2023 World Cup Preview: Training Camp Profiles

The Core Within the Core

Every team needs it’s primary offensive creators and for this edition of the SMNT, Canada Basketball is lucky enough to have 3 players who will carry the offensive burden at the World Cup. These 3 players will be Canada’s most important this summer, and are locks to make the team, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

• Position: Guard
• Height: 6’6″
• Hometown: Hamilton, Ontario

2022-2023 Stats: OKC Thunder

SMNT Highlight Performance: July 2, 2022 vs Dominican Republic (2023 World Cup Qualifiers)

SGA’s best performance with the Senior Men’s National Team came in last year’s FIBA World Cup Qualifier July window. In his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, SGA was dominant, leading Canada to a 95-75 win over the Dominican Republic. In 29 minutes of action, Shai recorded:

• 32 PTS
• 5 REB
• 5 AST
• 3 STL
• 2 BLK

SGA’s first taste of FIBA basketball last summer was a resounding success for him and Canada Basketball. Here’s to hoping that carries over to this summer at the 2023 World Cup

Standout Skill: Driving to the Rim

SGA’s dynamic offensive skillset starts and ends with his elite ability to generate paint touches and advantages for his team. Aided by his uncanny combination of physical tools (ankle flexibility, deceleration, length, balance, core strength etc.), incredibly secure ball handling and elite feel and craft (SGA’s seems to always have a counter move in his arsenal thanks to his elite proprioception), it is impossible to stop Shai from getting two feet into the paint. There is a reason he has led the NBA in drives per game in each of the past 3 seasons and Shai is already one of the most prolific drivers in NBA history, full stop.

When he does get to the rim, SGA makes it count. Over the past 3 seasons, he’s finished no lower than second in the whole league in terms of points scored per game off of drives. His length, touch and “slippery” movement allow him to creatively finish using a variety of shot types and angles. This past season, Shai also developed into one of the league’s best at drawing fouls. His free throw rate of 53.5% puts him in the 98th(!) percentile, and bumped his high volume scoring to 62.6% TS% (84th percentile). To put it clearly, SGA was one of the highest volume scorers in the NBA and somehow one of the most efficient at the same time.

This past season, Shai also developed a killer midrange pullup jumper as another counter for when defenses sell out to stop him from getting all the way to the rim. SGA shot 42.1% on 3.6 FGA, good for 0.84 PPP (which was actually a tick more efficient than Jamal Murray who shot 41.1% on 3.6 FGA!).

SGA’s drives create so much efficient offence, not just for himself, but also for his teammates. He’s constantly creating advantages, forcing teams to rotate and bring extra defenders to stop his forays into the paint. This opens up wide open catch and shoot 3’s and cutting/driving lanes for his teammates to attack. All this to say, Shai is a seriously elite offensive engine, and he will be the undisputed #1 option for Canada this summer.

Swing Skill: Defensive Focus

With the offensive burden Shai has carried for the Thunder over the past few seasons, his defense has understandably slipped. On the surface, SGA looks like an All-NBA level defender, averaging an insane 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks per game (a lot of these were the Fred VanVleet dig block type). The truth is Shai is much closer to being a negative defensively than a positive one. His footwork guarding the perimeter is lackluster and he struggles defending ultra quick guards and navigating screens.

That being said, Shai’s size and length give him a defensive playmaking potential that few guards can reach. His 3.7 deflections per 36 minutes ranked in the 95th percentile in the NBA last season and he was versatile enough to guard 1-3 consistently (73% of his possessions were matched up with these positions).

When Shai is engaged and giving extra effort on the defensive end, he legitimately looks like one of the best two-way players in the world. He’s been locked in desfensively for the SMNT in the few games he played in Qualifiers and if that effort level and focus continue this summer, I see no reason why he can’t finish on the FIBA World Cup All-Star 5 team by the end of the summer.

If you’re interested in learning more about SGA and his overall game, I highly recommend Hoop Venue’s player profile, where he ranked Shai as the #17th best player to build a championship contender.

Jamal Murray

• Position: Guard
• Height: 6’4″
• Hometown: Kitchener, Ontario

2023-2024 Stats: Denver Nuggets

SMNT Highly Performance: July 24th, 2015 vs USA (2015 Pan Am Games)

The one and only time Jamal Murray donned the red and white for the SMNT was during the 2015 Pan Am games hosted in Toronto. At the time, the 18-year old Murray was an incoming freshman at the University of Kentucky and the youngest player on the team. That didn’t stop him from having a signature Jamal Murray offensive explosion, something we’ve grown accustomed to with his performances in the NBA, in the semi-finals matchup against the USA. In 27 minutes of playing time Murray had:

• 22 PTS
• 4 REB
• 6 AST
• 50% 3P% (4-8)
• 44.4% FG% (8-18)

The crazy thing about this performance was Murray scored all 22 of his points in the 4th quarter and overtime. Just completely took over the game in the clutch and was the best player on the court, despite being the youngest.

Standout Skill: Shooting

“Flow”, a term coined by the incredibly talented scout PD Web, refers to a “player’s ability to shoot out of randomness (or more accurately) out of messiness”. “Flow” is incredibly important for a high usage creator, especially in high leverage games. The better the flow, the more resilient a player is to being shut down as they can rely on counters that other players cannot fathom, and still score at an efficient clip.

Combined with his truly elite shooting (off the catch, off movement and off the bounce), his creative and secure ball handling, and his incredible core strength and balance, Jamal Murray is the embodiment of “flow”. At this point in his career, there is no doubt that Jamal Murray rises to the occasion and consistently delivers in the playoffs. He’s comfortable hitting any off-balance, tightly contested shot, and it’s this resilience that has turned Murray into a 25.0 PPG scorer in his playoff career, on a ridiculously efficient 47.3%/40.4%/91.0% I might add.

Another reason his shooting is so valuable is it allows Murray to be effective without the ball in his hands. He’s always been a remarkable cutter and his shooting gravity is off the charts. The Nuggets often ran a “Rip DHO” set for Jamal Murray, weaponizing his movement shooting. All this to say, Murray is extremely portable as an offensive player, capable of scaling his usage up in spurts and scoring off of self-created pullup jumpers, while also scaling his usage down in other possessions and still be a dangerous offensive option. For this reason, I think his optimal role with the SMNT this summer is similar to the one he excels at with the Denver Nuggets. A secondary offensive creator who scores efficiently in every facet of the game.

