Canadian Roundup: European Season Preview
It’s been a while.
Since Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team (SMNT) suffered a crushing quarter-final defeat to France at the Olympics, I’ve been apathetic towards eulogizing the summer, and more broadly the Jordi Fernández era, which started with unprecedented success and saw all the built up momentum come to a crashing halt in Paris. While there’s been no confirmation that Fernández’s tenure with Canada Basketball is over, his full-time head coaching responsibilities with the Brooklyn Nets complicates his future with Canada Basketball. We’ve already seen that happen on the Women’s side, with Victor Lapeña mutually parting ways with the SWNT after landing a full-time position with Çukurova Basketbol Kulüb. The two situations aren’t identical, but it’s not an encouraging precedent.
Earlier this year, in consultation with Canada Basketball, Lapeña was hired by Çukurova Basketbol Kulübü, a Turkish professional women’s basketball club. Following the Olympics, it was decided that it would be best for him to focus his efforts on his professional team as they compete in the EuroLeague Women and other national competitions.
Canada Basketball Press Release
But enough time has passed so let’s circle back to the 2024 Paris Olympics. To me, the SMNT’s early exit was a failure, fullstop. It would be one thing had Canada played for a medal and fallen short, but being eliminated before the medal rounds is a hugely disappointing finish. Canada had marched through the “Group of Death” and the knockout stages draw had settled favourably, with the US on the other side of the bracket. Meanwhile their quarter-final opponent, France, had struggled immensely through Group play, and were reminiscent of the team that finished 18th at the 2023 FIBA WC. Their offense was uninspiring and laborious and they needed some questionable officiating to beat Japan and limp to the knockout stages. Their lack of high level ball handling was a key vulnerability that I expected Canada to exploit with the frenetic full court ball pressure that Fernández had deployed in earlier games.
And yet when the two teams matched up in Paris, nearly a year after Canada had routed Les Blues by 30 points, it was France who pummeled Canada in the paint, wore them down physically and grinded out a victory. Credit to HC Vincent Collet, because the adjustment to play Guerschon Yabusele and Mathias Lessort over Rudy Gobert completely changed the complexion of the team as they ended up winning the silver medal. They had just enough offensive juice with Yabusele and Lessort hammering Canada’s frontcourt in the post, and hot shooting from Isaia Cordiner and Evan Fournier. Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama’s defensive presence continued to prop up France’s elite paint defense (which held opponents to just 47% on 2PA, #1 overall at the 2024 Olympics). Canada, after falling down by as much as 19 points, clawed their way back and cut the lead to five late in the fourth quarter, but just ran out of gas in the end.
If we want to become a serious basketball powerhouse on the international stage, we need to be honest when the program fails, just as much as we celebrate the program’s successes. And let me be clear, while I do view the end result of the 2024 Olympics as a failure, the work that the SMNT has done in the years leading up to Paris (i.e. the process) has laid a strong foundation for the future of the program. The tireless and unwavering dedication to building continuity from GM Rowan Barrett, whether it’s through demanding multi-year commitments from the “Summer Core” or through the coaching staff establishing consistent offensive and defensive principles across competitions, has been immensely beneficial in stabilizing the program. There’s been a concerted effort to invest more money to support the high-performance teams, led by CEO Mike Bartlett. Canada’s focus on youth development continues through programs like the Junior Academy, Junior Team ID camps, annual U15 and U17 National Championship tournaments and events like GLOBL JAM. These investments have led to results on the court as Canada’s SMNT won a medal at a global international basketball event for the first time since 1936 and cracked the top 5 in FIBA’s Men’s rankings earlier this year (a jump from ranking 18th in Sept 2021). If you want to be really optimistic, from a pure roster construction standpoint, much of Canada’s Olympic roster will be in the “prime” of their respective careers, with additions like Zach Edey hopefully available to address frontcourt issues. A lot was accomplished since 2021 and that shouldn’t be forgotten, even with the disappointing Olympic showing. I firmly believe, Canada Basketball’s process over the last three years will lead to long-term sustained success for the SMNT.
