CAN - A golden opportunity

TORONTO (FIBA Americas Championship/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Steve Nash played on some good teams in his national team career with Canada.

The ones the country plans on putting on the court over the next several years should be better.

The Cleveland Cavaliers took Canadian Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 pick in this summer's NBA Draft and Andrew Wiggins, who is to play for Kansas in 2013-14, is projected to be the first overall selection next summer.

There are many other Canadians shining in the American college game, overseas and in the NBA.

"It truly is the golden age of basketball in this country and we plan to build upon this momentum over the next three years as we look toward the 2016 Olympics and beyond," said Nash, the former NBA MVP who played for Canada at the 2000 Olympics.

Nash, who is on the books of the Los Angeles Lakers, is now the general manager of the men's national team.

"Our immediate goal is to prepare the team over the next month to be in the best possible position to secure a berth to next year’s FIBA World Cup," he said.

To reach next year's FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain, Canada will have to claim a top-four finish at the FIBA Americas Championship in Caracas, Venezuela.

Nash and national team coach Jay Triano announced the training camp squad for this summer on Monday.

The training camp will get underway on Friday at the Air Canada Centre.

In the 18-man training camp squad is Tristan Thompson, the 22-year-old forward of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 2.06m Thompson averaged more than 31 minutes per game this season with the Cavs.

San Antonio Spurs point guard Cory Joseph, who turns 22 on 20 August, is also in the preliminary squad.

Kelly Olynyk, the 22-year-old center who was taken in the NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, will miss the FIBA Americas Championship because of plantar fasciitis, which is inflammation of the tissue on the bottom of the foot.

Triano, the coach of Canada who is now in his second tour of duty with the national team, said: "We have a great depth of talent and I am keeping close watch over all of our players in every age-group.

"This team will be built over time from the emergence of our young players and the leadership of our veterans."

Canada enjoyed a best-ever finish of sixth at the FIBA U19 World Championship in the Czech Republic this summer, and the country's team at the World University Games in Kazan, Russia, came in fourth.

"Our staff is dedicated to making the most of our time together in camp to prepare for the challenges ahead," Triano said.

"We'll grow as a team and face the future together – I can't wait to get started".

Canada preliminary squad: Jermaine Anderson, Joel Anthony, Olu Ashaolu, Junior Cadougan, Aaron Doornekamp,
Carl English, Brady Heslip, Cory Joseph, Devoe Joseph, Kris Joseph, Myck Kabongo, Levon Kendall, Kyle Landry, Andrew Nicholson, Andrew Rautins, Philip Scrubb, Jevohn Shepherd, Tristan Thompson and Daniel Walden-Mullings.
 

FIBA