Swing Skill: Defensive Focus

Throughout the Denver Nuggets 2023 Championship run, we saw Jamal Murray’s defensive effort and focus swing from clutch “win the game” good to unacceptably bad, and back and forth multiple times. Murray’s true defensive value is definitely somewhere in the middle of that spectrum, but the fatigue his body has been through last season has me slightly concerned for Murray’s defense at the 2023 World Cup. Whether it was a lack of focus, poor effort, fatigue, or physical disadvantages (size and strength), Murray had quite a few defensive breakdowns in the 2023 playoffs.

Given the amount of high-leverage basketball he’s played in Denver, I trust Murray to be an impactful team defender, as long as he is focused. He made some huge defensive plays in rotation during the Championship run and that’s all I’m asking for at the World Cup. Be early and solid off-ball and compete on-ball against bigger players.

Again, Hoop Venue did a fantastic deep dive on Jamal Murray’s 2023 campaign.

Kelly Olynyk

• Position: F/C
• Height: 6’11”
• Hometown: Kamloops, British Columbia

2022-2023 Stats: Utah Jazz

SMNT Highlight Performance: September 15th, 2015 vs Venezuela (2015 FIBA AmeriCup)

In one of the most agonizing and gut-wrenching losses in program history, Canada fell to Venezuela 79-78 in the Semi-Finals of the 2015 AmeriCup. With the crushing loss, Canada failed to directly qualify for the 2016 Olympics, a trend that would continue on to the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.

To make matters even worse, the way Canada lost was incredibly heartbreaking and frustrating. Aaron Doornekamp was whistled for a loose ball foul with about 0.03 seconds left in the game which led to 2 free throws for Venezuela. After a make and an intentional miss, Canada’s Olympic chances were ruined.

The lone bright spot from that loss in 2015 was Kelly Olynyk’s masterful performance. I truly believe in the “FIBA Olynyk” phenomenon, and this game is a big reason why. In 36 minutes of play time Olynyk recorded a statline of:

• 34 PTS
• 13 REB
• 2 AST
• 75% 3P% (3-4)
• 84.6% FG% (11-13)

What should have been a defining and iconic performance, was unfortunately wasted away.

Standout Skill(s): Movement Shooting & Passing

So what makes Olynyk so special? Well, his blend of movement shooting and passing ability is a rare combination, especially when considering his size. Olynyk has been a sharp shooter from 3 for the majority of his career and he’s so much more than a stationary stretch big. In fact, he’s comfortable hitting relocation 3’s and even coming off pindowns and DHO’s (which Miami used a ton when he played for the Heat). Most bigs don’t have the agility or experience to effectively navigate screens on the perimeter, which opens up a ton of good looks for Olynyk.

What I am really excited for is to have Olynyk as a playmaking hub. He reads the floor incredibly well and thrives in basically every single action for a playmaking big. The Sacramento Kings, who Jordi Fernandez coaches for, had the most efficient offense in NBA history last season, with the focal point of their offense coming from DHO’s. If Canada’s offensive system is anything like the 22-23 Kings, Olynyk will function in a Domantas Sabnois-esque roll, handing off to Canada’s guards and wings throughout the game.

If all that wasn’t enough, Olynyk has also showed that he can function as a big wing when he’s passing the ball. Running PnR possessions as the ball handler and making interior dump off reads off of drives, Olynyk truly is a unique offensive player. Based off of his playmaking alone, Olynyk projects to be a valuable connector piece for Canada. But combined with his shooting and ability to drive, we’re looking at Canada’s third creator on offense at the 2023 World Cup.

Swing Skill: Defensive Limitations

There’s no question that Kelly Olynyk has some defensive limitations. He isn’t the quickest laterally and doesn’t have elite vertical explosivesness to protect the rim well. As a result, Olynyk is not versatile, mainly playing as a drop big in PnR coverages. Last season, Olynyk spent 45% of minutes playing the 4 and 51% playing the 5. At either position, the Jazz were a below average defensive team (46th percentile and 39th percentile respectively).

The one thing Olynyk has going for him is he is a huge human being. That inherently has some defensive value and I think playing him at the 4 should maximize how effective he can be on the defensive end. Combined with more physicality allowed in FIBA and I wouldn’t be overly concerned by Olynyk’s athletic limitations on defense. Besides, he brings too much offensive value anyways and with his skillset fits in nicely with the other bigs invited to training camp so he doesn’t have to be the primary rim protector.

The NBA Wings: Beware of Inefficiency

Filling out the wings, these 4 players are the ones that I think should have a strong chance of making the final roster. They have 2 things in common — they all play in the NBA and all struggle to score efficiently.

RJ Barrett

• Position: F/G
• Height: 6″6″
• Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario

2023-2023 Stats: New York Knicks

SMNT Highlight Performance: July 3rd, 2021 vs Czech Republic (2021 Olympic Qualifying Tournament)

In what would become another gut-wrenching loss for Canada Basketball and kill the 2021 Olympic qualifying dreams, Canada fell to the Czech Republic at home in OT after Tomáš Satoranský banked in a midrange jumper for the win.

I really do apologize for another agonizing trip down memory lane for Canada Basketball faithfuls. However, I had to bring this game up since RJ Barrett had his standout performance with the Senior National team in this game. In 40 minutes of play, RJ recorded a full line of:

• 23 PTS
• 5 REB
• 6 AST
• 1 STL
• 1 BLK
• 61.6% FG% (7-11)

Speaking of highlight National Team performances, RJ Barrett may have one of the most legendary performances in Canadian Basketball history. At the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup, RJ Barrett (who was 17 at the time) dropped a 38 PTS, 13 REB, 5 AST masterpiece in the semi-finals against the USA, en route to leading Canada to the Gold Medal.

Standout Skill: Strength Based Creation

RJ Barrett’s broad shoulders have always been able to absorb a ton of contact. If Barrett had a signature move it would be barreling down into the paint, bumping his defender off balance with his right shoulder and finishing with his left hand. He’s been doing this dating back to his days on Junior Canadian National Teams and Barrett has become quite crafty at creating contact, using an array of shoulder bumps and off-arm shields to discard the defender.

Because of his outlier strength and frame and his ability to draw contact, Barrett is a free throw drawing machine. In the 2022-2023 NBA season, Barrett had a free throw rate of 33.3%, putting him in the 78th percentile. FIBA is a physical game, and thankfully for Barrett, he’s comfortable playing through bumps and hits.

Swing Skill: Inefficiency Scoring

Since RJ Barrett entered the league, he’s been battling efficiency issues and the 2022-2023 NBA season was no different. His TS% (53.1%, 22nd percentile) remains dreadful and for his career, he has shot above average from 1 area of the court — the right wing 3. If you had to point to one reason why Barrett hasn’t made an all-star leap in his career, it would be his efficiency struggles.