But enough with the dwelling and rehashing of the past. It’s time to turn a new page and focus on the next Olympic cycle. And that means covering, tracking and analyzing Canada’s talent pool in the NBA (for the “Summer Core”) and around the world (for the “Winter Core”). With the new European basketball season in full swing, I’ve compiled a tracker of Canadians playing overseas, which you can find here along with some storylines to follow.
The EuroLeague Rookies
Despite the seemingly overflowing pipeline of basketball talent coming out of Canada in the last decade, Canadians have struggled to find prolonged success as a collective group in the EuroLeague, the consensus second best basketball league globally. With each new season that passes, a new set of eager Canadian EuroLeague rookies make the ambitious jump, only to struggle and fizzle out by year’s end (see Kassius Robertson last year, Kyle Alexander the year before that). This year though, Isiaha Mike and Xavier Rathan-Mayes, who join the EuroLeague at very different points in their respective careers, are hoping to buck the trend.
For Mike, his EuroLeague call up to Serbian giant KK Partizan is the latest step in his steady ascent up the European basketball ranks. And as I had written last year, it was only a matter of time before he joined Europe’s top league. Unlike many of his undrafted counterparts, who start their careers as Exhibit 10’s and play years in the G League, Mike made the immediate jump overseas in the tumultuous year that was 2020. That decision has paid off, as the 27-year-old Mike is coming off of a career-best season with JL Bourg-en-Bresse (playing alongside 2024 #1 pick Zaccharie Risacher), where he was named to the All-EuroCup 1st team, and led the French club to a 2nd place finish in the EuroCup.
After watching countless Isiaha Mike offensive possessions over the past year, I expect his silky-smooth, yet powerful drives to the rim to translate to the EuroLeague level. Mike’s high-volume and efficient paint scoring (79th percentile in paint FGA, 60% in paint FG% at the EuroCup level last season according to 3stepsbasket) is largely driven by his physical tools. While his explosive athleticism (burst and vertical pop) are impressive, especially in the context of European basketball, I came away more impressed with Mike’s ability to get low on his drives. His lower body is flexible enough to explode at sharp angles and strong enough to maintain stability through contact. It’s very noticeable when he attacks closeouts, where he’s often attacking by lowering his shoulder to the defender’s hip level and slipping by with ease.
In addition to his physical tools, Mike’s handle empowers his forays to the rim. His handle is tight and secure while simultaneously giving him enough wiggle to shake defenders off the spot, opening a driving angle for him to exploit. Unlike other uber-athletic wings, Mike’s handle allows him to get to his spots on the court rather than restrict his movement. Because of all these tools working in harmony, I think Mike will continue to thrive attacking tilted defenses and closeouts in the EuroLeague, which fits in with his projected offensive role as a rookie. He’s growth to become a respectable 36.4% (133/365) career 3P shooter (primarily off the catch) over the last 2 years should only help draw harder closeouts and by extension open up more driving lanes for Mike to attack.
Unfortunately, Mike has been sidelined with a calf tear to start the year and has yet to make his debut in Europe’s top league. The debut should be imminent now as he played his first game with Partizan in the Adriatic Basketball League (ABA) on Oct 20th. Out of all the recent Canadians to make the EuroLeague jump, I’m the highest on Mike. Canada Basketball, let’s get him in the fold ASAP.
Xavier Rathan-Mayes should be a familiar name for Canada Basketball fans. Once a highly touted high school prospect (ranked 44th in the Class of 2013 by ESPN), Rathan-Mayes is intertwined with the early wave of Canadian talent that first garnered mass attention in the US. He was teammates with Andrew Wiggins at Huntington Prep in West Virginia. On the AAU circuit, he ran with the iconic CIA Bounce program alongside Wiggins and Tyler Ennis that narrowly lost at the 2012 EYBL Championship game (no Canadian program has since returned to the Championship game). After committing to Florida State and playing 3 seasons, Rathan-Mayes turned his attention to the pros, with an eye on the NBA.
