Canada Basketball

[stretch]

Wiggins' NBA season ends Wednesday so he gets an early vacation with no playoff minutes.

[octothorp]

I think Minnesota needs to approach FIBA Americas this way:
If they request Wiggins stays out, and Canada narrowly misses qualifying for next summer's Olympic Qualifier... Wiggins may be pissed off that his absence there cost him an Olympic opportunity...
If they request Wiggins stays out, and Canada qualifies for Olympic Qualifier... then Wiggins may end up playing two major international tournaments next summer.
If they request Wiggins stays out, and Canada qualifies for the Olympics outright, probably best case for both Minnesota and Wiggins, but unlikely.

If they let Wiggins play, there's still all possible outcomes (eliminated, qualifying, qualifying + Olympics, directly to Olympics), but they've let Wiggins decide his own destiny, and they've probably decreased the likelihood of him having an extra-heavy workload next summer.

[stretch]

What if Wiggins opts out this summer (possible), Corey Joseph and Tristan Thompson stay away due to free agent status (likely), Olynyk rests his weary ankles (hopefully not), and Trey Lyles is advised to stay out of FIBA basketball by his NBA team/agent as a freshly drafted lottery pick (probable).

There is still a great pool of Canadian talent out there.

Tyler Ennis, Nik Stauskas, and Dwight Powell may be unavailable for the Pan Am Games because it conflicts with NBA Summer League but they still could be involved in FIBA Americas.

Add NBAers Anthony Bennett, Andrew Nicholson, Robert Sacre and Joel Anthony....

and D Leaguers Khem Birch, Jordan Bachynski, and Sim Bhullar.

Plus Euro Leaguers Brady Heslip, Melvin Ejim, Levon Kendall, Andy Rautins, Carl English, Aaron Doornekamp, and Jermaine Anderson.

NCAA players Olivier Hanlan, Kevin Pangos, and Kyle Wiltjer.

Did I miss anyone?

Whatever happens the challenge for Jay Triano is putting the team together and making it work in short order.

[DogeLover1234]

I don't know why people feel like Wiggins is playing an incredible amount of minutes .. he's averaging 36.1 on the season .. Lebron hasn't averaged anywhere close to that until this year, his 12th in the league. LBJ averaged 39.5 as a rookie, and went on to average 42 minutes per night the next 2 seasons, and 40 for each of the 2 after that - and I'm pretty sure he represented the US at every opportunity he had.

As you can see from this list, Wiggins isn't the first Rookie to average 36+ minutes per game.

And yes, over the last 3 months he is averaging just over 38 minutes per game, but seeing from that list it still isn't unheard of; though it would put him in the same realm as John Wall, Blake Griffin, OJ Mayo (womp womp), Dame Lillard & just shy of guys like Shane Battier (LOL).

Wiggins has played the most minutes of any player this season. Also add in the fact that since a young age he has been playing year round with AAU, tournaments and camps, and thats a lot of strain. I bet he hasn't had a summer to rest and get better at his game in a while. I don't think any of those guys were asked to carry their national team in their first NBA off season, not entirely sure though.

Maybe I'm just scared by guys like Jabari Parker, Julius Randle and Joel Embiid, but it seems like these young guys need more rest, especially in Wiggins' case where he played the most minutes of any player in the NBA.

I also just think that he could improve his game so much more by siting out for one summer and then be much better for future years of international play.

[Scraptor]

This article by Jordan's trainer Tim Grover really changed my perspective on the importance of players getting adequate time for rest and recovery. I'm not saying Wiggins shouldn't play for Team Canada, only that we should be understanding if he doesn't.
http://www.si.com/edge/2014/12/18/wh...ere-arent-more

[guyroch]

Like all young guys he should take the first two of summers off of international play and work on his body and his skills.

Will pay dividends three years down the line when he plays in the NBA and in international

You can't develop your skills by playing international ball ? The first two summers and your playing for the Wolves means your already starting your summer off in mid April .. That is close to 6 months off ...

Steve Nash played from age 18 to close to 30 years old and he attriubutes alot of his NBA sucess to those years playing for Canada .. This isn't year early 2000's team Canada ... We are deep and won't ask Wiggins to play full time minutes in his first summer playing for team Canada ..

[guyroch]

What if Wiggins opts out this summer (possible), Corey Joseph and Tristan Thompson stay away due to free agent status (likely), Olynyk rests his weary ankles (hopefully not), and Trey Lyles is advised to stay out of FIBA basketball by his NBA team/agent as a freshly drafted lottery pick (probable).

There is still a great pool of Canadian talent out there.

Tyler Ennis, Nik Stauskas, and Dwight Powell may be unavailable for the Pan Am Games because it conflicts with NBA Summer League but they still could be involved in FIBA Americas.

Add NBAers Anthony Bennett, Andrew Nicholson, Robert Sacre and Joel Anthony....

and D Leaguers Khem Birch, Jordan Bachynski, and Sim Bhullar.

Plus Euro Leaguers Brady Heslip, Melvin Ejim, Levon Kendall, Andy Rautins, Carl English, Aaron Doornekamp, and Jermaine Anderson.

NCAA players Olivier Hanlan, Kevin Pangos, and Kyle Wiltjer.

Did I miss anyone?

