patrickanderson.ca

Whoever said that must have had one hell of a blog.

As for me, this second season of blogging is coming to an end.   It was much more self-indulgent than I’d planned.  I really did intend to write more about the tournament, but I think my birthday and the constant questions about my retirement combined to turn my thoughts inward. 

There’s still time though to offer a few observations about the team and tournament, while they’re still fresh in my mind.

Q: What did Team Canada prove? 

A:  For one thing, that it can handle fast teams surprisingly well given that it lost its fastest player and several primary ball handlers.  I was genuinely impressed with the way that this team worked together to bring the ball up the court, to attack in the half court, and to deal with pressure.

I think the team also proved that there remains untapped potential in some of its most senior members, players and coaches alike. There was always much more to Team Canada than its superstars, and its more evident now than ever.

Q: What remains for Team Canada to prove?

A: That it can establish and maintain that level of teamwork over the course of an 8 game tournament.  There was a time when we could take success in the round robin more or less for granted.  I think the players realize that they can’t expect this to be the case at Worlds next summer.  And from what I saw over the past 10 days, the coaching staff has a pretty good grasp of the situation and is trying to equip the team to meet this challenge.

Anyway, from me to them, congrats on qualifying.  The hard work starts now.