CANADA’S EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES COULD MEAN NBA PLAYERS GET CUT

from Europe, coming that distance, knowing the outcome is already determined.”

Canada’s last World Cup appearance was a woeful, winless, first- round exit in 2010 in Turkey. Canada’s only players with NBA experience were Joel Anthony and Andy Rautins.

Even the Canadian team that made it to the quarterfinals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics had just two NBA players in Steve Nash and Todd MacCulloch.

International basketball hasn’t been kind to Canada’s senior men’s team recently. The women’s team qualified for the past two Olympics, making it as far as the quarter-finals in both. And Canada captured its first world basketball title when the under-19 men’s team won gold in 2017.

When Nash was named general manager of Canada’s men’s program in 2012, Barrett recalled the two- time NBA MVP telling him it might take six to eight years for Canada to climb up the global basketball ranks.

“Not that anybody was listening,” Barrett said with a laugh. “There was a euphoria and an excitement. But Steve did say it could take six to eight years to build up, because our players were so young.

“I think in 2015 when we put our team on the floor (for Olympic qualifying), our team on average was maybe 21- years- old, our starting group, and that’s generally not a recipe for winning basketball in FIBA. But they were some of the best players that we had, and they needed those experiences, so we went that way.”

Canada didn’t qualify for the Rio Olympics, crumbling in the FIBA Americas qualifying tournament final against Venezuela in Mexico. They travelled to the Philippines for a last-chance qualifier, narrowly losing to France.

“No w t h o s e 2 1- a n d - 22-year-olds are older, more experienced, more years of playing professionally, they have their games in hand, they’re confident,” Barrett said. “So now with more experience in FIBA ( international competition), and more players to draw on, and now that we’re moving into 2019-2020, we should see greater success.”

The Canadian men’s team will spend most of August together before the World Cup, Aug. 31 to Sept. 15 in China. How many players will be invited to camp is still to be determined. And while Canada had 14 players on NBA opening-night rosters this season, it’s a good bet Canada’s World Cup roster won’t be an all-NBA lineup. It will be who fits where, with everything from international experience, chem- istry, and a willingness to put aside ego, all factored in.

Other factors: Who’ll be healthy? A couple of players are recovering from significant injuries. Who’ll be available? Will Rowan’s son and Duke star freshman R. J., along with Canada’s other top NCAA talent, be given the green light from their NBA teams two months after they’re drafted? Who’ll commit to spending a good chunk of the summer with the program?

Here’s a look at who Canada could have to draw from to build its 12- man roster this summer:

❚ Guards: Cory Joseph (Indiana Pacers), Shai GilgeousAlexander (Los Angeles Clippers); Kevin Pangos (FC Barcelona); Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets); Phil Scrubb (Zenit Saint Petersburg); Nik Stauskas ( Cleveland Cavaliers).

❚ For wards: R. J. Barrett (Duke Blue Devils); Melvin Ejim ( BC UNICS); Andrew Wiggins (Minnesota Timberwolves); Dillon Brooks (Memphis Grizzlies); Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks).

❚ Centres: Kelly Olynyk ( M i a m i He a t ) ; Tr i s t a n Thompson (Cleveland Cavaliers).

Other players who could get a look:

Trey Lyles (Denver); Chris Boucher ( Toronto Raptors); Thomas Scrubb ( Pallacanestro Varese); Aaron Best (Riesen Ludwigsburg), Joel Anthony ( San Lorenzo), Nickeil Alexander-Walker ( Virginia Tech), Brandon Clarke (Gonzaga), Anthony Bennett (Agua Caliente).