Canada Basketball NT on the recruiting trail for Philadelphia 76ers centre Samuel Dalembert
Leo Rautins calls Philadelphia 76ers centre Samuel Dalembert the first domino.
The Canadian men's national basketball coach is already hard at work trying to knit together a lineup for the 2007 Tournament of the Americas, the qualifying event for the 2008 Olympics.
And with the 76ers at the Air Canada Centre to play the Toronto Raptors, Rautins was putting a bug in the ear of the rangy 25-year-old about putting on a Canadian jersey for the first time.
The hope is that a commitment from Dalembert could encourage other top Canadians in the National Basketball Association -- Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns and Jamaal Magloire of the Portland Trail Blazers -- to help Canada attempt to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 2000.
Unfortunately, it's not clear whether Dalembert has yet bought the message.
"I tell him 'you be the domino,' " Rautins said. "You be the guy that gets everyone to show up because you decide to play. He's always positive about it, but it just stops there."
Rautins was referring to Dalembert's efforts to get Canadian citizenship. Born in Haiti, Dalembert grew up in Montreal before heading to the United States to pursue his basketball ambitions.
"Is there a chance to play for Canada? Yeah, there's always a chance," Dalembert said yesterday. "But you know you have to know exactly what the plan is going to be. I'm always willing to try."
Rautins's recruiting efforts are somewhat easier because the tournament has been shifted to Las Vegas from Venezuela, making for a more amenable stay for those players who do choose to suit up for Canada.
Rautins has already secured a favourable commitment from Rowan Barrett. The Toronto-born swingman is one of the top players at his position in Europe and was a prolific scorer for Canada while teaming in a backcourt with Nash.
"One last hurrah is not out of the cards," Barrett said this week from France, where he plays for Adecco Asvel in Lyon, a top team in the France Pro A league. "We're going to wait and see. But it's definitely positive."
And could Nash join him for his last hurrah?
"There's always a chance, as long as life doesn't get in the way," Barrett said of his close friend. "We set some goals together and we haven't reached them. He's a tremendous competitor and he likes to finish what he started."
The key, said Barrett, is to build a team where Nash could be the difference maker, rather than a saviour.
"Even if he plays, you need to have replacements," Barrett said. "You play every day in those tournaments, so he's not going to play 35 minutes a game. You need depth. That's an issue."
A shot-blocker who can run with any big man in the NBA, the 6-foot-11 Dalembert would automatically make the Canadian team deeper and better.
But the first domino wants to hedge his bets as well.
"Yes, it matters who plays," Dalembert said. "I always say if Steve Nash is playing, I'll be there."
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Canada Basketball NT on the recruiting trail for Philadelphia 76ers Samuel Dalembert
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