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.

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Why Every Team Lost the 2013 NBA Draft

Good luck finding success with your respective idiotic franchises. (footbasket.com)

"Down" was the popular word to describe this year's draft class, and rightly so, though most spectators grabbed that tag and refused to acknowledge the depth of talent in the rising rookie class. But because this is the Internet and everything is bad at all times, take a couple moments to dislike every pick by every team in the 2013 NBA Draft. (Don't forget your own favorite! Bash those stupid general managers!)

Atlanta Hawks
General Manager Danny Ferry got Joe Johnson's contract off the books last summer, but his follow-up trick included doing his best David Kahn impression by drafting three point guards and a guy with the last name "Ennis." Did he learn nothing about NBA nicknames from Utah's great Enes Kanter experiment?

Boston Celtics
The Celtics' lone pick in the draft, Brazilian center Lucas Nogueira, didn't even go to college and missed out on important keg stand experience. Pundits doubt he'll be able to learn the necessary balance before the rookie symposium, thus dooming him to a professional career full of taunts such as, "Great dunk. I remember my first beer," followed by knowing winks. It's good that Boston wasn't in need of a center, though, because that allowed Danny Ainge to trade Nogueira to Atlanta.

Brooklyn Nets
"A big white guy from Duke? I gotta have it!" - Mikhail Prokhorov, believing Jay-Z was still invested in the franchise.

Charlotte Bobcats
Michael Jordan runs this team and selected Cody Zeller at No. 4 overall with Bobcats' only pick in the draft. Too easy. Make up your own joke.

Chicago Bulls
Nothing says "gritty defense" like picking a skinny guy with cornrows and an Erik with a "k."

Cleveland Cavaliers
Four picks in a deep draft and the Cavs managed to avoid drafting their point guard of the future. Dumb.

Dallas Mavericks
Mark Cuban was angling for a cameo in the next Hobbit movie by adding Kelly Olynyk to the roster as a power forward/giant elf tweener, but traded the Canadian after deciding an appearance on Shark Tank was more lucrative.

Denver Nuggets
Rudy Gobert is no Rudy Fernandez. Traded!

Detroit Pistons
Failed to capitalize on the marketing potential of Detroit's massive college basketball standing when they didn't draft Ray McCallum, Jr.

Golden State Warriors
Acquired Nemanja Nedovic from Phoenix in hopes of turning the Serbian shooting guard into the next Anthony Davis, but were disappointed to find out Nedovic does not, in fact, have a uni-brow.

Houston Rockets
Took Isaiah Canaan the year AFTER he had a breakout role in college basketball. Great job, general manager/advanced statistics nerd Daryl Morey.

Indiana Pacers
Colton Iverson was the only player drafted from traditional powerhouse Colorado State and the Pacers traded the Rams big man to Boston. Know your history, kids.

Los Angeles Clippers
Reggie Bullock's last name sounds an awful lot like "bullet." The Clippers overplayed there hand here and revealed their planned name change before even announcing their interest. Next stop: Gilbert Arenas, hand gesture coach.

Los Angeles Lakers
They've had luck with large, bearded white men in the past, so why not take a flyer on an oft-injured, Euro-style forward like Ryan Kelly?

Memphis Grizzlies
If their picks pan out, the Grizzlies will have successfully addressed depth concerns at the shooting guard and small forward positions, but traded away a foreign guy named "Joffrey" during Game of Thrones' highest point of popularity yet. Pop culture fail.

Miami Heat
A franchise that faces constant criticism anyway, the Heat received the Hawks' "Ennis" problem after having no picks of its own during the draft. WAY TO MORTGAGE YOUR FUTURE, DUMMIES!

Milwaukee Bucks
They're either bringing Brandon Jennings back or handing the franchise's keys to an unathletic white guy who choked during his only game on a big stage in college. #NateWolters #Welp

Minnesota Timberwolves
Traded two of their picks and basically all they got was Shabazz Muhammad, he of the great 0.7 assists per game stat. He's also not a numerologist.

New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans
They come out looking pretty good on paper (except for the new name, obviously), but excluded themselves from the ranks of the NBA's en vogue by not adding a player with a knee injury.

New York Knicks
Couldn't convince Jason Kidd to stay so instead they drafted someone who was born during Kidd's freshman year at UCLA. Way to let an all-time great walk away, James Dolan.

Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder could have been the only team running a (lame) vintage comic book promotion based around a player named Archie, until Goodwin got flipped to Phoenix. As always, Suns win.

Orlando Magic
Orlando obviously didn't draft based upon the proper measurements since there were players available with much more nickname upside than George A. Romero Osby and Victor Von Olidoompo.

Philadelphia 76ers
Thanks to fine print in the NBA rule book, they weren't allowed to draft Greg Oden after agreeing to acquire Nerlens Noel from New Orleans. Oden-Noel-Andrew Bynum is the front court the NBA deserves, but not the one it needs right now (bylaw 11.09.4 via David Stern Hates Fun Clause).

Phoenix Suns
Shut up about Phoenix's mess of a professional basketball organization. I like Michael Beasley, okay?