One major reason Barrett struggles efficiency wise is due to his lackluster shooting touch. Look no further than his accuracy on push shots in the non-restricted area of the paint. Despite shooting just 39.9% (0.80 PPP, yikes), Barrett ended up taking 321 shot attempts from the non-restricted area, the 2nd most of any zone in his shot profile. That’s not ideal.

The second reason Barrett struggles with his accuracy is due to his athletic limitations. He relies so heavily on bumping defenders on his way to the basket because he lacks the burst to blow by them from a standstill. With some momentum, Barrett is much better (who isn’t) but unlike SGA, he can’t cleanly get by his defender on a consistent basis.

In addition, he also lacks elite vertical pop at the rim, especially jumping off of 1 foot. Barrett’s last step on drives is especially poor as he generates very little upwards momentum and the stride length is often shorter than earlier steps allowing defenders to get back into the play. As a result, Barrett has to play below contests and is usually swallowed up by rotating help defenders. Playing that low to the ground also means a variety of angles off the backboard are unavailable for Barrett to use and combined with his poor touch we talked about earlier, you’ll see some bad misses where it looks like Barrett is “forcing” it.

This isn’t to say Barrett is a lost cause either. He, like most basketball players, just needs more help from the coaching staff to put him in advantageous situations. For Barrett, finding ways to get him catching the ball with some downhill momentum is key to helping him overcome his athletic and shooting touch limitations.

Luguentz Dort

• Position: G/F
• Height: 6’4″
• Hometown: Montreal, Québec:

2022-2023 Stats: OKC Thunder

SMNT Highlight Performance: July 1st, 2021 vs China (2021 Olympic Qualifying Tournament)

Lu Dort has only played in 3 games with the SMNT, all of which came in the 2021 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Victoria. His best two-way performance came on Canada Day against China, where he scored:

• 11 PTS
• 3 REB
• 3 AST
• 1 STL
• 50% 3P% (3/6)
• +26

Standout Skills: Point of Attack (POA) Defense

Fans have dubbed Dort’s suffocating defense the “Dorture Chamber” and it’s an apt description. What makes Dort a terrifyingly versatile point of attack defender is his unique blend of physical tools. Despite standing at just 6’4″, Dort has a strong frame that allows him to stonewall and hold his ground against bigger wings. At the same time, Dort’s bulky frame doesn’t come at the expense of his foot speed and agility, allowing him to pester quick guards on the perimeter. Crafted NBA scored Dort’s versatility on defense an 81 last season, good for the 80th percentile in the NBA.

Dort is at his best defending the opposing team’s best perimeter creator. He spent the majority of his possessions in the NBA last season guarding 1-3 (76.2% frequency), and occasionally going up to guard some 4’s as well (13.4% frequency). I expect Dort to continue to take similar defensive assignments at the 2023 World Cup on the perimeter, hounding opposing ball handlers all game long.

An interesting thing to note is Dort’s low stock numbers. In the 22-23 season, he recorded just 1.3 stocks per game, which is hardly notable for a defender of his caliber. On the All-Defense Team, only fellow Canadian Dillon Brooks averaged less stocks per game (1.1) than Dort, who was snubbed from a selection this past season.

If we dive deeper into just turnovers created, I think Dort grades out much better. He led the league with 93 offensive fouls drawn, with only 6 of them being recorded as charges. That’s a ridiculous distribution of illegal screens drawn and it ups Dort’s screen navigation value, which had been one of his weaker areas on defense due to his size and frame. Expect to see a lot of angry opposing bigs when Dort draws offensive fouls against them this summer. It is inevitable.

Swing Skill: Rim Finishing

Lu Dort is a true modern day “3-and-D” player. Overall, Dort is a net negative to me on the offensive end, with his only “plus” skill being his mediocre 3 PT shooting (33.0%).

Dort especially struggles scoring from inside the paint From the restricted area, Dort shot 49.0% last season and from the non-restricted area, Dort was even worse, shooting 30.5% from the field. In theory, Dort should be a good driver with his strong frame and decent handle, but tunnel vision and poor touch let him down. Last season, Dort shot just 40.2% from the field on drives, placing him 400th (out of 539 players) in the NBA. At least, Dort does get to the free throw line at a decent clip (29.7% free throw rate, 69th percentile) so not all is lost when he is forced to put the ball down.

The poor rim finishing really tanks his overall efficiency. In terms of TS% (51.3%), Dort ranks in the 13th(!) percentile in the NBA. The offense for Dort is extremely concerning in my opinion and opposing teams can basically just ignore Dort and play 5-on-4 defensively.

Dillon Brooks

• Position: F/G
• Height: 6’6″
• Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario

2022-2023 Stats: Memphis Grizzlies

SMNT Highlighy Performance: June 29, 2018 vs Dominican Republic (2019 World Cup Qualifiers)

The last time Dillon Brooks played for the SMNT came in the 2018 summer World Cup Qualification window. In 26 minutes of action, Brooks recorded:

• 14 PTS
• 3 REB
• 3 AST
• 2 STL
• 37.5% 3P% (3-8)

Since then, Brooks has been absent from the Canada Basketball program despite committing to the Summer Core, including unexcused absences from last summer’s training camp. He was honestly the biggest surprise for me when the training camp invites were announced.

Standout Skill: Point of Attack (POA) Defense

Despite all the on-court antics, Dillon Brooks remains an elite and versatile POA defender. His All-Defense selection was a deserved one and the Grizzlies have consistently performed better on the defensive end with Brooks on the court over the last few seasons.

Brooks is by far Canada’s most versatile defender. With an versatility rating of 85 (84th percentile in the NBA last year), Brooks defended players 1-4 consistently at a high level, often ranking among the top of the league in matchup difficulty in the last few seasons. He’s strong enough to absorb bumps from opposing ball handlers, and he’s pretty good at navigating screens on the perimeter (he’s got an interesting off arm “chicken wing” technique to get through screens). Combined with just all-out effort and constant trash-talking, Brooks graded out as a fantastic isolation defender, limiting players to just 34.1% FG% when he was the primary defender, good for the 77th percentile. Considering his matchup difficulty, I think this number is even more impressive.

Brooks’s closeout technique is a perfect encapsulation of the “irritant” he can be as a defender. Despite saying otherwise, I think his technique is based off of hitting (or more accurately slapping) the shooter’s hand after they’ve released the ball. Is this an effective method? I have no clue, but it’s the most Dillon Brooks defensive strategy you could come up with.

