National hoops team an intriguing mix of talent

TORONTO — Finally, on the 10th day of official competition, the men’s basketball tournament will begin Tuesday at the Pan American Games. The Canadian team will start its quest for gold against the Dominican Republic at 3 p.m.

It is a tournament short on NBA players and stakes.

Yet, it remains intriguing if you are interested in the Canadian program’s growth.

“We’ve got a unique roster,” head coach Jay Triano said Monday.

“It’s one of the first times that a lot of these players have played on the senior national team.”

Here are five things to monitor about the Canadian team as the tournament progresses:

Gauging Triano’s style of play

Since Triano got his old job back as head coach in 2012, he has spoken of his desire to take advantage of Canada’s emerging depth. He wants to play lots of players and he wants to play fast.

Will Bennett be better?

In 2013-14, Anthony Bennett had just about the worst rookie year a first-overall pick could have. He struggled with injuries, conditioning problems and shooting woes. He was traded to Minnesota along with Andrew Wiggins, where he suffered another disappointing year.

Looking for bigs to step up

This is a team without an established centre, unless you count 7-foot-5 Sim Bhullar. Bennett and forward Andrew Nicholson will be an interesting pair, and the two NBA players have not played together for Canada before.

New blood on the horizon

Jamal Murray was the most valuable player at the Nike Hoop Summit and at 6-foot-5 with great instincts is a likely future NBA first-round pick. He turned 18 in February. This is the first time Murray will be playing with senior players internationally.

Who is heading to Mexico?

The team that competes for an Olympic berth at the FIBA Americas tournament in Mexico will rely heavily on Wiggins and Corey Joseph. Their fellow NBAers Kelly Olynyk, Nik Stauskas and Tristan Thompson should also be involved. Still, there’s plenty of room for more.