Canada loses NBA star power
Reinforcements on board for Cup qualifier in Chile with training camps near
It will be a far different Canadian team that takes the court Monday in Chile — to continue qualification for the 2019 FIBA World Cup of basketball — than the one that beat Brazil in Laval, Que. on Thursday.
Gone are all four players with NBA contracts, replaced by a group of mainly European pros for the second of six games in the second round of the qualifying process.
Only Justin Jackson, a second-round pick whose rights are owned by the Orlando Magic, remains among players with NBA ties from the team that played less than a week ago.
The roster includes national team veterans Joel Anthony, Brady Heslip, Melvin Ejim and Kyle Landry along with Trae Bell-Haynes, Manny Diressa, Joel Friesen, Kaza KajamiKeane, Duane Notice and Dyshawn Pierre.
NBAers Cory Joseph, Kelly Olynyk, Tristan Thompson and Khem Birch have decided not to play Monday after leading Canada over Brazil on Thursday. The timing — a 15-hour travel day with the opening of NBA training camps approaching — has taken them out of consideration.
Venezuela moved atop the qualifying group with a 79-78 overtime win over Dominican Republic at home on Sunday — ahead of 6-1 Canada, 6-2 Brazil and 5-3 Dominican Republic. Chile is 1-6 and all but out of contention for a world championship berth.
The group that includes Canada and Chile was thrown for a bit of a loop Sunday when U.S. Virgin Islands, citing travel woes, failed to show for a game in Brazil. FIBA ruled that Brazil would be awarded a 20-0 win under forfeit rules that might have a bearing on a points-differential tiebreaker when group play is completed.
What’s more important is what further sanctions might be in store for the Virgin Islands, which had a 2-5 record before giving up Sunday’s game.
Canada, Venezuela, Brazil and Dominican Republic are going to battle for the top three spots — and automatic berths in the World Cup — and the Virgin Islands still has games remaining at home against Venezuela, Brazil and Chile (as well as a road game at Chile) to round out the second qualification round.