On the 2023 GLOBL JAM broadcast, Canada Basketball officially unveiled the training camp invites for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Jamal Murray
- Kelly Olynyk
- RJ Barrett
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- Dwight Powell
- Luguentz Dort
- Cory Joseph
- Zach Edey
- Melvin Ejim
- Kevin Pangos
- Oshae Brissett
- Dillon Brooks
- Kassius Robertson
- Kyle Alexander
- Phil Scrubb
- Thomas Scrubb
- Trae Bell-Haynes
This is a talented group of invites, with a strong representation from the Summer Core (13 out of 14 will attend training camp) and a good mix of Winter Core mainstays who are extremely familiar with the program. The training camp invitees and omissions are pretty in line with my expectations for this summer, so at least Canada Basketball is off to a good start with the 2023 WC campaign.
I do unfortunately have to warn you to not get too optimistic about Canada’s chances at the World Cup, at least not yet. Canada Basketball is notorious for having highly talented training camp invite lists, with only a few of the NBA guys actually showing up for training camp and even fewer playing in the actual games (see my review on Nick Nurse’s tenure as head coach if you don’t believe me). It remains to be seen if the Jordi Fernandez-led era will be any different. There’s been some reports that all 18 have fully committed to play in the World Cup, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
The plan is to open training camp with these 18 athletes in early August. Canada Basketball will then bring 16 players on their exhibition tour in Europe, before making the last round of cuts to get the final roster to 12.
Note: the final exhibition game has been changed to be against the Dominican Republic after Argentina failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup.
Compared to past World Cups, this 5 game exhibition campaign is on the shorter side. For the 2019 World Cup in China, Canada played a total of 7 exhibition games (2 in Canada and 5 in Australia). Developing chemistry and continuity is always important, but perhaps even more so with the new coaching hire. I’m hoping some type of exhibition/scrimmage is added to the schedule, whether it’s in Canada near the end of training camp, or in Jakarta, Indonesia right before group play starts.
Stay tuned, as I’ll have profiles and analysis on each player invited to training camp later this week, with a focus on how their individual strengths and weaknesses might fit on a final 12-man roster.