Swing Skill: Shot Selection

If you thought Dort’s efficiency was bad, Brooks is somehow even worse. His TS% of 49.4% ranks in the 8th(!) percentile in the NBA. While Brooks brings immense positive value on the defensive end, the unfortunate truth is he is a black hole offensively, cratering the team’s offensive production. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Memphis Grizzlies were 3.1 PTS/possession worse when Brooks was on the floor last season. Interestingly, this was the first season since 19-20 that Brooks’s team was worse offensively when he was on the floor. Perhaps not all hope is lost.

I truly do think most of Brooks’s efficiency issues are self-inflicted. Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t have great shooting touch by any means, and his athletic tools aren’t the best, but his shot selection brings his efficiency down from poor to among the worst in the league. Brooks’s 2nd highest frequency shot came with 3-6 dribbles (29.4% frequency) and that is unacceptable for a role player who is not a good shooter. He was especially poor in isolation as well, scoring on just 39.3% of his shots in these situations and ranking in the 39th percentile.

Something as simple as attacking immediately off the catch or adding stampede cuts to his already great forward leaping footwork would put Brooks in much easier positions to convert. Will he buy into this lower usage role is a whole other conversation that could sway how many minutes he plays at the 2023 World Cup.

Oshae Brissett

• Position: F
• Height: 6’7″
• Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario

2022-2023 Stats: Indiana Pacers

SMNT Highlight Performance: August 20th 2019 vs New Zealand (2019 FIBA World Cup Exhibition)

Before a last-minute injury derailed his plans, Oshae Brissett was going to represent Canada at the 2019 World Cup. He had played a consistent roll in Nurse’s rotation during the exhibition tour, with his best game coming against New Zealand. In 23 minutes , Brissett had a stat line of:

• 16 PTS
• 7 REB
• 1 BLK
• +12

Standout Skills: Athletic Tools

At 6’7″ and a standing vertical of 34 inches, Oshae Brissett brings an explosive pop on the wings that is sorely missing for the SMNT. These athletic tools could pay dividends protecting the rim and on the offensive glass.

Though he has a wing-sized frame, I think Brissett would have more utility as a 4 in the FIBA game. He’s certainly athletic enough to play bigger and offer some extra rim protection and playing up would alleviate some of the shooting concerns I have. According to Crafted NBA, Brissett contested 45.3% of shots at the rim when he was on the floor, putting him in the 90th percentile among qualifying players. On the shots at the rim, players shot -3.3% worse when defended by Brissett, which is pretty decent for an undersized big (it’s better than Precious Achiuwa for instance who was at -2.9%).

The other area that Brissett will do well in is grab offensive rebounds. Last season with the Pacers, Brissett had a OREB% of 6.4, ranking in the 83rd percentile. Brissett, who spent majority of possessions in the corner, would crash the glass hard, and with his vertical explosiveness would help him win aerial duels. Nearly half of Brissett’s offensive rebounds per game came were contested and his hustle is undeniable.

Swing Skill: Rim Finishing

Much like the rest of the NBA wings on the training camp invite list, Oshae Brissett struggles to score efficiently. His TS% of 52% puts him in the 16th percentile. I am extremely concerned with this as Brissett had by far the lowest usage role out of the NBA wings, is the biggest and most vertically explosive, and yet his shooting accuracy is just as bad.

The most disappointing thing for me with Brissett is his rim finishing. While he has the burst to attack tilted defenses, if he’s not getting fouled, he isn’t punishing defenses enough. He actually profiles as a similar level rim finisher as Dort, shooting 51.6% from the restricted area, 30.8% from the non-restricted area and 39.0% on drives. These are not encouraging numbers from a 6’7″ wing/big and I would confidently say Brissett has poor touch.

Diving into the film, I think the biggest issue on drives comes from his inefficient footwork. He’s often taking off way too far from the rim or not using both of his legal steps as he knifes his way through traffic. He ends up with very few finishing angles and is swallowed up by rim protectors rotating over to help (like Barrett).

Size in the Paint

Based off the training camp invites alone, it seems Canada Basketball has learned it’s lesson with the FIBA game. You need size and strength in the paint and the tradeoff of decreased mobility isn’t as punishing in FIBA. I hope Canada Basketball doubles down on the bigs this year and brings all 3 of these players, along with Kelly Olynyk to Jakarta. If it were up to me, we would be loading up on size in the paint.

Dwight Powell

• Position: C
• Height: 6’9″
• Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

2022-2023 Stats: Dallas Mavericks

SMNT Highlight Performance: June 30th 2021 vs Greece (2021 Olympic Qualifying Tournament)

For me, Diwght Powell’s highlight SMNT performance came in Canada’s opening game in the Victoria Olympic Qualifying Tournament. against Greece. As the starter centre, Powell played 27 minutes and recorded a stat line of:

• 12 PTS
• 7 REB
• 1 AST
• 100 FG% (4-4)
• 100% FT (4-4)

What really made this performance stand out for me was how Powell’s switchability on defense changed the game. After the 1st half, Canada was actually trailing 50-46, largely due to their inability to defend Nick Calathes in PnR scenarios. Canada had started the game in drop coverage, and Calathes was shredding Canada’s schemes with paint touches and overhead lob passes.

The adjustment Nurse made was to default to switch every ball screen. Powell’s light enough on his feet to slide and keep up with the majority of perimeter players, especially in FIBA. That is so valuable on the defensive end, and Canada’s adjustment kept Greece’s guards from getting any consistent form of dribble penetration. Truthfully this change in defensive coverage won Canada the game and it was made possible with Powell’s switchability on defense.

Standout Skills: PnR Roller

For years now, Dwight Powell has been among the league’s elite as the PnR Roll Man. The 2022-2023 season was no different as he scored 1.47 PPP in these sets putting him in the 93rd percentile in the league. Working off the gravity of Luka Dončić, Powell has become a masterful scorer as the roller. 76.9% of Powell’s 2PT FG’s are assisted, and the majority of them come as lobs (from Dončić) that he can finish rolling hard to the rim. He doesn’t have a huge catch radius (6’9″ height and 7’0″ wingspan) and isn’t the most vertically explosive player so it’s hard to say how well this would translate to less talented playmakers that Canada has on the roster.

Powell also isn’t just a one trick pony as the PnR roller! Playing alongside Dončić, who often gets blitzed by defenses, means that Powell has gotten a lot of reps in the short roll as a facilitator. I think that this is a huge opportunity area for Canada to exploit this summer as opposing teams inevitably blitz SGA in ball screens to get the ball out of his hands.

In the short roll, Powell is mainly looking to spray the ball around the perimeter to an open 3PT shooter, not so much throw a lob to a diving teammate (like Draymond Green often does). In fact, all of Powell’s passes from the non-restricted painted area ended up at the perimeter last season and his 20% AST% from these passes were the highest of any zone.