Unfortunately, the NBA success that Rathan-Mayes seemed destined for never came. Instead, he became a journeyman, playing in 107 games in the G League across 3 seasons compared to just 5 games in the NBA. His career overseas also featured many stops, with short stints in Greece, Israel, Romania, Australia and Turkey. He was constantly moving between teams in the midst of a single season and never seemed to be able to fully establish himself. To be quite honest, he had flown off my radar of Canadian pros to track for the national team.
But something changed during the 2023-2024 season. Rathan-Mayes, who now played for Enisey in Russia’s top league (VTB), had found consistency and clarity. He appeared in 36 games, the most he’s ever played for one team in a single season since 2017-2018 with the Westchester Knicks, and averaged a career high (and league-leading) 25.7 PPG on 45.1/35.7/68.8 shooting splits. In a game against Parma in November, Rathan-Mayes caught fire and dropped 42 points with 6 3P’s, coming just 7 points shy of the VTB all time record for most points in a game.
His strong year in Russia didn’t go unnoticed and Rathan-Mayes signed a two-year contract with one of the most recognizable clubs in the world — Real Madrid. After years of chasing his basketball dreams around the world, the 30-year-old Rathan-Mayes has finally found his redemption in the EuroLeague. With point guards Facundo Campazzo and Andres Feliz taking the majority of the playmaking reps for Real Madrid, Rathan-Mayes will slot in as more of a secondary ball handler and play finisher. I think this new “gunner role” is ideal given his well-documented scoring prowess and his comfort shooting off the dribble brings an extra punch to Real Madrid’s second-side offensive attack.
In the first month of the season, Rathan-Mayes has been a steady contributor playing consistent minutes. He’s currently averaging 15 mins per game in EuroLeague competitions and 14 mins per game in Liga ACB play. How he fares over the season will be one of the more intriguing storylines to follow.
Future “Winter Core” Bigs
Mfiondu Kabengele, who enters his second season with Reyer Venezia (Italian LBA, EuroCup) is already in the midst of a breakout year. Across all competitions, Kabengele is currently averaging a double-double, with 13.4 PTS to go along with 12.8 REB per game. At the EuroCup level, he’s been rebounding the ball at a historic rate, as he ranks in the 96th percentile in OREB% (14.91) and 98th percentile in DREB% (26.98). As always, his work rate is incredible and he’s just truly fun to watch as he barrels through multiple defenders on his way to secure another rebound or finish inside (where he’s shooting 64% on a heavy volume of 7.1 FGA per game). The SMNT hasn’t had a big who is as physical, talented and threatening on the roll as Kabengele in years.
One of the more interesting things about Kabengele’s transition to European basketball is how his 3PA rate has gone down significantly. In his 237 appearances across the NCAA, G-League and NBA, Kabengele attempted 567 3’s, good for about 2.39 attempts per game. As a prospect, there was some optimism that Kabengele’s accurate free throw shooting would extend to behind the 3P line. A physical wrecking ball in the interior who can also function as a stretch big is an intriguing archetype. However, the 3P shooting never materialized and Kabengele remained a mediocre 3P shooter, hitting just 33.2% of his 3PA in his time in North America. Meanwhile in Europe, Kabengele has only attempted 25 3’s in 40 games (0.63 attempts per game), making 36.0% of them. Whether this lower 3PA rate is at the discretion of the coaching staff or an adjustment made by Kabengele himself as he’s developed, I think it’s been for the better. He is just so much more impactful in the paint, whether it’s jockeying for position on the offensive glass or finishing down low through contact.
