Jordi Fernandez done in the accumulation of mandates. Mike Brown's top assistant in Sacramento took advantage of his trip to Toronto last night to do a little prospecting for his second employer.
The national coach of Canada was not able to see RJ Barrett or Chris Boucher in action, the two Raptors players being in the infirmary. Canadian captain Kelly Olynyk was there. And Jordi Fernandez confirmed that the interior and the rest of the players present at the last World Cup wanted to come back.
“ Every player who played last year can't wait to play again » he assured in comments reported by the Toronto Star. A few months ago, Canada won its first medal in a Championship or World Cup by finishing third, notably beating neighbor America for the bronze medal. The squad was notably made up of seven NBA players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Dwight Powell and Kelly Olynyk.
Purdue's university star, Zach Edey, was also present, in a homogeneous squad. But which could still be strengthened by other talents, playing in particular across the Atlantic.
Andrew Nembhard or Shaedon Sharpe also targeted
“ The door is open to everyone » guarantees Jordi Fernandez. “ The players who did not have the opportunity to be there expressed their joy and their desire to play for the selection. »
The Spanish technician notably put forward the names of Andrew Nembhard and Benedict Mathurin as being particularly monitored, before the latter had to undergo shoulder surgery. The young Blazers winger, Shaedon Sharpe, is also the subject of “lobby” work by the federation, specifies the Toronto Star.
Jordi Fernandez warns, however: it is not enough to have made a name in the NBA to be selected, while other players like Jamal Murray or Andrew Wiggins could impose themselves.
“ You need great talent, and we have it. We will have the opportunity to improve the team in the future. And that doesn't mean we're only going to take talented players. We will bring elements that will help our group grow as a team. »
In a possible “group of death” in Paris
Canada will be able to draw on its increasingly significant pool in the NBA (Dalano Banton, Oshae Brisett and Trey Lyles to name a few) to constitute a real candidate for the podium in Paris.
Jordi Fernandez, however, remains measured, even though the season is not over. “ A lot can still happen, injuries and so on. My experience with national teams (he was assistant to Spain between 2017 and 2019, then to Nigeria at the 2020 Olympic Games, editor's note) is that things don't always go as planned, no matter the reason. So you have to be ready. Overall, we want everyone to be engaged and want to be there. This is how we will get the best out of everyone. »
THE Canada was placed in Group A of the Olympic Games, potentially the “group of death”, with theAustraliathe winner of the TQO played in Spain (Spain, Angola, Lebanon, Bahamas, Finland, Poland) and that of the TQO in Greece (Greece, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Slovenia, Croatia, New Zealand).
