Canadians await the call at NBA Draft

With the Larry O’Brien Trophy returning to the Bay Area for the fourth time in eight years, the eyes of the basketball world turn east towards New York City and the 2022 NBA Draft. Since Rick Fox heard his name called by David Stern at the 1991 draft as the newest member of the Boston Celtics, 32 other Canadians have been selected.

The 2022 draft – set for Thursday, June 23 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center – looks to carry on this legacy, with four Canadians likely to be selected. There is also a very good chance for two Canadians to be taken with lottery picks for the first time since 2014 when Vaughan, Ont.’s newly minted NBA champion Andrew Wiggins went first overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Sacramento Kings used the eighth overall selection on Nik Stauskas of Mississauga, Ont.

The number of Canadians to be drafted in Brooklyn could have been higher if there weren’t a number of late withdrawals by Canadian players among the 112 players who opted out.

Fort Erie, Ont.’s Leonard Miller, a 6-foot-11 forward, surprisingly withdrew his candidacy to sign with the G-League Ignite and will re-enter the draft in 2023. Fardaws Aimaq, a high-scoring centre from Vancouver who spent the last three seasons at Utah Valley, withdrew from the draft and has since transferred to Texas Tech for his final year of collegiate eligibility. Winnipeg’s Emmanuel Akot also withdrew, with the Boise State guard appearing primed for a transfer as well, with NC State emerging as a likely destination.

Even with the opt-outs, draft night should still be a big one for Canadian basketball. Let’s look at four players who will very likely be getting a new baseball hat and a handshake a from Adam Silver.

Caleb Houstan

Age: 19
Position: SG/SF
Hometown: Mississauga, Ont.
School: Michigan
Class: Freshman
Height: 6-8
Weight: 205

There is quite a bit of intrigue surrounding Houstan leading up to the draft. Houstan was a key cog in Juwan Howard’s Wolverines’ run to the Sweet Sixteen but didn’t have a lights-out freshman campaign by any means. Arriving in Ann Arbor as a top recruit out of Florida’s Monteverde Academy, the same school that produced Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Ben Simmons among others, Houstan struggled offensively, averaging 10.1 points on .384 shooting in 32.0 minutes a night. Yet the makings of NBA-calibre sharpshooter are there, and his wingspan suggests that he could become a capable pro-level defender, even with a lack of quickness. Now here’s where things get interesting with Houstan: most mocks put him in the early 30s, perhaps on the cusp of the first round, but he chose not to participate in the NBA combine. Speculation has arisen that Houstan might have an assurance in place from a team to take him in the first round. Having worked out for them in Toronto, the Raptors might hope that Houstan is still available when they make their only selection of the draft in the second round at No. 33.

--

Bennedict Mathurin

Age: 20
Position: SG/SF
Hometown: Montreal
School: Arizona
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-6
Weight: 205

Maybe the first Canadian to hear his name called in Brooklyn, Mathurin was handed an increase in minutes by Tommy Lloyd in his second season at Tucson and made the most of it. After averaging 10.8 points a night in his freshman campaign, Mathurin averaged 17.7 this past season, along with 5.6 boards and 2.8 assists over 32.5 minutes a night. While his field-goal percentage dipped a bit (.450 down from .471), Mathurin’s game took the steps forward that scouts are looking for as a player prepares to enter the pros. An athletic, energetic player, Mathurin already has the size to be an NBA wing and a flair for the dramatic with highlight-reel dunking ability. His shooting mechanics are polished, and he has a good read on the offensive side of the game, including on the glass. Where Mathurin is going to need improvement is on the defensive side of the ball, though, with his tendency to get a little bit lost at times and struggle with assignments. If getting bullied is a problem at the collegiate level, it could be exacerbated up against bigger, stronger players in the NBA. But at only 20, teams believe these defensive shortcomings can be addressed with experience. While he’s unlikely to go in the top three picks, Mathurin almost certainly won’t fall past the top eight.

--

Andrew Nembhard

Age: 22
Position: PG
Hometown: Aurora, Ont.
School: Gonzaga
Class: Senior
Height: 6-4
Weight: 195

In his second season at Gonzaga, Andrew Nembhard’s strength of schedule this past year (4.50) was almost a third of what it was during his freshman year at Florida (11.22). While the level of competition was undoubtedly higher in the SEC, Nembhard used his two seasons with the Zags to refine his game as he prepared to enter the NBA. As a four-year starter, Nembhard is very likely one of the most experienced guards available in this draft and has proven himself capable of controlling the tempo of an offence, knowing when to speed things up and when to slow them down. His ability to thrive in the pick-and-roll makes him capable of slotting in in just about any NBA offence. While Houstan didn’t attend the combine, Nembhard used it to boost his stock, posting a 26-point, 11-assist performance in the Friday scrimmage. His 11 dimes were the most in a combine scrimmage since 2018. That is not to say that there aren’t deficiencies to Nembhard’s game that need addressing. He does not possess a terrific jump shot and isn’t the fastest or most athletic point guard available. While there’s undoubtedly the potential to be a bona fide NBA player here, Nembhard’s ceiling probably isn’t nearly as high as a TyTy Washington or a Jaden Ivey. Though an unlikely scenario, if one of the four available Canadians goes undrafted, it will be Nembhard.

--

Shaedon Sharpe

Age: 19
Position: SG
Hometown: London, Ont.
School: Kentucky
Class: Freshman
Height: 6-5
Weight: 200

Shaedon Sharpe is one of the great mysteries of the 2022 NBA Draft. Sharpe was the top-ranked high school prospect from the 2022 class but graduated early to enroll in the spring semester at Kentucky that made him eligible to play for John Calipari’s Wildcats this past season. Despite his early eligibility, Calipari decided that Sharpe could train and practice with the team, but not actually play. Even when Sharpe’s intentions to declare for the 2022 draft became known, Calipari didn’t waver, so that means Sharpe heads into his pro career without competing in a single NCAA game. What that also means is that Sharpe hasn’t played in a competitive game in over a year and much of what scouts are basing their assessments of Sharpe on is high-school (Sharpe attended Dream City Christian Academy in Glendale, AZ) game tape. What they will see is an athletic player who will almost certainly grow into an already solid frame with length. Sharpe can create for himself and already possesses a fine jump shot. While Sharpe could emerge as the best wing in this draft, the many question marks surrounding him could hurt his stock. That said, his potential is tantalizing enough that it’s highly unlikely he’ll fall out of the top 10.