The Rise Of Canadian Players In The NBA

Steve Nash has been the face of NBA players from Canada, but a new crop of young talent is coming to leave
their mark on the NBA. (usatoday.com)

The British Invasion sparked rock and roll in the United States in the 1960s. And while the game of basketball has already been sparked in the U.S., we're witnessing the Canadian Invasion on the NBA.

Canada's basketball poster boy Steve Nash has already been in the league 16 years, and others like Rick Fox and Jamaal Magloire have made Canada proud as recognizable talents with long professional careers. But now we're not just seeing the quantity of players coming into the NBA from the neighbor to the north increasing, but the quality has the potential to be superb.

Coming into the 2012-13 season, the NBA had eight Canadian players on rosters: Nash, Joel Anthony, Samuel Dalembert, Corey Joseph, Kris Joseph, Andrew Nicholson, Robert Sacre and Tristan Thompson. While not all of these players were born in Canada (Nash was born in South Africa, for instance) they proudly represent the country in which they grew up. In fact, only 19 players as of this year born in Canada have ever played in the NBA or ABA.

These numbers are about to change. The skill level should too.

Outside of Nash, there are some recognizable names on the lists above, but most of them are role players. There's nothing wrong with that. Anthony and Dalembert have made nice careers for themselves. Rick Fox had a great career with the Lakers. The others are in the first two years of their careers and lot can change for guys like Thompson and Kris Joseph. But some of the guys entering the league this year and those coming up the college ranks carry hype that not many other Canadians have experienced.

Two more Canadians were taken in the 2013 NBA Draft, Anthony Bennett and Kelly Olynyk, and fellow Canadian Myck Kabongo went undrafted but still will likely wind up with a team this fall. And it's not like these guys are predicted to be average NBA roster-fillers (well, the ruling is still out on Kabongo). Both were drafted in the top half of the first round, with Bennett selected No. 1 overall. Bennett will play alongside fellow Canadian Tristan Thompson in Cleveland and Olynyk will get an opportunity to prove himself early for the rebuilding Boston Celtics. Both are athletic, versatile big men who can shoot and epitomize the evolving role of post players in the game.

Next season could be just as prosperous for the country, especially if Andrew Wiggins leaves from Kansas after one year as expected and Gonzaga guard Kevin Pangos leaves after his junior season. Wiggins will likely be the No. 1 pick next year, and possibly the most talented Canadian player to play in the NBA if the hype is correct. Some teams may even look to tank in order to draft him.

Nash may have to make room as the poster boy of Canadian basketball, but I doubt he will mind. The talent pool in Canada is growing and the success of this group of players should only spark more interest in the country to pick up a basketball and chase the dream of playing in the NBA. They will now have more role models to be inspired by.

Follow @BeatsDimesDrive on Twitter
Like Beats Dimes and Drives on Facebook

Friday Roundtable: Biggest Steals And Surprises From The NBA Draft

 

The surprises started early as Cleveland selected Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. (nba.si.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: What were the biggest steals and biggest surprises of Thursday's NBA Draft?

Alex:
The first surprise came early as the Cavs took Anthony Bennett No. 1 overall, but the biggest surprise was Philadelphia delving head first into rebuilding mode. Adding a second injured center to their roster in Nerlens Noel, the 76ers all but closed the book on their Andrew Bynum experiment and took things a step further by agreeing to trade Jrue Holiday, fresh off his first All-Star appearance and just starting to hit his stride, to the New Orleans Pelicans (who actually look appealing on paper now) in time to hand the franchise keys to Michael Carter-Williams. While MCW has upside to spare, he'll be learning the ropes on a bottom-feeding team that may be making an early play to get Andrew Wiggins in the 2014 draft.

As for biggest steal, I'd look to Detroit. The Pistons selected Petting Siva in the latter half of the second round, but after his career at Louisville, Siva looks like a player who can will his way into making anything happen. I wrote a piece elsewhere in which I borderline-gushed about him this week, hoping to see him paired with a talented big man and provide energy off the bench, if not as a starter. Brandon Knight should be save atop the Pistons' depth chart at point guard, but watching an undersized, athletic player with the speed of Siva work with Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond is going to be a thing of beauty.

Kyle:
If you're looking for surprises, the No. 1 pick is a good place to start. Anthony Bennett was thought to go anywhere from No. 1 to No. 8, and coming off an injury with weight problems seemed to be a concern for teams coming in. Apparently not. Cleveland liked him enough to not only draft him, but also keep the pick, as they had earlier mentioned interest in trading the first pick. And it really shouldn't be a surprise, but Charlotte again drew raised eyebrows by drafting Cody Zeller ahead of Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore and Alex Len.