Portland Trail Blazers
Whoa, look in the mirror before you walk out the door, historically-great-for-centers Portland. Your contempt for Jeff Withey is showing.

Sacramento Kings
In a deep draft, the Kings found a way to select one of the weakest point guards available AND a player whose enters the NBA with questions about his assertiveness. Bravo.

San Antonio Spurs
This franchise is one more European player away from being relocated to Marseilles.

Toronto Raptors
The 2013 NBA Draft will henceforth be referred to only as the "Raptors Rudy Gay Consolation Draft."

Utah Jazz
Is Jackie Moon GM-ing this team? Is he also the starting power forward? No one knows with all the f***ing trading you did, Utah. Seriously.

Washington Wizards
The Wiz duped Milwaukee into taking Nate Wolters, but must still rely on John Wall's knee/weight/tattoos to lead them. 

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The Best Of The Rest: Those Not Selected In The NBA Draft

Marquette's Vander Blue is among those undrafted who now must impress an NBA team this summer. (nydailynews.com)

Not every dream came true at the NBA Draft on June 27. Overlooked in the surprise of the picks and the hot-potato-like game of trading players are the guys who never heard their names called. Many will still get their chance playing on summer league teams, but the thrill of hearing their name read and having a hat to put on with pride was lost.

You will notice many of these players came out early, some questionably, showing the negative side to leaving school for a shot at the NBA. Everyone wants to get to the league as quickly as possible, but it doesn't work out for everyone, and another year in school can greatly benefit some of these players' games and lives.

That being said, we take a look at some of the notable names whose dream didn't come true on June 27 and will now look to get another chance this summer.

C.J. Leslie - North Carolina State
The 6'9" Wolfpack forward going undrafted was probably one of the more surprising of those left out on draft day. Leslie burst onto the national scene two years ago as he helped take NC State to the Sweet 16. Despite averaging 15.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last season, the team's disappointing performance took the limelight off Leslie, and his thin frame at just 200 pounds could have been a factor in teams passing up on him.

Khalif Wyatt - Temple
Wyatt was a scoring machine last season for Temple, averaging 20.5 points per game and terrifying opposing defenses. The senior guard scored 30 or more points seven times last season, including back-to-back 31-point games in the NCAA Tournament. Wyatt was not exceptional at racking up assists or rebounds, and turned the ball over three times per game, but his offensive skill set should be enough for him to land on a team.

Myck Kabongo - Texas
Missing the first 23 games of last season due to suspension for NCAA violations hurt the Texas sophomore's stock, but when he did return during conference play, he made the most of it. Kabongo averaged 14.6 points, five rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, although he struggled from behind the arc (shooting just 29.6 percent) and being only 6'1" did not help him in the eyes of NBA GMs.  

Vander Blue - Marquette
When your own coach questions if you should be leaving school early for the draft, that might be a red flag. Sure, Blue greatly improved his scoring last season, and yes, next year's draft class is predicted to be much deeper, but Blue probably should have returned to Marquette for another year. Blue still struggles from 3-point range (30 percent) and averaged more turnovers (2.3) than assists (1.8), which is never a good sign.

Phil Pressey - Missouri
Pressey may have been the best passing point guard in the country last season for Missouri, not just for his 7.1 assists per game, but how he facilitated the offense. Pressey also contributed 11.9 points per game, but did so shooting less than 40 percent from the field. The Tiger point guard also had a string of bad performances in key moments at the end of games and his size (listed as 5'11.5" with shoes) left NBA teams hesitant. Still, Pressey's awareness, passing skills and ability to see the floor should allow him to land on a team this summer.

Other notable undrafted players: 
Brandon Paul - Illinois
Trevor Mbakwe - Minnesota
Adonis Thomas - Memphis
Matthew Dellavedova - St. Mary's
Seth Curry - Duke

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Updated: Clippers, Chris Paul Reach Agreement On Contract Extension

Reports are that Chris Paul will remain a Clipper, and is expected to sign a five-year extension with the team. (articles.washingtonpost.com)

Update: Since the original post below was published, Chris Paul verbally agreed to the five-year contract extension. Paul tweeted out his answer, which as you can see has already become quite popular, keeping him in LA for the long haul. Now it's just up to Paul and the Clippers to find their way deeper into the playoffs.

Original: Lob City looks to be holding onto its floor general for the long term. The Los Angeles Clippers and point guard Chris Paul are expected to come to an agreement on a five-year, $107-million contract extension. Monday is the first day Paul is able to verbally agree to the deal, although the contract cannot be physically signed until July 10.

The Clippers bringing in Doc Rivers as the head coach was thought to be an extra boost to keep Paul in LA, and it seemed to have worked. Now the Clippers have their core players locked in for several years (Blake Griffin signed a five-year extension last summer) and they believe Rivers is a coach that can take them from being a playoff team to an NBA Championship contender.

Paul averaged 16.9 points, 9.7 assists and 2.41 steals per game last season for the Clippers, who were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs in six games by Memphis, despite dominating the regular season with a 56-26 record.

