The Canadian Basketball Program has been in shambles ever since the departure of star Steve Nash and former coach Jay Triano. For the last few years it seemed as though Canada Basketball was headed in the wrong direction. Money became an issue, player development suffered; prominent national players refused to commit to the program and both senior national teams were outclassed at international events. There was nothing for fans to be excited about. It looks as though the program is finally taking steps to improve in all areas to change the basketball culture in Canada and become competitors once again.
By the end of 2006, Nash, Triano and former Basketball Canada CEO Fred Nykamp had all retired from the national program. Nash was aging and playing in international competition during the off-seasons was taking a toll on his body. The former MVP decided to step back from the national program to commit to winning an NBA championship with the Phoenix Suns. In 2005, Triano was offered a job as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn from hall of fame coach Lenny Wilkens. Both can’t be blamed for the downfall of the program as they both continue to contribute and are ambassadors of basketball in Canada.
When Nykamp resigned in 2007, Canada Basketball named former columnist and Sun Media executive, Wayne Parrish, the new CEO. His vision was that all national teams would be able to compete in every World Championships and Olympic Games. Under Parrish, Canada has started taking the necessary steps to getting the program back to what some would call the “wonder years”.
Parrish has added highly credible basketball people to his staff including Toronto Raptors GM Brian Colangelo and Assistant GM Maurizio Gherardini, both of whom are very familiar with the international game. Parrish also made a commitment to senior men’s head Leo Rautins and his staff. The program spent to improve player development. The kids coming up are being integrated into the system properly, learning the international game and getting the individual attention needed to be successful. One of the most important things is convincing the young players the program is committed to winning. The kids need to be proud to play for their country.
This summer, some of Canada’s up and coming young talent were on-hand in Toronto to practice with the men’s senior team while they prepared for the FIBA Americas Championship. Tristan Thompson, Corey Joseph, Junior Cadougan and Magnisto Arop were some of the players invited to camp. Numerous US college teams have pursued all four. Forward, Tristan Thompson is listed by ESPNU as one of the top prospects of the 2010 college class. He has committed to the University of Texas. Point guard Junior Cadougan will play for Marquette this year as a freshman. These may not be household names yet but that will change in due time. All four players are expected to be key contributors on the senior team in the near future.
At the FIBA Americas this summer, the senior men played strong, winning a huge game against Puerto Rico to advance to the quarterfinals. They lost to powerhouse Argentina in that game but their fourth place finish was good enough to clinch a birth in the 2010 World Basketball Championships in Turkey. This will be the first time since 2002 the team will participate in the tournament. The team is leaps and bounds ahead of where they were last summer, when they failed to qualify in the same tournament. The much-publicized incident between coach Leo Rautins and Samuel Dalembert was an obvious distraction last year and looking back, the team looks a lot better without Dalembert. It really goes to show that the players are behind their coach and are also committed to improving as the program makes progress.
The women’s national squad is taking part in the same tournament this month in Brazil. The women’s team will also look to qualify for the World Championships in 2010. Canada has some new faces and will use the tourney to gain experience playing together. The majority of top women’s teams play together all year long which makes it crucial for the players to use the time together to bond as a team. The story for Canada going in will be how 16-year-old phenom, Natalie Achonwa, fairs in her first taste of senior women’s tournament action. Don’t let her age fool you. The Guelph native is a striking athlete at 6’2 and boy can she can play. Achonwa is one of the top products out of the Canada Basketball’s NEDA development program in Hamilton. Coach Alison McNeil has reiterated that Achonwa isn’t here to learn by spectating from the bench. Instead she will play and learn from her mistakes on the court. It is definitely the right move and reiterates that the program is headed in the right direction.
It will be interesting to look back next year and see if Canada can continue to improve and how the men’s team approaches the challenges ahead. Coach Rautins was very impressed with his team’s performance this summer and has been working to improve the roster. He announced recently that NBAers Jamal Magloire and Matt Bonner would join Team Canada in 2010. Magloire, a Toronto native and ten year NBA veteran, has never played for Team Canada although he does a lot of community work in Toronto and spends his off-seasons there. Bonner on the other hand is American-born but spent a large chunk of his career with the Toronto Raptors and married a Canadian girl. He has recently acquired dual-citizenship and is excited about joining the team. Although both players aren’t star-caliber, they both have something to contribute. Magloire plays with an edge and will be an intimidating presence down low, while Bonner can play multiple positions and can stroke it from the outside. It goes to show that Basketball Canada is devoted to continuously improve their teams.
After years of disappointment, the program has developed and it is time to produce results. The popularity of the game has grown immensely in the country and the national teams are poised to succeed. It’s time to move on from the “Steve Nash Era”. Nash will always be connected to Canada Basketball off the court and his contributions will not be forgotten. These things take time but there is a lot to look forward to. There is a new sense of commitment, the talent pool for young players from Canada is at an all-time high and the right people are manning the ship, ensuring that goals are being achieved. It’s time to embrace the new basketball culture and start supporting the direction of the national program.
by: Jesse Neary
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