As for steals, Sacramento has to be thrilled that Ben McLemore, who was in the top three of many people's mock drafts, fell to them at No. 7. McLemore should be an athletic, scoring wing player alongside Isaiah Thomas and Tyreke Evans. I also like Portland getting C.J. McCollum to play alongside Damian Lillard in the backcourt. Finally, (I know Alex will agree with me on this) I like Dallas getting Shane Larkin from Atlanta with the No. 18 pick. Dallas wasn't able to get Deron Williams to come back to his hometown last year, and with Darren Collison about to head into free agency, Larkin could be a good scoring point guard for the Mavericks who will need a point guard of the future, especially while trying to land Dwight Howard.

We knew this would be an unpredictable draft coming in, and that theme was carried out throughout the night.

Zach:

The 2013 NBA Draft went how nobody predicted it to go; haywire.  Not a single person correctly predicted the order in which the top 10, not even the top five, selections in the order of which they left the board.  In a time where players like LeBron James, Carmello Anthony and Kyrie Irving appear in the limelight at age 16, yesterday's draft reminded us that even the most elite members of sports journalism and media could indeed, be wrong. 

To me, the whole draft was shocking and surprising.  I'm not an avid college basketball spectator, so my insight came from the great writers here at BDD and other elite basketball minds' predictions and mock-drafts. Nobody saw Anthony Bennett as the No. 1 pick coming. The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing the odds, selecting the former UNLV Runnin' Rebel No. 1 overall, to everyone's surprise. 

Cody Zeller seems to be the jaw-dropping, "what the hell are you thinking," pick of this years crop. CBSSports Draft Tracker labeled the Charlotte Bobcats fourth overall pick a D+. I don't mind the pick. I believe Zeller will give the Bobcats consistency at the low-post position until Michael Jordan and staff finds the other variables for a winning equation.  Zeller can shoot the ball well from both away from the basket, and at the free-throw stripe.  He can also get up the floor and score in transition, which makes up for some liabilities on the defensive end.  If Zeller can beef up and get back to the fundamentals in the low-post, both scoring and rebounding, his game could eventually look similar to a Kevin Love type stretch four.

Ben McLemore, who according to ESPN's Jay Bilas was the best player available, was selected at No. 7 to the Sacramento Kings.  Sacramento brings in a versatile scoring threat sure to put fans in the seats, which is something the Kings organization must do after fighting so hard to keep the team in the state capital and new owner Vivek Ranadive feels good about the pick. 

"Basketball Never Stops," is the phrase coined by somebody who understands the NBA.  Just shortly after crowning a Champion, fans of the league were truly spoiled with entertainment last night.  The 2013 NBA Draft may not be remembered by the collection of talent, but, it is certainly a draft that I will never forget. 

 


Follow @BeatsDimesDrive on Twitter
Like Beats Dimes and Drives on Facebook

Going Pro: Who Is Leaving Early To Enter The NBA Draft

The next few weeks will be filled with college players leaving early to enter the NBA Draft in June. (pistolsfiringblog.com)

With the college basketball season over for all but four teams, now begins the whirlwind of players putting their names in the hat for the 2013 NBA Draft. Check back with the blog regularly to see which names are added to the list as the April 16 early entry deadline nears.

Players leaving school early for the NBA Draft
Newest additions in italics 

Steven Adams - freshman center, Pitt
C.J. Aiken - junior forward, St. Joseph's
Anthony Bennett - freshman forward, UNLV
Vander Blue - junior guard, Marquette
Lorenzo Brown - junior guard, NC State
Reggie Bullock - junior forward, UNC
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - sophomore guard, Georgia
Michael Carter-Williams - sophomore guard, Syracuse
Allen Crabbe - junior guard, Cal
Jamaal Franklin - junior forward, San Diego State
Archie Goodwin - freshman guard, Kentucky
Tim Hardaway Jr. - junior guard, Michigan
Myck Kabango - sophomore guard, Texas
Shane Larkin - sophomore guard, Miami 
Ricky Ledo - freshman guard, Providence
Alex Len - sophomore forward, Maryland
C.J. Leslie - junior forward, NC State
Amath Mbaye - junior forward, Oklahoma
Ben McLemore - freshman guard, Kansas
Tony Mitchell - sophomore forward, North Texas
Eric Moreland - sophomore guard, Oregon St.
Shabazz Muhammad - freshman forward, UCLA
Nerlens Noel - freshman forward, Kentucky
Victor Oladipo - junior guard, Indiana
Kelly Olynyk - junior forward, Gonzaga
Norvel Pelle - freshman forward/center, Iona (although never played for team)
Otto Porter - sophomore guard, Georgetown
Marshawn Powell - junior forward, Arkansas
Phil Pressey - junior guard, Missouri
Tony Snell - junior guard, New Mexico
Isaiah Sykes - junior guard, Central Florida
Adonis Thomas - sophomore guard, Memphis
DeShaun Thomas - junior forward, Ohio State
B.J. Young - sophomore guard, Arkansas
Cody Zeller - sophomore forward, Indiana

Follow @BeatsDimesDrive on Twitter
Like Beats Dimes and Drives on Facebook

The Mountain West is UNLV's to Lose

The long wait will soon be over when the first official NCAA basketball game of the 2012-13 season will tip-off on Nov. 15. Some of our favorite players have moved on the ranks of professional athletes, new recruits have been polishing their games in gyms with recognizable logos on the court, and schools have switched conference allegiances. Through a series of conference previews, the BDD crew will do its best to prepare you for the next 4.5 months of collegiate hoops.