Swing Skill: Undersized in FIBA

At 6’9″ and 240 lb, Powell is on the smaller end for a FIBA big. As a result, he struggles defending the big, brusing centres that Canada will run into if they intend to make a deep run at the 2023 World Cup. In the 2021 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, this weakness was magnified by the lack of size Canada had in the front court surrounding Powell (Canada’s frontcourt rotation was Powell, Lyles, Nicholson and Bennett, all undersized bigs).

Another area where Powell’s size could be an issue is protecting the rim. Last season, players shot -2.2% compared to their average FG% when defended by Powell <6ft from the basket. For context, that was worse than Andrew Wiggins (-2.5%), Oshae Brissett (-3.3%) and Kelly Olynyk (-3.6%), who are all not elite rim protectors themselves.

Based on the training camp invite list, I do expect Canada’s roster construction to be much more balanced, especially from a size perspective. That potentially means Powell’s defensive issues as a C could be masked more. In any case, I expect him to be the starting C for Canada at the 2023 World Cup.

Zach Edey

• Position: C
• Height: 7’4″
• Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

2022-2023 Stats: Purdue Boilermakers

SMNT Highlight Performance: August 29, 2022 (2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers)

At just 21 years of age, Zach Edey is the youngest player to be invited to training camp. Given he only has 2 caps for the SMNT, there wasn’t a ton of games to choose a highlight performance from. Nonetheless, Edey was his usual physically overwhelming and efficient self in Canada’s final summer WC qualifier game against Panama last August. In 23 minutes of action, Edey dominated the interior and finished with:

• 15 PTS
• 7 REB
• 55.6% FG% (5-9)
• 62.5% FT% (5-8)

Standout Skill: Size

At 7’4″ and 285 lb, Edey is a physical giant, even amongst seasoned professional basketball players. Given Canada’s struggles with bruising physical centres in the last few years (think Ondřej Balvín in 2021), Edey immediately addresses a huge weakness for the national team. Gone are the days where Canada will be beaten up by physicality and size in the paint with Edey on the roster.

Edey’s size and touch around the rim have made him virtually unstoppable at the collegiate level and I would project Edey to continue to be a highly efficient battering ram in the paint at this year’s World Cup. Of course not to the same degree of dominance in college, but dominant nonetheless. Opposing teams have to be on high alert and invest so much energy in the “early work” in order to prevent Edey from getting a clean catch deep in the paint or in the dunker spot. If Edey catches the ball in the dunker spot, it’s over and he will convert or get fouled. Last season, Edey recorded a total of 76 dunks, 4th overall in all of D1 basketball. With the SMNT this summer, Edey can be used as a play finisher deep in the paint, capitalizing on the paint touches and dump offs from SGA.

Edey’s huge frame also has incredible value as a screener. It’s hard for even the elite screen navigators to get around a guy with Edey’s size (and wide base), and that should open up cleaner opportunities for Canada’s ball handlers to attack. On the flipside, if Edey does receive the ball as the roller, he is ridiculously efficient as well. He ranked in the 100th(!) percentile as a roll man with Purdue last season, recording 1.69 PPP. His catch radius is huge due to his height and length, and Edey also flashes impressive athleticism for his size, able to slip screens well and gather his feet rather quickly off the catch. I think there could even be opportunities to use Edey as a DHO hub with his frame as well, pairing his screens with the movement shooting of Jamal Murray, Kassius Robertson or Phil Scrubb.

Even if defenses do an excellent job denying Edey the ball in the paint or on the roll for the whole 24-second possession, they have another thing to worry about — the offensive glass. Last year, Edey grabbed an astounding 5.5 offensive rebounds per game and his 21.6 OREB% ranked #1 in all of D1 basketball in 2022-2023 and #4 all time. There’s just so much offensive utility and value that stems from Edey’s size (I haven’t even touched on his efficiency as a post-up player!). Whether it be finishing in the paint, setting huge screens and rolling hard or generating extra possessions, there is a legitimate pathway for Edey to be a consistent rotational player for Canada this summer, even in high leverage knockout stage games.

Swing Skill: Defending in Space

While his size and frame offered so much value and advantages on the offensive end and even though he’s much more athletic and nimble than most players his size, Edey does struggle to defend in space. In the PnR, Edey is exclusively a deep drop big and is going to give up open pull-up jumpers to the ball handler or open spot-up jumpers to a popping big. It remains to be seen how comfortable HC Jordi Fernandez will be with the tradeoff of Edey’s offensive value and defensive limitations.

Last summer with the SMNT, Nick Nurse employed a shapeshifting zone defense when Edey was in the game. This had 2 main benefits; hide Edey from being exploited in PnR defense and keep him close to the paint where his size can contest shots and complete defensive possessions with rebounds. I would think Canada’s most creative defensive schemes will be applied when Edey is on the floor this summer at the World Cup.

Kyle Alexander

• Position: C
• Height: 6’10”
• Hometown: Scarborough, Ontario

2022-2023 Stats: Valencia

SMNT Highlight Performance: November 28, 2021 vs Bahamas (2023 World Cup Qualifiers)

Before Kyle Alexander joined a EuroLeague team for the 2022-2023 season, he was the starting centre for Canada’s Winter Core. He was a key contributor in the first 2 FIBA World Cup Qualifier windows, helping Canada start off to a perfect 4-0 record. His best performance came in the first Qualifier game against the Bahamas, where Alexander played 25 minutes and recorded:

• 12 PTS
• 12 REB
• 3 AST
• 1 BLK
• 4-6 FG%

After 1 season in the EuroLeague, Alexander will be joining Hapoel Tel Aviv, a strong EuroCup team. This represents a slight step down after a so-so year in Europe’s top league, but Alexander remains a legitimately great Euro pro.

Standout Skills: Rim Protection & Defending the PnR

Out of all the bigs invited to training camp, Kyle Alexander is the best on the defensive end. Where Alexander really makes his mark anchoring the team’s defense is through his stellar rim protection. Standing at 6’10” and with a 7’5″ wingspan, Alexander is able to contest and alter so many shots with his 9’2″ standing reach. He actually has similar physical measurements with Jaren Jackson Jr., though he’s not quite the shot blocker that Jackson is. In his 3 seasons playing in Liga ACB (the top league in Spain, widely considered the 2nd best domestic league after the NBA), Alexander has recorded a total of 97 blocks in just 86 games, good for about 1.13 blocks per game.

