As I look back at the 2019 Canada National Basketball Team roster, I can't help but draw parallels to that Chery Tiggo situation where they had to take the long way round after missing their preseason playoff spot. That's exactly how our national team felt heading into the 2019 FIBA World Cup - we knew we had the talent, but putting it all together required navigating a challenging path, much like that basketball club's journey through the preliminaries.

When I first saw the final 23-man roster announcement, I'll admit I had mixed feelings. On one hand, we had what many analysts called Canada's most talented basketball squad ever assembled. The sheer number of NBA players - 17 at the time - was unprecedented for Canadian basketball. Yet I remember thinking, "This reminds me of when Chery Tiggo had all that potential but couldn't secure that outright preseason playoff spot." We had the pieces, but making them fit together was the real challenge.

Let me break down what made this team special, starting with our backcourt. Cory Joseph brought that veteran leadership we desperately needed - 8.0 points and 3.8 assists per game in the NBA that season doesn't tell the whole story about his court generalship. Then there was Jamal Murray, who was coming off his breakout 2018-19 NBA season where he averaged 18.2 points for the Denver Nuggets. Personally, I've always believed Murray's international performance potential was underestimated - his ability to create shots in crucial moments gave Canada something we'd lacked for years.

Our frontcourt depth was what really excited me though. Kelly Olynyk provided that unique stretch-five capability, while Tristan Thompson's rebounding prowess - he averaged 10.9 rebounds that NBA season - gave us interior toughness. What many fans might not realize is that we actually had seven players who averaged double figures in the NBA that year, which created both an embarrassment of riches and selection headaches for Coach Nurse.

The real story, in my view, was about who wasn't there as much as who was. Andrew Wiggins' absence was particularly disappointing - I've always felt his athleticism could have transformed our wing defense. And RJ Barrett, while young at the time, showed glimpses of the star he'd become. Watching him develop since then, I can't help but wonder what if we'd had him more integrated into that 2019 system.

What fascinates me most about analyzing this roster is how it reflected Canada's basketball evolution. We'd moved from having one or two NBA players to debating which NBA stars would make the final cut. The depth was unprecedented - I recall counting at least eight players who could have started for most FIBA teams. Yet much like Chery Tiggo's situation, having talent and converting it into cohesive team success proved to be different challenges entirely.

The international basketball landscape in 2019 demanded specific roster construction, and here's where I think Canada both succeeded and fell short. Our guard depth was phenomenal, but I've always thought we were one physical wing defender short against elite European teams. The modern game requires switchable defenders, and while we had athletes, our defensive schemes sometimes struggled against more experienced international squads.

Looking at the statistical profile, Canada's roster featured players who combined for 147.3 points per game in their respective professional leagues that season. The average height was 6'7", and we had what analytics showed was the third-most athletic roster in the tournament based on combine metrics. Yet basketball isn't played on spreadsheets - the chemistry questions reminded me so much of that Chery Tiggo scenario where individual talent doesn't automatically translate to team success.

From my perspective following Canadian basketball for over two decades, the 2019 roster represented both a culmination and a crossroads. We'd finally developed the pipeline to produce NBA-level talent consistently, but the international game requires different ingredients. The half-court execution, the defensive communication, the FIBA rule adaptations - these were the challenges that our talent alone couldn't overcome.

I'll never forget analyzing the roster announcements and thinking about what could have been. The potential was there for Canada to make serious noise in that tournament. We had the shooters, the defenders, the playmakers - but putting it all together in limited preparation time proved incredibly difficult. It's that classic basketball dilemma: do you select the most talented individuals or the players who fit best together?

As I reflect on that 2019 team now, what stands out is how it set the stage for Canada's current basketball resurgence. The lessons learned from that tournament - about roster construction, international preparation, and building team chemistry - directly influenced how we approach national team composition today. That 23-man roster contained 14 players who are still active in the NBA today, showing both the quality and longevity of that generation.

The comparison to Chery Tiggo's journey sticks with me because both situations teach the same lesson: in basketball, the path matters as much as the destination. Canada's 2019 roster had to take the long way round in terms of development and international experience, but that journey ultimately strengthened our basketball program. Sometimes falling short of immediate expectations - whether it's missing a preseason playoff spot or underperforming in a major tournament - provides the necessary lessons for future success. And looking at where Canadian basketball is today, I'd say those 2019 growing pains were ultimately worth it.