Canada National Team

[Kings]

2003 - 11.1ppg, 2.9rpg, 6.6apg.

[mvblair]

Guys, what's with the talk about Nash being old? He's not a spring chicken anymore, but he's still one of the best guards on the planet.

I believe with Nash and Maglorie we would be a very competitive national team with 4 NBA players and a number of players with solid European experience.

Put those guys and then Canada will have an NT that looks incredible. They could really compete.

But I'm glad we are building for the future with our young team, Canada basketball realizes they need programs in place to train the athletes in this country so we can catch up to other nations.

Like a lot of countries, Canada has a great basketball future. If they can get all of those kids in Europe to keep coming back and play with the NT, year in and year out, they'll develop rather well.

And even right now, I don't think the NT looks that bad. They've got a great NBA center in Dalembert to anchor the middle, Rautins and Mendez are good now, and Brown is a nice athlete. Fill in some hustle players and that looks real good.

[damelo]

Don't forget Carl English, he can play. He is just puting up 14ppg in ACB for the 9th team, and a final8 team in ULEB. I think Gran Canaria got beat by Spanish team anyway, so nothing un honorable...

[ajaxballer]

Canada's National team just got a boost, Rowan Barrett has decided to join the team. Back when Canada actually qualified for the Olympics he was our leading scorer and should have been in the NBA IMO. I hope if we can some how qualify to the Olympics Nash will join the team.

http://basketball.ca/en/hm/inside.php?sid=1&id=2066

[Khalid80]

So do u guys think Lebanon has a chance of beating Canada in their friendly games at the end of this month? (Lebanon has defeated Canada twice in the friendly games before the World Championships in Japan)
If Maglore, Dalembert and Anthony are going to play then I personally think that we don't have a chance (I'm not considering Nash cuz Nash is to Canada as Nowitzki is to Germany; an awesome player who can change the whole team)

[ajaxballer]

I did some research and the Canadian team that Lebanon beat in 2006 was much weaker than the team we have now. We didn't have Dalembert, Denham Brown, Olu Famutimi, Juan Mendez and Rowan Barrett.

Lebanon has had some big upsets in the past so it should be a competitive game.

[Kings]

Game 1 - Box Score

[JGX]

Canada beats New Zealand 90-63 in the second game. Barrett scored 19 (5-8 on three-pointers), and Levon Kendall had 16. Dalembert only played a few minutes (resting him?) but it sounds like Kendall played well in his absence.

Penney had 26 for NZ but didn't get much help.

[DJE]

Kings, you got a box score for NZ getting beaten by Canada? Not the result I was after, but heck when the team still treats Pero Cameron as a superstar, not much is going to change...
Anyhow, why you all beating up on Nash, is he skipping to Olympics totally, or just qualifying? Man I wish NZ had a player as good as Delambert ...

[Kings]

Game 2 - Box Score

[Federoy]

Rautins slams officiating after Canada loss

Rautins slams officiating after Canada loss
The Canadian Press
7/11/2008 6:25:01 PM

Text SizeMANNHEIM, Germany - If every game is a learning experience for Canada's men's basketball team, Friday's loss to Germany was a lesson in questionable officiating, according to coach Leo Rautins.

The Canadians fell 84-74 to Germany to split their two-game exhibition series. It was Canada's final game before the team opens the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament Tuesday in Athens, Greece.

"Everything you could imagine happened," Rautins said in a conference call after the game. "I've never seen more travel calls in a game in my life against us, blocks. . . All I can say is I'm just going to tell you what was told to me by German officials, the head of the scorers table told me it was an embarrassment. That kind of sums it up."

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points to lead Germany for the second straight game, while Jan-Hendrik Jagla chipped in with 12 points and nine rebounds.

Philadelphia 76ers centre Samuel Dalembert led the way for the Canadians with 12 points and eight rebounds while starting point guard Jermaine Anderson shot 4-for-6 from the field, including three three-pointers to finish with 11 points and two assists.

"They battled through absolutely everything that could be thrown at them, and they still made it a competitive game where they were actually within striking distance with a few minutes to go until it was decided by factors outside of the players on the floor," Rautins said.

Canada's frontcourt found itself in foul trouble for much of the match, with Dalembert, Rans Brempong and Levon Kendall fouling out of the game. Miami Heat forward Joel Anthony finished with four fouls.