What really elevates Alexander’s defensive prowess is his fluid movement skills. He is the complete opposite of a heavy, labouring big, instead able to flip his hips with ease and cover a lot of ground in his rotations. Mobility is a strength for Alexander and combined with his length and athleticism, he grades out as a strong defensive anchor. Whether it’s switching onto quicker players and getting back into the play in rearview pursuit or rotating over from the weakside to contest a shot, Alexander is pretty comfortably a good NBA level defender as a big.

Fluidity and agility aside, Alexander still remains a drop big in PnR coverage for the majority of possessions, with the option to switch or blitz ball handlers in spurts. He is by far Canada’s best big defender in the PnR, especially in drop, and I would be surprised if he doesn’t have a consistent role in the rotation this summer.

Swing Skill: Offensive Limitations as a Scorer

While Alexander is an elite defender, his offensive game is filled with more question marks. He is quite strong in the PnR, setting solid screens and rolling hard to the rim where his vertical explosiveness and length make him a dangerous lob threat. He even showed some nice craft as a roller the last time I watched him in the 2023 Summer League, pausing his roll for a beat to open a passing lane for his teammate.

Alexander’s scoring away from the basket is where things get interesting. His FT% has hovered in the mid-high 60’s his first 3 seasons in Europe and he’s only had flashes of shooting touch from the midrange and 3 PT line. Alexander’s shooting mechanics don’t look too bad, but this part of his game is probably a few years away from becoming a consistent weapon. At this summer’s World Cup, he’ll be limited to finishing plays off in the dunker spot and restricted area. As a result, it’ll be hard for Alexander to share minutes on the court with any of the other bigs not named Olynyk, putting a cap on how large of a role he can play for the SMNT.

Diversify the Backcourt

Strong guard play is important in any FIBA event and these next 4 players all bring different skillsets and levels of FIBA experience to the SMNT.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker

• Position: Guard
• Height: 6’5″
• Hometown: Scarborough, Ontario

2022-2023 Stats: Utah Jazz/Minnesota Timberwolves

SMNT Highlight Performance: July 3rd, 2021 vs Czech Republic (2021 Olympic Qualifying Tournament)

Though the 2021 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Victoria didn’t yield the final result Canada Basketball was hoping for, it was the coming out party for Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Despite coming off the bench, NAW ended up playing the 3rd most minutes on the team, averaging 16.7 PPG on 50%/38.9%/70% shooting splits (2P%/3P%/FT%).

In that semi-final game against the Czech, NAW, had the big steal late in the 4th that led to the Wiggins game-tying 3 to send the game to overtime. What a Canadian heritage moment that would’ve become had they pulled off the comeback successfully.

Overall in the 30 minutes he played, NAW scored:

• 21 PTS
• 3 REB
• 4 AST
• 2 STL
• 38.9% FG% (7-18)

Standout Skill: POA Defense

While it seemed like NAW was poised for an imminent breakout offensive season after the 2021 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, it unfortunately never came. Despite finally playing a consistent role with the New Orleans Pelicans the next season, NAW’s efficiency fell off a cliff and he was dealt at the trade deadline twice. The start of the 2022-2023 NBA season was much of the same as NAW struggled to get consistent minutes in a crowded backcourt with the Utah Jazz. In the minutes he did play, there were signs of life for NAW’s NBA career as his efficiency and shot selection had begun to improve.

After being traded once again at the trade 2023 trade deadline, things finally changed. Chris Finch, the Minnesota Timberwolves head coach was a big believer in NAW and had formed a strong relationship with the Canadian during his rookie season with the Pelicans. As the NBA play-in tournament and playoffs rolled around in April, Alexander-Walker finally had his breakout moment in the NBA .

NAW, who spends the majority of time defending PG’s (31.4% of the time) and SG’s (36.2% of the time), has become a disruptive POA (point of attack) defender. Using his 6’10” wingspan, NAW’s length allows him to be extra aggressive on the perimeter, resulting in 3.1 deflections per 36 minutes (87th percentile!!). In the postseason Jamal Murray shot 36.1% from the field when defended by NAW in 5 games in round 1 and his cousin, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was 2-14 (14.3%) in the play-in. That’s two dynamic offensive players that NAW was able to contain as the primary defender in Minnesota’s defensive schemes

It’s clear just by watching his effort and compete level that NAW has changed his mindset as an NBA player. I fully expect NAW’s success on the defensive end to translate to the FIBA game and if history is any indication, he’ll have another big summer with the National Team.

“I’m just focused on all personnel clips, making sure that I know everybody like the back of my hand. That’s one of the reasons why I’m out there. I’m definitely going to give the team the best version of myself as I can. That’s what they’re putting me out there to do. That’s my job. I have to make sure I’m doing my job,”

– Nickeil Alexander-Walker during the 1st Round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs

Swing Skill: Inconsistent 3PT Shooting

Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s shooting has always confounded me. His shooting mechanics look smooth, but he just hasn’t been able to consistently knock down 3’s in the NBA. For his career he’s a 33.9% 3PT shooter on 3.9 3PA per game, placing him as a subpar distance shooter. I personally don’t think he’s that poor of a shooter and NAW did struggle with shot selection earlier on in his career, so maybe that’s what is dragging his percentages down.

The encouraging sign is last season was NAW’s best shooting from 3. His 3PA volume fell to a career low 2.7 per game, but he shot a career high 38.4% from 3. He also shot career highs in both Catch and Shoot scenarios (35.2% 1.8 3PA) and Pull Ups (40.8% 0.8 3PA). NAW does have more to offer as a toolsy guard (secondary playmaking comes to mind), but the biggest factor in how well he performs in Jakarta will be how accurate he is from beyond the arc.

Cory Joseph

• Position: G
• Height: 6’3″
• Hometown: Pickering, Ontario

2022-2023 Stats: Detroit Pistons

SMNT Highlight Performance: July 10, 2016 vs France (2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament)

Over his 50 game career (68 games if you include exhibition games) with the SMNT, Cory Joseph has had a number of big time performances for the national team. For me, the highlight was his performance on July 10th, 2016 against France.

To set the stage, Canada and France were matching up in the finals of the 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament. With a berth to the Olympic games on the line, Canada faced off against a France team led by NBA legend Tony Parker, who scored 26 points to lead France to a 83-74 win.

Joseph rose to the occasion against his former teammate with a fantastic performance. In 36 minutes of playing time, Joseph recorded:

• 20 PTS
• 4 REB
• 6 AST
• 3 STL
• 69.2% 2P% (9/13)

Standout Skill: Taking Care of the Ball

As Cory Joseph has aged, he has understandably lost some of the quickness and burst he once had as a young NBA pro trying to carve out a consistent role. Just look at drive from the clip above in 2016 compared to this drive from 2023. His initial “blow-by” burst has declined with age and as a result Joseph relies more on counters to gain advantages on his drives now.

