CANADA FACING COMPLICATED PATH TO TOKYO
NBA playoffs likely to determine who's available for national squad
It's always a roll of the dice, and then some, with Canadian basketball.
Trying to figure out who will play for Team Canada. Trying to determine who wants to play. Trying to know whether there will be a Summer Olympics in late July, and whether Canada can, in fact, qualify in early July for that opportunity.
There are all kinds of complications, as usual, and Glen Grunwald, the former Toronto Raptors general manager, understands all of these winding roads. He heads up Canada Basketball, which used to be called Basketball Canada. And he was happy to learn the other day, as most of us were, that the new NBA season will start again in late December and they will play a 72-game season, and the playoffs will likely carry into the second week of July. Just before the Olympics in Tokyo are set to begin.
Playoffs will start in mid-May, a month before the Olympic qualifying tournament is scheduled to be held in Victoria. There, six teams will play for one spot. Not knowing what his team will look like, Grunwald hopes to be last man standing in the B.C. capital.
But it's always a balancing act, putting national teams together, and putting them together in this kind of time frame, this close to the Olympics, while the NBA playoffs are going on, with the uncertainty of COVID-19, all of
these challenging circumstances.
Nick Nurse is the national team coach. He may or may not be available to coach in Victoria because of his responsibilities with the Raptors. Should the Raptors advance to the second round of the playoffs or beyond that, the odds are Nurse won't be able to coach Team Canada.
If the Raptors go out in the second round, there's a good chance Nurse would be available to coach Team Canada in Victoria starting on June 29. If he's not available, his assistant Gord Herbert, will take over the reins. Much like Nurse, Herbert has been coaching all over the world for the past 26 years.
The question, as always, is who will be playing.
The Canadian dream team's starting backcourt, if there is such a thing, would have Jamal Murray and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Murray plays for Denver. Gilgeous-Alexander plays for Oklahoma City. Both have expressed an interest in playing for Canada; in fact, Murray was recruiting players last summer.
But it's impossible for any of us to know where the Nuggets or the Thunder will be next June, in the playoffs or out. We do know this: If that's the backcourt, it will be equal to or better than any other backcourt in the world, save for the Americans.
The NBA has been in touch with FIBA, the international governing body of basketball, as it has put its plans together for
a new season. FIBA has been in touch with Canada Basketball regarding its plans. There has been no shortage of meetings and preparation.
But understand this: It's been 20 years since a Canadian men's basketball team has qualified for an Olympic Games. Over the past two decades, the national talent pool has grown exponentially. What hasn't shrunk over those years: the great unknown as to who will play for Canada.
Will Murray be available? Will Gilgeous-Alexander be available? Does Andrew Wiggins want to play, and if he does, will Canada want him? What about the free agent Tristan Thompson, who was with Cleveland and will likely be playing elsewhere. In all, there were 22 Canadians on NBA rosters last season — many of them making a difference.
But what happens if few NBA players are available, or are injured, or don't choose to participate? This isn't like hockey, where before you ask for a player, he's already said yes. This is more of a finesse game, a challenge. But at least Grunwald is feeling somewhat relieved that he can still field a strong side, even if he can't get many NBA players to Victoria.
“We have a solid group of players in Europe and around the world,” he said. He then listed off Dylan Ennis, Melvin Ejim, Kevin Pangos, Kyle Wiltjer, all of whom have become significant figures in a variety of European leagues.
“You wouldn't believe how players watching The Last Dance (the Michael Jordan documentary series) got invigorated about international basketball,” said Grunwald. “We really appreciate what that (series) did for us. It got people excited about playing in the Olympics.”
If all the players were available, the national team would likely include Kelly Olynyk of the Miami Heat, Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke of the Memphis Grizzlies, Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks, the New York Knicks' R.J. Barrett, former Raptor Cory Joseph, Khem Birch of Orlando and possibly Raptors free agent Chris Boucher or Trey Lyles of the Utah Jazz.
“No matter what, we think we'll be able to field a pretty good team,” said Grunwald. “I'm pretty confident of that.”
The Olympic qualifying tournament features Greece, Turkey, Uruguay, China, Czech Republic and Canada in Victoria. Only one country advances to the Games. Canada plays China and Greece in its side of the round robin. That's Greece, likely without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“Bottom line, you've got to win your games,” said Grunwald. No matter who is playing for Canada.”