering it's golden age, it's awakening. This is just the beginning. With hockey prices going up, sports like basketball have gained more and more traction with the population and a lot of people around the U.S, Canada etc have said that Canada is the next big threat in basketball. This is just the beginning. We have a bright future upcoming, this All-Canadian stars game is a good start, I'd like more money put into it to be quite honest. The grassroots of this game are exploding, we just need more support from the corporate side. All in all I see a great future for this sport in this country.

Australia has a very bright future as well.

Hopefully, at some point in the future, the States won't be able to walk their way to a gold medal.

 

[GoHardSports]

Current NBAers include:

PG-Corey Joseph, Tyler Ennis
SG- Nik Stauskas
SF- Andrew Wiggins
PF- Tristan Thompson, Anthony Bennet, Andrew Nicholson
C- Kelly Olynyk, Robert Sacre, Dwight Powell

Then there's also the young up-and-comers that are still young but have potential that others have listed. I would add Olivier Hanlan-whos currently at Boston College-as someone that could potentially be drafted this year.

 

[Banic]

It's really amazing to see the up and coming talent. The Raptors, Vince and Steve Nash have all really played a role in the growth of the sport in the country.
Reminds me a lot like how Hockey is growing in LA because of the Gretzky influence.

 

[Swervin81]

PG - Corey Joseph, Tyler Ennis
SG: Nik Stauskas, Xavier Rathan-Mayes
SF: Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett
PF: Tristan Thompson, Trey Lyles, Jack Nicholson
C: Kelly Olynyk, Robert Sacre, Dwight Powell

Looks real promising.

 

[DD03]

Thon Maker.

Remember the name.

 

[Eyedea]

Thon Maker.

Remember the name.

He's Aussie

 

[ConnorTO]

wiggins was like #1 but they say he bust

 

[DD03]

He's Aussie

Damn.

Just crushed all my hopes

 

[DD03]

wiggins was like #1 but they say he bust

Who says he's a bust?

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Are there any big followers of Canada Basketball on here?

I know in the last 4-5 years there have been a real influx of Canadians in the NCAA and NBA and it's really refreshing.

I just came across the short documentary on TSN about the Canadian prep school in Orangeville, ON that is attracting quality talent and competing with the high end American prep schools and it got me thinking.

My question is, if this were an Olympic year (and Canada qualified for the Olympics), who would make up the Canadian team?

I'm from Orangeville and know all those kids because I delivered pizza's while in college and they were frequent customers. They are not nice people,arrogant, and never tipped a penny, ever. Nonetheless, Canadian basketball has come a long way, after the US it's pretty wide open. There's a chance we medal next olympics.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

wiggins was like #1 but they say he bust

Isn't he leading almost every rookie statistic right now?

 

[613Leafer]

Specifically Toronto. Toronto produced three of the top 20 picks last draft. Did any other city do that? In any given draft, how many cities have done that in the past five years? Toronto can't rival the whole US in producing talent, but it looks like it may be becoming one of the top top cities for producing talent.

I heard on the radio yesterday that theyre putting together a Toronto AAU team too, to form an all-star GTA team to go play top teams in the US through the summers.

 

[FireMurray]

Specifically Toronto. Toronto produced three of the top 20 picks last draft. Did any other city do that? In any given draft, how many cities have done that in the past five years? Toronto can't rival the whole US in producing talent, but it looks like it may be becoming one of the top top cities for producing talent.

I heard on the radio yesterday that theyre putting together a Toronto AAU team too, to form an all-star GTA team to go play top teams in the US through the summers.

This is essentially what CIA Bounce is which has existed for a while now. A lotta of the top Canadian guys played for the AAU squad and impressed on the circuit.

Toronto definitely is one of the hotspots for top basketball talent in the world right now but talents emerging from all major Canadian cities. Looking forward to the Pan-AM games, hopefully Wiggins commits. If he does those games will be a must-see.

 

[FireMurray]

I'm also much more pleased to have Triano coaching the program as opposed to Rautins. Nash seems fully commited as GM and a lot of the young guys seem excited to be involved. Fun times for Canadian ball fans.

 

[Shwaguy*]

PG - Tyler Ennis
SG - Andrew Wiggins
SF - Anthony Bennett
PF - Tristan Thompson
C - Kelly Olynyk

SG - Nick Stauskas
C/PF - Trey Liles
SG - Corey Joseph
PG - Xavier Rathan-Mayes
C - Samuel Dalembert (?)

Just off the top of my head... I'm most likely missing some people.

Cory Joseph will be our starting PG for sure imo, Ennis could be good but he's barely an NBA player as of now.

CoJo has become a real good player for the Spurs but unfortunately plays behind Parker, I'm of the impression that he can start on a few teams in this league.

Bennett is really bad.

PG: CoJo
SG: Stauskas (Right now this position is kinda shallow for us, Stauskas can be good though and if he hits his potential complements Wiggins very well)
SF: Wiggins
PF: Thompson
C: Olynyk (He's really good btw, he'll have a couple all star games imo once the Celtics become competitive again)

Bench:
Ennis
Bennett
Nicholson
Sacre/Lyles/Powell
A wing in the Euro League, let's say Andy Rautins or something like that. Rathan-Mayes is good as well.

It's a good enough team to qualify for the Olympics in 2016 but I doubt we'd be capable of doing much damage at this point once we get there.

2020 is a whole different story, Wiggins and Olynyk/Thompson/Cojo/Ennis/Stauskas will be in their primes, and we have a more or less consistent pipeline of Canadian NBA talent so I'm sure there will be a couple other players who have become big names in their own right (Potentially Jamal Murray, Justin Jackson, etc.)

We might get lucky as well with Thon Maker, the top prospect (Well, his stock has kind of dropped, but I think with his toolset he's gonna climb real high once he starts college ball). for 2016 or 2017, he's been all over the place in terms of Nationality, but he's playing his high school ball in Orangeville, so he'll be living in Canada when he turns 18, and since he hasn't really stayed put in one country his whole life, who knows who he decides to represent.

Thon Maker has a playstyle somewhere in between Kevin Durant and Kevin Garnett.

 

[MoeMoney]

Damn.

Just crushed all my hopes

He's going to play for Canada though, he and his brother both are based out of the Orangeville school mentioned in the OP and both will feature in the upcoming Canadian all-stars game. That game is a great idea similar to the American McDonalds High Shool stars and from what I heard they have recieved many requests for tickets from scouts of U.S Colleges and NBA teams. Compared to ten years ago we've come a long, long way, but still not there yet. Many of the Canadian players in the NBA are average aside from Wiggins but I expect a few more all-stars to come through within the next 5 years. Good times indeed, and credit to MLSE for their funding into Basketball Canada as well.

 

[ConnorTO]

Who says he's a bust?

actually am thinkin of bennett

 

[Leaf Lander]

Who cares?


Basket ball is boring

I don't want to watch a bunch of genetic freaks running up n down the court dunk A basket ball that is just below their reach


Zzzzzzz