Joseph has done what all the successful NBA vets have done to age gracefully — reinvent his game. Once a more drive-heavy, turnover and mistake-prone guard, Joseph has developed into a steady “game manager” who takes incredible care of the ball. He rarely makes risky passes and the careless turnovers due to inexperience are a thing of the past. Per 100 possessions, Joseph averaged 8.6 AST (by far a career high) along with 2.2 TOV, the 3rd lowest mark of his career! According to Crafted NBA’s Passer Rating metric (which takes into account assists, turnovers, “load”, “creation”, etc.), Joseph’s 2022-2023 numbers ranked 18th in the whole NBA.

Personally, I am usually not a big fan of being extremely risk-averse as a passer. But in a low-usage ball-handling role (which is what I would project for Joseph at the 2023 World Cup), limiting turnovers is an overwhelming positive. When you factor in Joseph’s extensive FIBA experience representing Canada, it’s easy to envision Joseph being successful as the cerebral veteran PG off the bench, running Canada’s offense.

Swing Skill: Spot Up 3 PT Shooting

The clear swing “skill”/factor for Cory Joseph’s performance at the 2023 World Cup is his spot up 3PT shooting. Since 2016, Joseph has shot 14-47 from 3 while representing Canada, a measly 29.8%.

However, Joseph has quietly improved his 3PT accuracy over the last 2 seasons, shooting 40.0% on 337 3PA. For reference in his first 10 seasons in the NBA, Joseph shot just 33.3% on 1015 3PA. This new found accuracy from 3 is one of the reasons Joseph has aged more gracefully in the NBA than you might expect.

When you dive a little deeper into his shooting splits, there’s more room for optimism. Over the last 2 seasons, Joseph was 102-259 (39.4%) from above the break, 13-33 (39.4%) from the right corner and 19-41 (46.3%) from the left corner. That’s really encouraging to see that his improvements from 3 seem to span the whole arc, and are not just being propped up by being extremely accurate shooting from the corners. In addition, last season Joseph was at 41.4% on Catch and Shoot 3′s, albeit on low volume (1.9 3PA). As a lower usage ball handler on the 2023 WC team, his spot up shooting could become incredibly valuable, playing off of the creation of SGA and Jamal Murray.

If he can hit spot up jumpers at an efficient clip, Joseph will be a key cog coming off the bench for Canada this summer. If shooting variance swings the other way, I think it’ll become a lot harder to justify playing Joseph consistent minutes in a supporting role, especially over some of the Euro guards.

Kevin Pangos

• Position: G
• Height: 6’2″
• Hometown: Holland Landing, Ontario

2022-2023 Stats: Olimpia Milano

SMNT Highlight Performance: August 16, 2019 vs Australia (2019 FIBA World Cup Exhibition)

Kevin Pangos was one of the focal points on offense for the SMNT during the 2019 World Cup campaign. His highlight performance that summer came in an exhibition game against Australia, where he put on a shotmaking clinic to lead Canada to a 90-70 victory, without Ejim and Joseph! Pangos recorded:

• 18 PTS
• 6 AST
• 4 STL
• 2 REB

Standout Skill: Pullup Shotmaking

Kevin Pangos is one of the few Canadians to have a extended and consistent career in the EuroLeague.

Due to physical and athletic limitations, the majority of Pangos’s shot diet comes from long distance jumpers. Thus far in his career, he’s taken 1198 3PA compared to just 1065 2PA. And there’s a very good reason he takes so many 3’s — he is an elite shooter. For his career, Pangos is sitting at 40.8% 3P% , a remarkably high number when you consider his volume and shot difficulty.

While Pangos is effective as a spot-up shooter, the majority of his offense has been self-created in his EuroLeague career. Pangos thrives as a lead ball handler, operating out of the PnR and punishing drop coverage with his pullup shooting. Aside from SGA and Jamal Murray, there isn’t another guard at training camp who is as dynamic offensively (both scoring and playmaking) in the PnR as Pangos. As a bench guard this summer, Pangos would offer a much-needed scoring punch and shooting threat in Canada’s backcourt.

Swing Factor: Health

The reality is Kevin Pangos had a tough season with Olimpia Milano. In November of 2022, Pangos suffered a partial PCL tear in his right knee. After being sidelined for about 3 months, Pangos suffered an abdominal strain and missed another 2 weeks of action. He just couldn’t catch a break.

As a result, Pangos saw a dip in form last season. It remains to be seen how healthy Pangos is this August. I wouldn’t fault him for turning down National Team duties to get his body right for next season.

Kassius Robertson

• Position: G
• Height: 6’3″
• Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

2022-2023 Stats: Monbus Obradoiro

SMNT Highlight Performance: July 4th, 2022 vs US Virgin Islands (2023 World Cup Qualifiers)

For the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers, Kassius Robertson answered the call time and time again. Playing in 10 total Qualifier games (the 3rd most among any Canadian, behind only the Scrubb brothers), Robertson was one of the Winter Core mainstays who helped propel Canada to an 11-1 record, the best in the Americas.

His highlight SMNT performance came when he got hot from 3 against the US Virgin Islands. In 20 minutes, Robertson’s stat line that night was:

• 24 PTS
• 8-13 3P%
• 0-2 2P%

His strong play in Europe over the years has led to the biggest jump in Robertson’s pro career so far. Next season, Robertson will be playing in the EuroLeague after signing a contract with Valencia.

Standout Skill: Shooting

It is not an exaggeration by any means when I say Kassius Robertson is one of the best shooters on the planet. On a total of 756 3PA over the last 4 seasons, Robertson has shot a scorching 39.0% and made 295 3’s. He’s an elite shooter in spot-up situations, off of movement and off the bounce. Jamal Murray is the only player invited to training camp that can rival Robertson’s shooting “flow” (though I would say Murray is better).

Robertson uses his shooting gravity very well to diversify his shot diet. His pullup shooting is so dangerous that he gets defenders to bite on hesitation moves frequently, before exploding on a drive to the rim. While his scoring is mainly predicated on his ability to shoot, Robertson is much more of a complete scorer. He was second overall in Spain’s top league in PPG last season, had 8 games (almost a third of the season) where he scored 20+ and erupted for a 44 point explosion in late April.

While Robertson will not have the same offensive burden at the World Cup, his shooting and overall scoring will be incredibly valuable. Compared to Pangos and Joseph, Robertson is by far the best scorer and worst playmaker. If the SMNT needs a guard to fill the “gunner” role, especially with SGA, Murray and Olynyk taking the bulk of the creation duties, Robertson would be the ideal choice.

