Hoops: Canada’s roster lacks superstars

There is some star power missing from the Canadian men’s basketball team for the Pan Am Games but the long-term benefits to having youngsters play at home may make the endeavour worthwhile.

To the surprise of no one, recognizable NBA names like Andrew Wiggins, Tristan Thompson, Kelly Olynyk and Cory Joseph are not among the 16 players vying for a dozen Pan Am Games spots.

Instead, a group that includes seasoned veterans like Carl English, Jermaine Anderson and Aaron Doornekamp will lead a mixture of proven international players and youngsters still getting used to the FIBA game.

The fact is, in order of importance, the Pan Am Games pale in comparison to the 2016 Olympic qualification tournament later this summer in Mexico. The event at Toronto’s Mattamy Centre this month is significant because it is at home and it is a proving ground for the future.

“I think what this will allow some of the players on this roster to do is showcase what they can do and vie for a spot on that qualifying team,” head coach Jay Triano said on a conference call.

Teenagers Jamal Murray of Kitchener and Dillon Brooks of Mississauga are among the camp invitees, along with senior team veterans and NBAers like Anthony Bennett and Andrew Nicholson.

Triano said the team that tries to earn an Olympic berth in Mexico could look vastly different than the one at the Pan Am Games from July 21-25.

Wiggins and Olynyk are being held out at the request of their NBA employers (“They said . . . yeah, you could play but not all summer”) while the likes of Thompson and Joseph are uninsurable because they don’t have NBA deals. Kids like Nik Stauskas, Dwight Powell, Brady Heslip, Kevin Pangos and Olivier Hanlan are going to be playing the NBA summer league.

“We don’t want to take away their opportunity to earn a living or chase a dream of playing in the NBA,” Triano said.

Much of the Canadian focus will be on Bennett, the former No. 1 NBA pick whose career has certainly not taken off. With Canada, though, he’s proven to be dominant in international play, and Triano thinks this could jump start him.

“I really have a lot of confidence in him. I think he’s had a bunch of bad breaks,” Triano said. “I think the Pan Am Games in his country and in his city will be something that give him confidence to show what he can do.

“We expect a lot out of him. He’ll be one of the leaders on our team.”