The State of Canadian Basketball

[Clyde]

Sorry if this is posted in the incorrect forum....

I live in Canada, and am extremely happy to see that the money my country has invested in their basketball program is realy starting to pay off.

We all know the hype that follows Andrew Wiggins, but it there are more and more players going to big US schools and being drafted into the NBA.

Tristian Thompson, Andrew Nicholson and Kelly Olynyk look to have bright futures in the NBA, and we have players like Wiggins, Ennis and Stauskas who should (will) be entering the draft soon.

Living in Canada and hating hockey is tough, especially when the sport channels cram it in your face 24/7. I hope with the new crop of Canadian NBA players, we get a little more coverage here.

(also note I am completely aware that one Andrew Bennett is from Canada, though I dont believe he should have been drafted #1, i do believe he can play in the NBA.)

In anycase, Im happy the hard work is paying off, maybe in a few years we'll be able to make it as one of the Olympic teams and be further represented in the All-star game (Jamaal Maglore being the only canadian player I can think of)

thoughts?

:D

[pezt]

You guys need a Center.
Other than that you're set on pretty much every position and I don't see a reason why Canada shouldn't be a Top 5 Nation in a couple years.
It's really impressive how much Canadian Basketball has improved.

Australia is another Country with emerging talent.

[Clyde]

You guys need a Center.
Other than that you're set on pretty much every position and I don't see a reason why Canada shouldn't be a Top 5 Nation in a couple years.
It's really impressive how much Canadian Basketball has improved.

Australia is another Country with emerging talent.

I think Olynyk can be a fuctional Centre....Sammy Dalembert plays on the national team, though he will be old as dirt next time Olympics start

[MP.Trey]

In anycase, Im happy the hard work is paying off, maybe in a few years we'll be able to make it as one of the Olympic teams and be further represented in the All-star game (Jamaal Maglore being the only canadian player I can think of)

thoughts?

:D
C'mon man.

http://www.nba.com/media/nashmvp_410_050509.jpg

But nah you're right. Canada is on the up and up, and has a bright exciting future right now.

[Clyde]

C'mon man.

http://www.nba.com/media/nashmvp_410_050509.jpg

But nah you're right. Canada is on the up and up, and has a bright exciting future right now.

Ya "Kid Canada" too.

Seems weird i would forget about him seeing as I've watch his entire career.

[mugiwara]

Andrew Bennett.

[King Jane]

:oldlol: at any kind of basketball played by foreigners

[Euroleague]

You guys need a Center.
Other than that you're set on pretty much every position and I don't see a reason why Canada shouldn't be a Top 5 Nation in a couple years.
It's really impressive how much Canadian Basketball has improved.

Australia is another Country with emerging talent.

USA, Spain, Lithuania, Greece, Serbia, France, Croatia...........

That's just for starters.

I'm being generous to leave out Russia, Turkey, Slovenia, Brazil, etc.

Get serious.

[moe94]

:oldlol: at any kind of basketball played by foreigners

The sport was invented by a Canadian doe

[pezt]

USA, Spain, Lithuania, Greece, Serbia, France, Croatia...........

That's just for starters.

I'm being generous to leave out Russia, Turkey, Slovenia, Brazil, etc.

Get serious.

I swear I ****ing knew you were going to quote that part within an hour :roll:

Are Countries like Lithuania, Greece (sorry bro) really that much more talented than Canada? And I'm not talking about now of course but I think a core consisting of Tyler Ennis, Cory Joseph, Nik Stauskas, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Olynyk, Tristan Thompson, Trey Lyles and other talented players could be really good.
They will definitely be in the same tier as those countries (Excluding USA and Spain and maybe France)

[Euroleague]

I swear I ****ing knew you were going to quote that part within an hour :roll:

Are Countries like Lithuania, Greece (sorry bro) really that much more talented than Canada? And I'm not talking about now of course but I think a core consisting of Tyler Ennis, Cory Joseph, Nik Stauskas, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Olynyk, Tristan Thompson, Trey Lyles and other talented players could be really good.
They will definitely be in the same tier as those countries (Excluding USA and Spain and maybe France)

Top 10-15 MAYBE. Top 5 is ridiculous.

About Lithuania and Greece -

Lithuania has better talent like 1-15, but probably less depth. Greece has more talent 1-15, and also probably 3 times more depth.

You are also smoking some good shit if you think they are "in the same tier" as Serbia.