Swing Skill: Size on Defense

The obvious swing skill with a small guard is going to be how they hold up defensively. While Robertson’s block numbers will never be good due to his size and athletic limitations, his steal numbers (0.7 steals per game in Liga ACB, 1.0 steals per game in WC Qualifiers) show he’s at least active and engaged on defense.

Robertson’s 1:1 defense is pretty mediocre. His slight frame is just unfortunately not enough to absorb contact from opposing ball handlers even when he’s giving maximum effort and his screen navigation isn’t anything special. When he’s on the court in Jakarta, he needs to be hidden on the opposing team’s worst offensive guard, preferably mainly playing off ball.

Off the ball I think Robertson is good enough to be a contributor at the 2023 World Cup. To me, team defense is more important than individual defense and Robertson is much better defending off the ball. He understands what rotations he needs to make as a seasoned professional and executes them decently. With the Summer Core last year, Robertson routinely gave extra effort on defensive rotations and that’s all you can ask for from a player.

The FIBA and SMNT Vets

The final 4 players invited to training camp comprise of professional overseas veterans and Canada Basketball Winter Core stalwarts. Aside from their own individual skill sets, they bring a ton of institutional knowledge, in the form of hundreds of FIBA games played and familiarity with the program.

Why is FIBA experience important? The truth is the NBA and FIBA basketball are two widely different games, despite being the same sport. From different sets of rules to quarter length to even the size of the court, international basketball isn’t a perfect 1:1 comparison with the NBA. The tradeoffs that coaches are comfortable making in their decision-making, schemes and coverages in the NBA, might not translate over to FIBA. In a tightly contested knockout stage game, these small nuances can have potentially catastrophic effects for Canada.

For example, let’s look at the transition take foul, which was just implemented in the NBA last season. Before the 22-23 season, NBA teams, knowing that transition offense was highly efficient, found it was worth it to intentionally foul to stop the fast break and force their opponents to score on a set, halfcourt defense. With the introduction of the transition take foul, these intentional fouls now resulted in 1 free throw and possession of the ball for the offensive team. Kevin Pelton dove into the numbers and found that the value of a transition take foul comes out to about 1.89 PPP. The best transition offense in the NBA last year only scored 1.21 PPP, making the intentional foul no longer worthwhile. Even the slightest of rule changes can completely change strategy.

In FIBA, there is a more general “unsportsmanlike foul“. This rule itself is more nuanced but one of the criteria is a foul with no legitimate attempt to play the ball. The transition take foul would fall under this, but so would intentional fouls to stop the clock (a popular 4th quarter tactic in the NBA). The punishment in FIBA is much harsher, 2 free throws and possession. In a high pressure situation, the NBA members of the SMNT might have a lapse in judgement and end up penalizing Canada much harsher than they intended to. That’s where these 4 FIBA veterans come into play.

While I wouldn’t personally have these 4 players on the final 12 man roster, it’s important to recognize how valuable their FIBA experience would be, and celebrate them for being the main contributors during the World Cup Qualifiers.

Melvin Ejim

• Position: F/G
• Height: 6’7″
• Hometown: Brampton, Ontario

2022-2023 Stats: Unicaja Malaga

SMNT Highlight Performance: July 10, 2016 vs France (2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament)

Just like Cory Joseph, for Melvin Ejim’s SMNT highlight performance I am going all the way back to the 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament. In 25 minutes, Ejim scored:

• 19 PTS
• 3 REB
• 70% FG% (7-10)
• 100% 3P% (4-4)

Swing Factor: Father Time is Undefeated

With a wealth of FIBA experience and games played under his belt, Melvin Ejim, whose 32 years of age, has started to decline. At one point, Ejim could be argued as one of the best Canadians not in the NBA, but those days are gone. In his last few SMNT outings, Ejim’s play was noticeably trending down which I wrote about in my Summer Core Check-in from earlier in the year. To me, Ejim is trending more and more towards a solid “Winter Core” level player, someone who contributes at a high level when the NBA and EuroLeague guys are not available. If he is on the final roster this summer, I would guess Ejim is playing a backup role as a big wing/big.

How much Jordi Fernandez and co. value Ejim’s experience over the tools the younger Brissett (and others) bring to the table will inevitably impact Ejim’s minutes, role and his roster spot on the team.

Thomas Scrubb

• Position: F
• Height: 6’6″
• Hometown: Richmond, British Columbia

2022-2023 Stats: Monbus Obradoiro

SMNT Highlight Performance: February 24th, 2023 vs Argentina (2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifier)

• 32 MINS
• 18 PTS
• 6 REB
• 5 AST
• 3 STL
• 1 BLK

Standout Skill: Playing the Passing Lanes

No matter the league or level Thomas Scrubb has played at, he has always been good at playing the passing lanes to create turnovers. He’s a former USPORTS Defensive Player of the Year and his anticipation in the passing lanes is really impressive.

Phil Scrubb

• Position: G
• Height: 6’3″
• Hometown: Richmond, British Columbia

2022-2023 Stats: Monbus Obradoiro

SMNT Highlight Performance: Feb 24, 2020 Canada vs Dominican Republic (2022 AmeriCup Qualifiers)

• 39 MINS
• 26 PTS
• 4/9 3P
• 10/13 FT
• 2 REB
• 6 AST

Standout Skills: Movement Shooting

The younger brother of Thomas Scrubb, the 6’4″ Phil Scrubb is a completely different player. Phil Scrubb’s calling card is his strong movement shooting. He’s a gunner, just like Kassius Robertson though not quite as accurate and without the same scoring pop off the dribble.

In fact, for the 2019 World Cup, one of Canada’s favourite sets to run was staggered screens into a DHO for Scrubb (“52 Misdirection” in Nurse’s playbook).

Trae Bell-Haynes

• Position: G
• Height: 6’1″
• Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

2022-2023 Stats: Buducnost VOLI

SMNT Highlight Performance: Sept 5, 2022 vs Colombia (2022 AmeriCup)

• 35 MINS
• 19 PTS
• 3 REB
• 1 AST
• 3 STL
• 3-6 3P

With Trae Bell-Haynes, he doesn’t have a single standout skill, instead being pretty solid in all facets of the game. He takes care of the ball, facilitates well for others and competes on the defensive end. After making his debut in Europe in 2018, Bell-Haynes has quietly worked himself up to become a solid EuroCup level player, an impressive feat. He’s only 27 years old, so I expect him to remain a solid contributor for the Winter Core for the next Olympic cycle.