Whatever happens the challenge for Jay Triano is putting the team together and making it work in short order.

How many nations will be sending their A team to the Pam Am games ? I say few to none ... The Pan Am games should be used as a development camp and anybody who excells should get an invite to the main camp ..

This new generation of Canadians so much needs some international success as a group together .. It is good to have a good team on paper but more good to have chemistry and confidence you will win ...

[Primer]

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/2015...ball-in-canada

Most important quote from the article:

Wiggins sounded intent on learning more. Having played for the Canadian junior teams in 2010 and 2012, Wiggins plans to play in July for his native country in the Pan-Am Games in Toronto in hopes of Canada qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

“That’s my plan,” Wiggins said. “Hopefully I can do it.”

[Joey]

Most important quote from the article:

Wiggins sounded intent on learning more. Having played for the Canadian junior teams in 2010 and 2012, Wiggins plans to play in July for his native country in the Pan-Am Games in Toronto in hopes of Canada qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

“That’s my plan,” Wiggins said. “Hopefully I can do it.”

Do the Pan-Am games offer any Qualification possibilities toward the Olympics?

[octothorp]

What if Wiggins opts out this summer (possible), Corey Joseph and Tristan Thompson stay away due to free agent status (likely), Olynyk rests his weary ankles (hopefully not), and Trey Lyles is advised to stay out of FIBA basketball by his NBA team/agent as a freshly drafted lottery pick (probable).

There is still a great pool of Canadian talent out there.

Tyler Ennis, Nik Stauskas, and Dwight Powell may be unavailable for the Pan Am Games because it conflicts with NBA Summer League but they still could be involved in FIBA Americas.

Add NBAers Anthony Bennett, Andrew Nicholson, Robert Sacre and Joel Anthony....

and D Leaguers Khem Birch, Jordan Bachynski, and Sim Bhullar.

Plus Euro Leaguers Brady Heslip, Melvin Ejim, Levon Kendall, Andy Rautins, Carl English, Aaron Doornekamp, and Jermaine Anderson.

NCAA players Olivier Hanlan, Kevin Pangos, and Kyle Wiltjer.

Did I miss anyone?

Whatever happens the challenge for Jay Triano is putting the team together and making it work in short order.

I think you can add Devoe and Kris Joseph as Euro-leaguers who could play. Xavier Rathan Mayes, Justin Edwards, Duane Notice for NCAA players. Phillip Scrubb will definitely be in the mix. Even a couple young guys like Gill-Ceasar or Murray might get a spot, though more as understudies as opposed to likely players.

Right now I'd put our depth chart at

Olynyk, Sacre, Bachynski, Birch, Anthony, Bullar
Thompson, Nicholson, Kendall, Bennett, Wiltjer, Powell, Lyles
Wiggins, Doornekamp, Ejim, K.Joseph,
Stauskas, Heslip, English, D. Joseph, Hanlan, Rautins
C.Joseph, Anderson, Ennis, Pangos, Scrubb

Even if the top 5 or so guys are out, it's still one of the deepest teams that Canada has ever put together, and those euro-league guys holding major roles on the team isn't a bad thing when you're trying to get the NBA/NCAA guys playing FIBA rules.

[octothorp]

Do the Pan-Am games offer any Qualification possibilities toward the Olympics?

None at all.
Top 2 teams from FIBA Americas qualify. I believe the 3rd, 4th, 5th place teams qualify for the World Qualifying Tournament next summer, where the top 3 teams advance to the Olympics. Those are the only two paths for Canada to get to the Olympics.

[Joey]

None at all.

Didn't think so. Regardless, would still be nice for our boys to experience some level of Success. Especially here in their back yard.

[raptors999]

I think you can add Devoe and Kris Joseph as Euro-leaguers who could play. Xavier Rathan Mayes, Justin Edwards, Duane Notice for NCAA players. Phillip Scrubb will definitely be in the mix. Even a couple young guys like Gill-Ceasar or Murray might get a spot, though more as understudies as opposed to likely players.

Right now I'd put our depth chart at

Olynyk, Sacre, Bachynski, Birch, Anthony, Bullar
Thompson, Nicholson, Kendall, Bennett, Wiltjer, Powell, Lyles
Wiggins, Doornekamp, Ejim, K.Joseph,
Stauskas, Heslip, English, D. Joseph, Hanlan, Rautins
C.Joseph, Anderson, Ennis, Pangos, Scrubb

Even if the top 5 or so guys are out, it's still one of the deepest teams that Canada has ever put together, and those euro-league guys holding major roles on the team isn't a bad thing when you're trying to get the NBA/NCAA guys playing FIBA rules.

Scrubbing is fifth on the depth chart 😆

[blackjitsu]

No way Scrubb is available. He HAS to go to Summer League. He's the one player dependent on SL for a potential job. He will not get drafted.

[stretch]

Most important quote from the article:

Wiggins sounded intent on learning more. Having played for the Canadian junior teams in 2010 and 2012, Wiggins plans to play in July for his native country in the Pan-Am Games in Toronto in hopes of Canada qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

“That’s my plan,” Wiggins said. “Hopefully I can do it.”

That is a side step of a very direct question. Wiggins is giving himself some wiggle room with his answer. The reporter inferred that qualifications are at stake at the Pan Am Games. He is confused.