"At times it's kind of demoralizing because you're fighting hard and you're trying to get a rebound and the ref's calling a foul," Anderson said. "But it's something that you have to fight through, especially for guys like Sam and Joel, who play in the NBA and are not used to refs cheating and things like that.

"It's a learning experience for pretty much everybody."

Rautins divided the playing time, with eight players logging 10 minutes or more for the Canadians.

Rautins' son Andy sat out the game to rest a jammed thumb suffered in the team's previous meeting with Germany - a 91-86 Canadian victory on Wednesday.

Rautins said forward Jesse Young likely won't play at all in the Olympic qualifying tournament due a severe charley-horse.

"He'll be on the team going to China, but right now I don't think he's going to be able to play (in Greece)," Rautins said.

Aaron Doornekamp has taken Young's place in the lineup.

Germany's newest import, Los Angeles Clippers centre Chris Kaman, did not play.

The Canadians were scheduled to travel to Athens on Saturday. They open the 12-country last chance qualifying tournament Tuesday against Slovenia. South Korea is also in their pool.

Canada must finish top-three to earn its berth Olympic berth since a seventh-place finish at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Looks like the Canadians were victimized by biased officiating.

[JGX]

But it's something that you have to fight through, especially for guys like Sam and Joel, who play in the NBA and are not used to refs cheating and things like that.

[Juan Carlos Nadal]

In a recent interview alongside his dad Andy Rautins claimed that if he had to pick a favorite for the qualification to the Olympics he would have chosen Canada. Easy on the maple syrup dude! Have you watched any international ball recently, or perhaps, ever? My question would be, how confident are the Canadian team for this event? What are the expectations back home?

[dreamwalker]

Slovenia Slaughter Canada

FIBA - News

ATHENS (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men) - Slovenia sent out a loud message about their intentions of claiming a spot at the Beijing Games with an 86-70 rout of Canada on the second day of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens.



Jaka Lakovic poured in 16 of his game-high 19 points in the first quarter and Slovenia shut down Canada to earn a place in the quarter-finals.

Canada, who got 16 points from veteran guard Rowan Barrett, must now beat Korea on Wednesday to clinch the other last-eight place that goes to Group C.

"We still have the goal in front of us, it's still achievable," Barrett said.

"We just have to regroup, stay positive and come and get the win tomorrow."

Slovenia trailed 15-9 just past the midway point of the opening quarter but finished the frame with a 27-22 lead.

They led by as many as nine in the second quarter before taking a 41-34 lead to half-time.

By the end of the third quarter, Slovenia had extended their advantage to 64-49 and there was no way back for their opponents, with Pipan's team putting the clamps on the Canadian shooters.

Canada were just four of 13 from long range and 20 of 47 inside the arc.

"A lot of their game is based on outside shots, so we were really focused on not letting them get into a comfort zone," Slovenia captain Rasho Nesterovic said.

Meanwhile, Slovenia gave Canada fits with their pick-and-roll and constant ball movement.

Nesterovic is hoping that there will be no doubters in Slovenia, now. The national team won three games at the Alpos Cup in Maribor and have now clinched two straight wins in Athens.

"Every year, we have a better and better group of guys, and it's much easier to play when you have 12 guys who are willing to do something that is needed to reach our goal," Nesterovic said.

"We need to forget these two games, though. This was our goal, but now we have to get ready for Friday."

Canada must get ready for Korea.

"We have a few new components in our team, but I think we're better than what we showed today," Barrett said.

Slovenia were so good on Tuesday that Lakovic, the Barcelona point guard, only played close to 21 minutes.

Sani Becirovic is the other veteran playmaker in the team and he had 15 points.

Everyone was outstanding at the line, with Lakovic a perfect eight of eight and Becirovic 11 of 11.

Nesterovic had 14 points and nine rebounds while Uros Slokar scored 10 and grabbed five boards.

Ales Pipan got a huge lift from his bench, with Emir Preldzic showing his great promise with eight points.

Canada played a lousy game without Steve Nash in the team and it was a sleeper. They need to play better against the South Koreans.

[ajaxballer]

Wow, Canada got a close victory over Korea lol. I was so scared Korea would pull off the upset, it shows you can't take any team lightly.