UNLV's Mike Moser is a giant in the Mountain West. (cfbsection.com)

 
Conference Champion:  UNLV

The Mountain West is top-heavy, as witnessed in the spring when four of its eight teams made NCAA tourney trips. With the conference realignment fray focused intently on football, the MWC remained relatively unscathed (well, aside from losing gridiron flagship TCU to the Big 12) and actually added two solid basketball schools in Fresno State and Nevada.

The Runnin' Rebels are a perennial entrant to the NCAA tournament, but this season may provide their best shot at snagging a conference championship and making postseason noise that has been absent in their recent forays. Head coach Dave Rice has put together a team that includes transfers from Pitt, USC and — pending a successful appeal — Connecticut. That's in addition to forward Mike Moser's second year in the program after transferring across state lines from UCLA and averaging a 14-point, 10.5-rebound double-double for the Rebs last season. Oh, and a Top 30 recruiting class according to Rivals.

There's firepower in Las Vegas this season. San Diego State and Fresno State brought in top-flight recruits (Winston Shepard and Robert Upshaw, respectively), but neither school can claim to have made a coup over Kentucky like UNLV's commitment from five-star big man Anthony Bennett.

Given his reputation, Rice should be able to make this team gel and use his frontcourt to compensate for, if not complement, any preseason questions about which first-year player will start point guard.

Dark horse Team to Watch: Colorado State

The Rams finished fourth in the MWC and made it into the bubble in time for Murray State to bounce them from the big dance last season, but after a nine-year drought and a 22 years without an at-large bid, Colorado State has to feel good.

They are still the number three or four (depending on where you place the depleted New Mexico Lobos) in what the national media could pigeonhole as a two-team conference, but Wes Eikmeier is back to lead the Rams' corps of guards after a first-team All-MWC season in which he averaged 15.6 points. Among the other important pieces returning is Pierce Hornung, who showed up in a big way with a 12-17 double-double at the NCAA tourney and is expected to nab rebounds at a clip rivaling his per-game average of 8.4 from 2011-12.

If the Rams' six seniors — including Hornung, Eikimeier and his backcourt brethren Dorian Green and resident facilitator Jesse Carr — are going to surge in conference play, 2012-13 offers the perfect storm of confidence, roster continuity and offensive efficiency (CSU's 47.6 field goal percentage was good for 25th in Divison-I competition last season).

The Rams' outside-in play is due to a lack of depth, which is less than ideal in a conference suddenly ripe with big men. The other question is whether new head coach Larry Eustachy can pick up where Tim Miles left off when he accepted a gig at the helm of Nebraska hoops. In the past, Eustachy had off-court issues not flattering of a coach, but his coaching prowess is validated, including a a turn with Southern Mississippi that took the Golden Eagles to the NCAA tourney in March.

Player of the Year: Mike Moser, UNLV

Moser is far and away the best player in the conference. One summer after his working his double-double magic, there is a distinct possibility that Moser eclipses those statistics as his fellow big men demand more attention in 2012-13. Shooting guard Anthony Marshall's presence will work against opponents running zone defenses, too, and should give Moser a few easier looks at the basket.

Newcomer of the Year:  Anthony Bennett, UNLV

Believe it or not, there are not a bevy of five-star recruits playing in the mid-major Mountain West. Bennett will share touches with the other scorers on the Runnin' Rebels' roster, but by no means will he be denied his opportunities. With respect to Moser, Bennett will be fed the ball until he defers. He didn't deny Coach Cal to meander around the western states. Bennett's the standard-bearer for all incoming freshmen in the conference.

Coach of the Year:  Steve Alford, New Mexico

This goes against all other pieces of conjecture here, but Alford's case is tough to argue. His Lobos have captured the MWC championship in three of the last four season (2009, 2010 and 2012) and his team's defense-first mindset will overwhelm lesser teams and at least challenge the conference's upper echelon. Minus graduated forward Drew Gordon and 7-foot true freshman Obij Aget, who suffered a knee injury, the pressure is on the Lobos' remaining big men. But if there's one person in the MWC that can be counted on to get the most out of his team, it's Steve Alford.


Follow @BeatsDimesDrive on Twitter