As someone who firmly believes Kabengele is a EuroLeague level talent (don’t take it just from me, the rumour mill has already begun on his eventual jump to the EuroLeague) it should be Canada Basketball’s top priority to get him in the fold for the next Olympic cycle. Thankfully, it seems they are prioritizing him as they invited Kabengele to the Paris Olympics training camp this past summer. To me, that training camp invite is a big deal. With all the focus on building continuity the past 3 years and honouring player’s multi-year commitments to the national team, extending an invite to Kabengele, who has never played for the SMNT, is a clear indication of how highly the Canada Basketball front office views him compared to the rest of the big man talent pool. The surprise invitation hopefully establishes a strong relationship between Canada Basketball and the 27-year-old Kabengele that both sides will reap the benefits from over the next 4 years. Whether it’s with the “Winter Core”, where his gravity as a roll threat and interior scoring make him a focal point of the offense, or with the “Summer Core”, where his overwhelming physicality and hustle fit in well in a supporting role, Kabengele is poised to make an impact in a Canada jersey. Let’s hope it happens soon.
Thomas Kennedy, who has already represented Canada at GLOBL JAM, the 2022 AmeriCup and 2025 AmeriCup qualifiers, looks to build off of his incredible rookie year in Germany’s top league (and the FIBA Basketball Champions League) with Basket Bonn. In a smaller offensive role, he was incredibly efficient and showed signs of improved explosive athleticism. This all culminated in one of the stronger rookie seasons for a Canadian in a top European domestic league in recent years.
While Kennedy thrived in a limited offensive role as a rookie, there’s so much potential for him to grow into a dynamic offensive weapon. When I had written my deep dive into Kennedy’s debut with the SMNT at the 2022 AmeriCup, his processing and passing touch stood out immediately. Whether it’s from a standstill in the post or on the move while diving to the rim, Kennedy found his teammates for open looks consistently and flashed a pinch of “genius creativity” in his deliveries as well. With many modern offenses now empowering bigs to make reads as central playmaking hubs, Kennedy’s playmaking ability fits in perfectly with this new meta. In fact, the SMNT has already utilized Kennedy as a playmaking hub at the elbow, as seen in their dominant Window 1 performance against Nicaragua. I sincerely hope Bonn gives him more playmaking reps this year to continue Kennedy’s rapid development, because he’s ready.
Looking even further to the future, there’s a couple of young Canadian bigs who are just starting their European careers who could eventually develop into consistent “Winter Core” contributors later on in the 2028 Olympic cycle. One of those prospects is Ben Krikke, who I had covered with the help of Josh Codinera last March. Krikke, who played his final collegiate season at Iowa, will be playing for Ourense in Spanish’s second league to begin his career. I like the move as it’s giving him consistent playing time (27.4 mins per game) and a large role to adjust to the European pro game. I fully expect Krikke to transfer to a top tier domestic league as early as next season.
I just love Krikke’s constant off-ball movement and how well that pairs with the “Winter Core”. He’s incredible at finding pockets of space on the floor and proactively cuts and floats to these areas to give his teammates easy passing angles. When he’s not freelancing and mapping the court, he’s setting screens to free up movement shooters or slashers. I can only imagine how useful Krikke’s off-ball motor will become when he plays with Canada’s high level playmakers like Kaza Kajami-Keane and Thomas Kennedy. He might just be the “Winter Core’s” next little things king, at least on the offensive end.
Nick Ongenda is another former NCAA D1 big who has opted to start his European career after spending a season with the Salt Lake City Stars in the G-League. Most recently a member of the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the CEBL, Ongenda is making an ambitious leap, joining Polish club Anwil Wloclawek, who play at the FIBA Europe Cup level.
When Ongenda does end up making his SMNT debut (hopefully in the near future), he will immediately make an impact as a mobile and long rim protector (1.2 BLK in 15.5 mins in the G-League). The “Winter Core” bigman depth chart is lacking a rim deterrent threat not named Kyle Alexander and Ongenda fills that void. Offensively, he’s still a work in progress and limited to just finishing at the rim as a roller. Still, off his defensive impact alone, Ongenda is worth the effort to track over the next few years.
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