Guarded sense of optimism
Pangos and Nembhard click in friendly against one of Canada’s key rivals
It will be more than shot-making and ball movement and defensive schemes that will lead to whatever success Canada has in the intense and brief international basketball season.
It will be cohesion and confidence and belief in themselves, all traits that were fully on display in Perth, Australia, on Friday as the senior men opened their final World Cup preparation tour with an impressive performance.
Led by a backcourt that had never played together before, and putting aside any concerns about who isn’t with the team, Canada registered a wire-towire 90-70 win over the Australia Boomers to begin a fivegame exhibition tour.
Kevin Pangos, who plays at the highest level of the European game with Barcelona, and Andrew Nembhard, the teenager about to enter his sophomore season at Florida, combined for 30 points, 10 assists and 12 rebounds to lead Canada to the win.
“We got along pretty well out there,” said Pangos, who led a balanced Canadian offence with 18 points. “I think a group like this, when we’re playing that hard like that, it makes up for a lot of mistakes and that’s what Coach (Nick Nurse) has been preaching: play hard and aggressive, play with confidence. And I think we did a good job of that tonight.
“There’s definitely still room for growth and that’s a positive for sure.”
It’s absurd to read too much into one exhibition game, when every team tends to hold a few things back. And with Canada and Australia due to meet in the first game of the World Cup — a vital Sept.1 meeting that could conceivably mean the difference between advancing out of the first round or not — there were some schemes and plays that both teams held back. Australia, which got 20 points from Patty Mills, played without centre Aron Baynes. Canada sat out Melvin Ejim and Brady Heslip, two key members of the team.
But winning beats losing and the confidence Canada will have gained from such an impressive debut will do wonders for the team’s collective psyche. And it will give Nurse plenty of fodder for figuring out just what he’s got for when the games really matter.
“One of the things I preach (to) all teams I coach is we have to go out and try the best we can and when that’s over with, we try to learn from it, try not to get too high or too low,” Nurse said in a post-game press conference.
“If (the result) had been the other way around, I would hope I wouldn’t be feeling much different. It’s a learning stage for us and each game is until you get a little further down the line.”
One thing Canada did learn is that the 19-year-old Nembhard will not get the least bit rattled by any level of competition. The teen finished with 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds in 27 minutes.
“I feel like I’m supposed to be here and I feel real comfortable on the court,” Nembhard said. “My teammates lift me up so much so I’m just excited to be out there.”
That kind of discovery, of who can play what role and alongside which teammates, will be the most important part of the pre-World Cup tour. Canada plays Australia again Saturday (5:30 a.m. ET, livestreamed on CBC), faces New Zealand twice and the United States once next week before heading to China and the World Cup.
“I think chemistry is an elusive thing so I’m happy that we’ve been able to get some,” Nurse said. “Some of these guys, most of them, have played in some form of window or national team basketball together so there is more history than just 10 days, but I’m new. I’m still trying to learn them and they’re trying to learn me a little bit, so I think it was nice to have a good, I thought, chemistry at both ends.”