Lol, We are gunna get owned...lol. We bearly beat the Virgin Islands, how are we gunna beat the States???
With Nash's poor endurance, he doesn't want to risk an injury. Yet some people are beginning to think that Nash doesn't want to represent Canada lol.
I'm sure if he was less worried about his back and so on, he would play. I think that we are young, and need time. When the USA played us, it is like the Team Canada hockey team against Germany, who have 1 NHL player. I think, when we make it to the Olympics, we will be able to compete better.
New Raptor helps hammer Canada <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Delfino leads way as Argentina keeps rolling towards berth in Beijing Carlos Delfino began the Tournament of the Americas Olympic qualification basketball event a marked man, asked to provide leadership to a relatively young Argentina team missing its greatest stars. There were other concerns that hit much closer to home for Raptor fans, too, and the recently acquired swingman has calmed them ? and handled his patriotic duties with aplomb ? in a breakout tournament. The 6-foot-7 Delfino, who has helped Argentina stay unbeaten after a 85-70 thrashing of Canada in Las Vegas night, has given Raptor president and general manager Bryan Colangelo much to be happy about a month or so from the beginning of training camp. "He's displayed a great ability to run a team," Colangelo said yesterday. "Even if he isn't the point guard on the floor, they're running a lot of the offence through him and he's handling it well." </div> The Star I may be the last to know this, but Delfino is 6'7. He could become our starting SF if he is playing this well. I mean, Garbo can go back to his regular position. I like Delfino's stats - 18PPG / 7 RPG / 5APG.
<div class="quote_poster">SoSoDef Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">We already have Jason Kapono to be our starting SF.</div> But, he could play behind Parker and make our bench even better.
<div class="quote_poster">hustler Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Kapono is a bust. BOOK IT.</div> How could he be a bust? I think he won't maybe score AS much like he did in Miami, but he can still score and play a big role for our team.
Delfino's jacking too many 3's in the Brazil/Argentina game, but I still like his game a lot. He's a nasty offensive weapon when he gets in the zone. Plays too much like a guard to play him at the 3-spot that often, but he should be a great backup to Anthony Parker. Delfino and Calderon have been impressive as hell so far.
Showdown with Puerto Rico looming large for Canada <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">All that's at stake tonight when Canada faces Puerto Rico at the FIBA Americas Olympic basketball qualification tournament is the short-term future of a national program starved for success. After a 97-80 thrashing of Mexico yesterday afternoon in Las Vegas, as good a performance as the Canadians have put on in the drawn-out tournament, the national men's team holds its fate in its own hands going into the last of four quarter-final round games. A win over Puerto Rico means Canada will finish no worse than fifth and assure themselves a berth in a final qualification tournament for the Beijing Olympics next summer. A win and a couple of other favourable results could propel Canada into Saturday's semifinals and give them a chance of a monumental upset victory that would move them into the next Olympics without having to take part in next summer's last-chance event. </div> The Star
Sorry about the lack of updates recently. Been a bit busy. Kind of an anticlimactic end to the Americas tournament. The USA breezed through all the competition to win gold and qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They beat Argentina in the finals, who also gained an Olympic berth by placing 2nd. Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Canada will have the opportunity to gain a spot in next summer's Qualifying Tournament. Luis Scola won the MVP award, averaging 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2 assists over the course of the tournament As for the only Raptor player that participated in the tournament, Carlos Delfino ended up averaging 13.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and 3.3 apg. He had several noteworthy performances (scorching Canada in one match), but did not play as great as he did before the tournament. His early injury may have affected him, but he drifted toward the perimeter a bit more than I would have liked. However, he still showed explosive scoring ability and really seemed to adapt as one of the team's leaders. EuroBasket update coming soon.
Great stat line for Delfino. Without the Raptor bias, I think Delfino should of won MVP, but that is just me. I think he will be a great role player for us and become a soild player. I think he can average about 9-10PPG in 20 minutes.
Bargnani the overtime hero in Italy's victory</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> Andrea Bargnani did enough to keep Italy alive in the European basketball championships yesterday and enough to satisfy his coach.</p> But just barely.</p> Bargnani had five straight points in overtime in lifting Italy to an 84-75 victory over Turkey to set up a must-win game tomorrow against Germany if the Italians are to have any chance of qualifying for the Beijing Olympics.</p> "Andrea Bargnani didn't play a good game, but he knew to score in the last minutes a three-pointer and two shots from the line, and that's important," Italian coach Carlo Recalcati told reporters after the game. "The whole game the team was waiting for him. If he doesn't play the right way, the team is hurt."</div></p> </p><u><font color="#800080">The Toronto Star</font></u>