Paul will also have a new scoring option to pass to in the backcourt as Los Angeles drafted 6'7" North Carolina shooting guard Reggie Bullock with the No. 25 pick in last Thursday's NBA Draft.

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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. 

 


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Draft Profile: Premier Point Guard Trey Burke

In the run-up to the 2013 NBA Draft on June 27, the BDD staff will be profiling several projected lottery picks and other draft entrants. Next up: Trey Burke.

Trey Burke is projected as the first guard off the board in the NBA Draft. (Associated Press)

Position: Point Guard
College: Michigan
DraftExpress Prediction: No. 6 in the first round, No. 6 overall to the New Orleans Pelicans

Synopsis: Burke led a heavily hyped Michigan squad to the national championship game, officially announcing the Wolverines' return to college basketball's highest level. Several times at the end of the regular season, Burke exhibited an intangible that makes coaches and scouts salivate: the clutch gene. Whether it was a making a late shot to clinch a game or send it to overtime or forcing a turnover that took away an opponent's last hope at winning, Burke repeatedly showed his ability to perform on both ends of the court when the atmosphere is at its most tense. This is perhaps just as important as any of his skills with a basketball, especially considering his short stature (5'11.75" without shoes; 6'1.25" with shoes) and lean 187-pound frame.

Burke's skills speak for themselves. He creates like a traditional point guard (7.7 assists per 40 minutes pace adjusted), especially excelling at finding teammates in transition with a 4.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio on the fast break, which is good because his transition scoring is not ideal. However, Burke more than makes up for it in half-court sets, in which he executes well off the dribble and creates his own shot, often preferring to efficiently knock down pull-up jumpers rather than finishing at the rim. That would be an issue for most guards, but Burke is at home in the mid-range, as one of the few areas where his game could stand to improve is behind the arc, where he shot a paltry 38.3 percent as a sophomore, up from 34.8 percent as a freshman.

Burke's ability to score in multiple ways, as well as find shots for teammates all over the court, is complemented by the 1.9 steals per 40 minutes pace adjusted he compiled last season. His quick hands — the masters of his crafty ball-handling and fantastic passing — make Burke a capable ball-hawk on defense, but his size could be a problem when it comes to defending point guards of typical NBA size, who will likely stand several inches taller than him and could either work Burke into post-up situations or use their superior length to put the Michigan product on his heels. Teams have done worse than settling for such a good offensive weapon and forsaking some defense, however.

Quote to note: "On the court, in my opinion, it's totally different. Change of speed with the ball and things like that, I feel like that's a natural strength of mine, honestly. If you watch back at Michigan — even though this is another level — a lot of the times when I got to the rim, it was from change of speed, ball-handling and just craftiness. I feel like I am just as athletic as the guys my size. I don't feel like I'm a super-athlete, like Derrick Rose." - Trey Burke on his comparable athleticism after a pre-draft workout with the Sacramento Kings.

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Draft Profile: Potential No. 1 Pick Nerlens Noel

In the run-up to the 2013 NBA Draft on June 27, the BDD staff will be profiling several projected lottery picks and other draft entrants. Next up: Nerlens Noel.

 

Nerlens Noel has the size to be great in the NBA, but how will his recently torn ACL hold up? (sportsillustrated.cnn.com)

Position: Center
College: Kentucky
DraftExpress Prediction: No. 1 in the first round, No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers

Synopsis: He was expected to be an Anthony Davis lookalike in performance and in leading Kentucky to possibly a second-straight NCAA Championship. Nerlens Noel wasn't a dominant as Davis and his Wildcats were wildly disappointing, but Noel still made a name for himself last season, especially on the defensive end. His 4.4 blocks per game put him as one of the best in the country, while also grabbing 9.5 rebounds per game and just generally putting fear into any opponent who thinks of himself as brave enough to drive to the paint on Noel. On the offensive side, his game is certainly not terrible, but it has a long way to go. Noel averaged 10.5 points per game on 59 percent shooting from the field, but he only took less than seven shots per game. He is going to have to be more aggressive on the offensive end.

Then there's the knee. The second Noel flew at the basket against Florida you knew it wasn't good. The torn ACL put him out for the rest of the season and we still don't know what kind of shape the knee is in. The team that drafts Noel will know it may take more time for Noel to get back to his former self, which is asking a team with a very high draft pick, who is bad and one would assume wants to improve right away, to be patient. Noel will still be a top three pick, and potentially the No. 1 pick, mostly based on his size and physical attributes. It's hard to pass up a guy who is nearly 7-feet tall with a 7'4" wingspan and has the athletic ability, especially on defense, that Noel possesses. It will take some time, both for the knee and the growth of his offensive game, but the team that takes Noel is thinking about the future, and he could have a solid future in the NBA.

Quote to note: "We're talking about a No. 1 pick who's a defensive savant, but he can't score and is injured. Offensively, he has a long way to go. He scores off activity level, not skill level. And we can't forget he's hurt. We're not talking about a sprained ankle, you'd be drafting a guy who just tore his ACL. No one said, 'I don't think Greg Oden will pan out.' This is more unusual. For a top draft pick, he raises a lot of questions." - Jay Bilas on Noel via USA Today.

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