With the 2015-2016 season upon us, The Three Man Weave will fill the lanes on the news, views and truths of the NBA and beyond. 

As always, the squad will be led by Will Strickland and Duane Watson, hosts of TSN Radio Network's flagship basketball show,  #1On1 with Will & Duane.

The #ouipapa Champ, TSN Radio 690's NBA analyst Peter Yannopoulos, joins Duane and Will as they weave to achieve on the growing landscape of Canadian basketball over the past summer. 

#3MW: The Ultimate Hoops Writing Machine is back!

By Winning The FIBA Americas To Qualify For Rio 2016, Will The Senior Woman's National Team Finally Get Their Due?

Watson: The Canadian women have flown under the radar for some time now. This past summer' gold goes without saying, but this is a program that reached the quarterfinals in the 2012 Olympics for the first time in the program's history. Meanwhile, the team has continued to improve with the play of Kia Nurse, Natalie Achonwa, Tamara Tatham, Lizanne Murphy and more. Everyone loves a winner and they are the crown jewel of Canada Basketball right now. The ladies deserve all the praise that they get.

Yannopoulos: They most certainly deserve every accolade and increased recognition. I was fortunate to cover this team on their impressive run to the FIBA Americas title. They are talented, selfless, humble and play the game the proper way. Their concentration and execution were flawless throughout their unprecedented undefeated record this summer. Canada has slowly begun to embrace this team; it will only intensify next year in Rio. This group of players and coaches are simply class personified.

Strickland: Where? In Canada? Maybe in some small circles this team will get recognized for their accomplishments. But the word "deserved" is tricky. Exhibiting depth, grit and determination to build on a program-best finish at the 2012 Olympics, these ladies have definitely earned the right by grabbing FIBA Americas gold on their home soil. Medal in Rio next year and we may see the rise of a true new global superpower in Woman's National Team basketball.

What Are The Expectations For Former #1 Pick Anthony Bennett Returning Home To Play For The Raptors?

Watson: Anthony Bennett's biggest problem was when he was drafted first overall, there were always expectations of him. He is coming to Toronto on a minimum contract at a low risk with very little pressure. It should be expected that he comes in works hard, does all the little things and makes the most of all the minutes given to him. He is out to prove he belongs in the NBA. Based on what he did this summer with the National Team, it's looking like he can do it.

Yannopoulos: The expectations are rapidly decreasing for Anthony with many believing this is his last chance to stay in the NBA. I beg to differ. Bennett is a young player who has battled injury and opportunity. In my opinion, he was the most improved player in the world this summer while starting for Canada's Men's National team. Furthermore, Bennett was able to showcase his ability to shoot, finish in transition and facilitate for teammates with an improved focus on rebounding and defence. Adversity has hit him both on and off the court with his recent buyout. However, I now believe he's matured with truly holding himself accountable. Hopefully, AB will be the first to arrive at every practice and last one to leave as well.

Strickland: Rarely is homecoming in the NBA successful. With the specter of family/friend distractions potentially affecting the task at hand, Anthony Bennett establishing his pro basketball identity and aiding a winning program is paramount. Coupled with the pressure of living up to a billing yet fulfilled, if ever, being a number one pick in the NBA draft, then traded and bought out after only two years in the Association and the road to redemption could be a long one for young Mr. Bennett. The option of playing with Portland, a team in full rebuild mode, or with his Senior Men's National Team coach and Trailblazer assistant bench boss Jay Triano seemed to be the most tantalizing fit. Ultimately, in choosing the Raptors, Bennett will have to do more than just compete for minutes on a playoff team with plenty of new faces and lots of questions still to be answered. Anthony Bennett will have to find a real modicum of success to shed the bust label and stick in the NBA at the ripe old age of 22.

How Much Will Cory Joseph's NBA Finals Experience At A Young Age Aid The Raptors This Season?

Watson: While his championship pedigree will be welcomed, the Raptors have a legitimate back-up point guard that can start whenever needed. Joseph is a solid defensive player and playmaker who will have a lot more freedom than in the Spurs system. He brings stability to the second unit and is the only player on the roster that has spent time with the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Joseph knows how to win, what it takes and can share that with his teammates.

Yannopoulos: Significantly! Cory will bring a championship pedigree and work ethic to a Raptors team that is in desperate need of it. Although still a young player, Joseph will bring immediate character, composure and leadership. I also expect and anticipate him pushing Lowry in practice on a daily basis. The second unit will now have a defence-first mentality, which resonates with what Coach Casey has been preaching since his tenure began. I'm looking forward to seeing Cory's offensive game develop with consistent minutes in his hometown. Friends and family tickets will cost him moving forward, but the $30 million contract will help alleviate that!

