FIBA hoops primer for Canadian fans
The FIBA Americas Championship, the tournament that will determine which countries on this side of the Atlantic Ocean qualify for the men’s basketball tournament at next year’s Summer Olympics, starts on Monday in Mexico City. Canada plays its first game on Tuesday, against Argentina. Here is what you need to know about the tournament:
WHAT IS THE FIBA AMERICAS CHAMPIONSHIP?
The tournament, consisting of 10 teams in North, South and Central America, has traditionally been held every two years. It has also served as a qualification tournament for the Olympics and World Cup, formerly known as the World Championships. It will no longer be used as a qualifier starting in 2017, as FIBA changes its tournament schedules. It will now be held only once every four years.
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Argentina and Venezuela will join Canada in Group B. Defending champions Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Dominican Republic and Panama are in Group A. Brazil has already qualified for the Olympics as hosts. The top two finishers excluding Brazil will automatically qualify for Rio. The next three teams will advance to one of three last-chance qualification tournaments next summer with countries that fail to qualify at their respective tournaments this summer. The winner of each of those three tournaments will advance to the Olympics, but that will likely be a tougher road for Canada than the FIBA Americas Championship.
The United States, as defending World Cup champions, have already qualified for the Olympics, and are not competing in the FIBA Americas. The Canadian women’s team won their FIBA Americas tournament earlier in August in Edmonton, qualifying for the Olympics.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH THE CANADIAN TEAM?
The Canadian men’s team has not participated in the Olympics since 2000, when Steve Nash was the star and Jay Triano was coach. That team won its preliminary round group, beating heavy group favourites Yugoslavia in the process, before losing to France in the quarter-finals. Nash is now the general manager of the team, and one of his first moves when he took over was to re-hire Triano. In the last FIBA Americas, Canada won four of its first five games, before losing its final three to finish sixth, failing to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.
There are some holdovers from that team — notably offensive focal points Cory Joseph and Andrew Nicholson. However, the biggest name on this year’s team is making his debut for the Canadian men’s senior team. After years of seeing Canada’s best players commit to the program inconsistently, Andrew Wiggins, the reigning NBA rookie of the year, will suit up for Canada. His ability to lead this team will be the largest story for Canada during the tournament.
Seven other NBA players join him: Joseph, Nicholson, Minnesota’s Anthony Bennett, Boston’s Kelly Olynyk, Dallas’s Dwight Powell, the Lakers’ Robert Sacre and Philadelphia’s Nik Stauskas. In addition, forward Melvin Ejim will attend training camp with the Orlando Magic.
No other competing team will touch Canada’s NBA credentials. In the Tuto Marchand Cup, a warmup tournament held this past week in Puerto Rico, Canada went 4-0, beating Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic and the hosts.
SO CANADA SHOULD CRUISE TO ONE OF THE TWO QUALIFYING SPOTS, RIGHT?
No. Well, maybe not. Money, injuries and other complications will always keep Canada from having every one of its best players available in the summer, just as it is for other countries. This summer is no different.
Tristan Thompson, still a restricted free agent, will not be in Mexico. Neither will Milwaukee point guard Tyler Ennis (shoulder surgery) nor Pan Am Games star Jamal Murray (who could not miss any more school and remain eligible at Kentucky). That leaves Canada with questions behind Joseph at point guard and beyond Nicholson, Bennett and Olynyk up front. However, the absences are at the positions of greatest development for Canada.
Beyond that, the team is young. At 29, Aaron Doornekamp is the closest thing to a program veteran, and he will likely not fill a big role for this team. Nicholson, 25, and Joseph, 24, are the key players with the most international experience. While many players have played together and for Triano before, the team’s cohesion will be a work in progress. If everything goes well, Canada will play 10 games in 12 days in Mexico. It is a grind, and you can never know how players who have not competed in such an environment will react.
WHO ARE THE MAIN COMPETITORS FOR THE TWO SPOTS?
It is easy to list off the normally elite teams, but it must be pointed out that Mexico came out of nowhere to win the tournament the last time around. As tournament hosts, they have an advantage this time around, too. Argentina is fading, but still has Canadian tormentor (and new Toronto Raptor) Luis Scola. Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Dominican Republic all finished ahead of Canada in 2013. Of the 10 teams, only Cuba and Panama can be counted out for the top two spots.
We have been talking about the emerging Canadian talent for years now, and that group figures to peak in time for the 2020 Olympics, not 2016. Nonetheless, with the United States and Brazil not factors, and a deep, if young, team, Canada does not just need to hope anymore. In Mexico, they should expect to qualify for next summer’s Games.