You probably did not even know that Stauskas is Lithuanian (although he's not Lithuanian enough to qualify for their national team) and that Pangos is Greek? Whatever. That team is not scaring anyone.

Hell, I bet you did not even know that Wiggins lived in Greece the first 3 years of his life? Maybe Greece should claim him? That's what USA would do. They stole Seikaly from Greece.

[Black and White]

Top 10-15 MAYBE. Top 5 is ridiculous.

Canada would kill Greece, sorry man, Wiggins > Vagisil

[Euroleague]

Canada would kill Greece, sorry man, Wiggins > Vagisil

You are delusional.

[Black and White]

You are delusional.

If the dude is being compared to LeBron James and is an athletic freak, there is no way V-Span is better

[red1]

The sport was invented by a Canadian doe
all these foreigners ruining our sport :facepalm

[Clyde]

:oldlol: at any kind of basketball played by foreigners

wow.....just wow.

[Grinder]

Canada will be a top 5 team internationally within the next few years. The pipeline of talent continues to grow at a high rate and there's a high possibility that they'll be the second best team behind the US in the next decade.

This could be Canada's roster by 2016...
Ennis / Joseph / Pangos / (Brady Heslip?)
Stauskas / Hanlan / (Andy Rautins?)
Wiggins / K. Joseph / (Melvin Ejim?)
Thompson / (Anthony Bennett?), (Dwight Powell?), (Khem Birch?), (Kyle Wiltjer?)
Olynyk / Nicholson / Sacre, (Jordan Bachynski?)

Almost of all of the 12 guys on the roster will NBA players (most first round picks) and they'll have a good blend of star power, athleticism, shooting, and role players.

[Xiao Yao You]

Canada will be a top 5 team internationally within the next few years. The pipeline of talent continues to grow at a high rate and there's a high possibility that they'll be the second best team behind the US in the next decade.

This could be Canada's roster by 2016...
Ennis / Joseph / Pangos / (Brady Heslip?)
Stauskas / Hanlan / (Andy Rautins?)
Wiggins / K. Joseph / (Melvin Ejim?)
Thompson / (Anthony Bennett?), (Dwight Powell?), (Khem Birch?), (Kyle Wiltjer?)
Olynyk / Nicholson / Sacre, (Jordan Bachynski?)

Almost of all of the 12 guys on the roster will NBA players (most first round picks) and they'll have a good blend of star power, athleticism, shooting, and role players.

And Nash to put it all together.

[red1]

And Nash to put it all together.
yes cyborg nash will be a welcome addition at point guard

[Twiens]

Canada will be a top 5 team internationally within the next few years. The pipeline of talent continues to grow at a high rate and there's a high possibility that they'll be the second best team behind the US in the next decade.

This could be Canada's roster by 2016...
Ennis / Joseph / Pangos / (Brady Heslip?)
Stauskas / Hanlan / (Andy Rautins?)
Wiggins / K. Joseph / (Melvin Ejim?)
Thompson / (Anthony Bennett?), (Dwight Powell?), (Khem Birch?), (Kyle Wiltjer?)
Olynyk / Nicholson / Sacre, (Jordan Bachynski?)

Almost of all of the 12 guys on the roster will NBA players (most first round picks) and they'll have a good blend of star power, athleticism, shooting, and role players.

Crazy depth but all really young. Should be top 3-5 in the world in 5-6 years

[moaz]

I have to be patriotic now (and no sorry here).

Canada >>>> Greece in the next few years :rockon:
With everything collapsing in Greece now, they wont be able to maintain any successful program/franchise in the future, including basketball.

[Xiao Yao You]

yes cyborg nash will be a welcome addition at point guard

He's the GM.

[Bernie Nips]

Andrew Bennett.

**

[red1]

He's the GM.
:( I liked cyborg nash better

[BigMacAttack]

If the dude is being compared to LeBron James and is an athletic freak, there is no way V-Span is better


That hasnt happened for a while, even when it did it was stupid, like "oh he is super athletic? Lebron James!" lol.

[Black and White]

That hasnt happened for a while, even when it did it was stupid, like "oh he is super athletic? Lebron James!" lol.

Agreed, but I still think he is better than Vagilias Spandoulis

[Euroleague]

I have to be patriotic now (and no sorry here).

Canada >>>> Greece in the next few years :rockon:
With everything collapsing in Greece now, they wont be able to maintain any successful program/franchise in the future, including basketball.

Yeah sure...............