Strickland: May depend on how much the older veteran core on the team view a 24-year-old backup with two NBA Finals appearances and a title ring. Championship DNA should be valued in a locker room that has never come close to sipping the champagne in June. But does it mean more from a vet joining an emerging unit at the end of his career or one that's just starting his? Add in chemistry that must be developed on a roster that looks dramatically different than the one of the past two playoff seasons and only time will tell how much of Cory Jo's understanding of what it takes to win at the most crucial moment will affect the franchise.

Based On Their Performance At The FIBA Americas, How Concerned Are You With The Senior Men's National Team Qualifying For Rio 2016?

Watson: On a scale of 1-10, the level of concern is a 9. The men's team did everything they were supposed to at the FIBA Americas, yet they completely fell apart against an inferior Venezuelan squad in the semifinals. Now they will face much tougher international teams at the Olympic qualifying tournament next summer, with essentially the same squad. It's not impossible, but they failed to take care of the business in front of them, which is more concerning than anything.

Yannopoulos: This is definitely the golden generation of Canadian basketball, no question about it. Unfortunately, we just missed a platinum opportunity to qualify for the Olympics with an inexcusable loss to Venezuela without Greivis Vazquez in their lineup. The accountability is on both the players and coaches. Did we improve and gain valuable international experience as a collective young group? Yes. Did we achieve our goal with nine NBA players in a weak field? No. Canada does get a second opportunity to exorcise those "Venezuelan demons" in a pre-Olympic qualifying tournament versus some of the best European teams (hello, France, Greece, Serbia) and other world countries. It will not be easy, nor improbable. If the complete core is back, along with leveraging the additions of Thompson, Ennis and Lyles, there is enough talent, character and improved execution to earn our way to Rio. This will expedite the process to a potential gold medal for which the whole country is yearning.

Strickland: If the time is "now" for a very young team full of NBA players who, for the first time this past summer, played together in senior level international competition, then the concern is real. The perception seems to be that because Canada has never fielded a unit with as much talent on the international stage, there should have been no excuse and no reason for them not to advance to the Rio 2016 Games against a relatively soft field at the FIBA Americas. Mission failed. The reality, however, may well be that Team Canada might be better suited to do more than just make it to the 2020 Games in Tokyo, but to truly compete for gold with players who would have vastly more experience by then in the international game.

Is Tristan Thompson Worth The Money?

Watson: According to Thompson and his agent he is. Now that the deadline has passed to accept the one-year qualifying offer, it becomes a holdout situation with a slight loss of leverage on Thompson's part as he is still a restricted free agent. Was he invaluable to the Cavs last year during their NBA Finals run? Without question. Should he be earning more than Kyrie Irving? Absolutely not. As always, the truth (or the number in this case) lies somewhere in the middle.

Yannopoulos: Besides LeBron, Durant, Curry and a few others (sorry Kobe, I really am), is anyone truly worth the money? I would answer no, but that is not the reality in today's NBA. You receive what the market dictates and the way owners/GMs are throwing money at the players, yet again, it's all about getting mine, Son! Tristan proved his value when it mattered most in the playoffs, specifically the NBA Finals. His ferociousness, relentlessness and productivity on both ends enabled the Cavaliers to come within two games of the most improbable championship in league history. That constitutes a tangible and viable reason to pay the man accordingly.  If Enes Kanter got his, I certainly believe Tristan is equally, if not, more deserving.

Strickland: You get what you negotiate in this life. Tristan Trevor James Thompson is gambling on himself after showing and proving his worth in the NBA Finals this past season. Now officially in holdout mode as he has declined the Cavaliers' qualifying offer, rest assured the names and new pay scales of immortals like Robin Lopez, Enes Kanter, Jonas Valanciunas and even DeAndre Jordan will be swapped across board tables, video conferences, phone calls and in text messages as leverage toward Thompson's value proposition. A backup power forward who excelled on the game's grandest stage wants his just rewards for the effort - a max contract. Reasonable? Only if someone's willing to fork over that level of cheddar. If it's not in Cleveland, do his hometown Toronto Raptors come calling in 2016? Stay tuned!


Follow Them On Twitter: Find The "Real Greek Freak" Peter Yannopoulos @PeteYannopoulos, Will Strickland @WallStrizzle1 and Duane Watson @duanewatson and listen to their show, #1On1 with Will & Duane starting October 31 and every Saturday afternoon, 3pm Eastern on TSN 1050 Radio-Toronto.