Because Canada has better "prospects" than G. Antetokounmpo, T. Antetokounmpo, K. Antetokounmpo (who is better than Giannis)........

Papagiannis (who shits all over all Canada's big men combined)......

Chrysikopoulos (that is better than almost all of Canada's wings)......

Calathes brothers, Koufos, Bramos...

Kavvadas, Mantzaris, Sloukas, Pappas, Giankovits, Katsivelis, Athinaiou, Bogris, Tsairelis...

Papapetrou, Slaftsakis, Agravanis, Kamperidis, Bochoridis, Diamantakos, Charalampopoulos, Erevbenagie, Mitoglou, Larentzakis, Dimakopoulos, Koniaris, Stamatis...........

That's just the young players and the "prospects" and "future talent"......

That does not even count the "next few years" that you threw in there. Spanoulis, Zisis, Bourousis, Schortsanitis, Kaimakoglou, Printezis, Perperoglou, Vougioukas, Vasileiadis, Mavrokefalidis - every single one of those players would still be in their prime at 2016 Olympics.

Sorry, but no. Canada will not be better than Greece in the next 2-3 years, and they also do not have better young talent, or future talent going forward.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Their overall talent and prospects are up there w/ the Euros. Unfortunately, they don't get enough press.

[Legends66NBA7]

Their overall talent and prospects are up there w/ the Euros. Unfortunately, they don't get enough press.

Same goes for the Raptors. I think it's a good thing. Don't want the hype to get to their head or anything.

[eliteballer]

You think Vancouver can support another team?

[tragicbronson]

I have to agree with Euroleague on this one, although not that extremely. France has had many NBA players, almost whole their squad was from NBA and one of them is one of the best pgs in the NBA and former fmvp but they couldn't reach finals, that is couldn't become top basketball national team until last Eurobasket. You guys think if someone plays in the NBA that he is automatically better than some other non-NBA player on every level. Olinyk has a long way to go to become a solid, constant reliable big man. Thompson is good but nothing special, he is improving though. Same with other players, guys with great potential but nothing else.

I doubt that they will become one of the best in the world. Guys that claim that don't follow basketball on international level. They are improving, but stil a long long way to go.

[Legends66NBA7]

You think Vancouver can support another team?

Yes, if they have dedicated management and ownership.

Montreal can support a NBA team too.

[Sakkreth]

They will definetly improve in upcoming years a lot, but top 3-5 team ? Very unlikely...

[ralph_i_el]

Top 10-15 MAYBE. Top 5 is ridiculous.

About Lithuania and Greece -

Lithuania has better talent like 1-15, but probably less depth. Greece has more talent 1-15, and also probably 3 times more depth.

You are also smoking some good shit if you think they are "in the same tier" as Serbia.

You probably did not even know that Stauskas is Lithuanian (although he's not Lithuanian enough to qualify for their national team) and that Pangos is Greek? Whatever. That team is not scaring anyone.

Hell, I bet you did not even know that Wiggins lived in Greece the first 3 years of his life? Maybe Greece should claim him? That's what USA would do. They stole Seikaly from Greece.

People are overrating Canada for sure but they have a lot of potential.


Greece isn't even good stop pretending. I bet they lose to Puerto Rico in the WBC. They are in no way a top 10 team in the world.

[Euroleague]

People are overrating Canada for sure but they have a lot of potential.


Greece isn't even good stop pretending. I bet they lose to Puerto Rico in the WBC. They are in no way a top 10 team in the world.

Wow, you are smoking the good stuff.

[ralph_i_el]

Wow, you are smoking the good stuff.

I might be, but I keep watching Greece stink up the court tournament after tournament. How were they in the last Olympics? Oh wait they didn't even qualify. How about losing to finland and Italy during Eurobasket?

You act like you're the only guy who watches these games. Greece has been exposed.

[Bandito]

USA, Spain, Lithuania, Greece, Serbia, France, Croatia...........

That's just for starters.

I'm being generous to leave out Russia, Turkey, Slovenia, Brazil, etc.

Get serious.
Nigeria > Greece.

[kaiteng]

I'm seriously not sure about Team Canada's future since the past is still haunting.

If Jamaal Magloire, an NBA All-Star at his peak, managed to dodge every single call-ups yet sitting pretty like he is a Canada basketball hero nowadays, the same thing could happen to Andrew Wiggins too.

The core will sure be a lot stronger than before, but you still need a superstar or superstar-in-a-making to go further i.e. Steve Nash in 2000 Olympics.