Steve Nash, Jay Triano rave about resurgent Anthony Bennett

In the span of two seasons, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Bennett went from promising No. 1 overall pick to a mere afterthought.

Bennett looked terrible in his rookie campaign as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers and was traded to Minnesota along with Andrew Wiggins in exchange for Kevin Love.

The change of scenery didn't help. Bennett's woes continued in Minnesota, where he struggled to find playing time and establish consistency.

After two seasons, the Canadian averages 4.7 points and 3.4 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game on 39.3 percent shooting from the field. Injuries have also taken their toll, forcing him to miss roughly a third of his games over the past two years.

Suffice to say, Bennett's production has been underwhelming and his name is once again floating around on the trading block.

The 22-year-old Bennett, however, is determined to improve his game and he's getting a shot to showcase himself with the Canadian men's national team this summer.

Bennett was a key contributor in Team Canada's second-place finish at the Pan Am Games, averaging 15.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.

All that promise of Bennett as a mobile, aggressive, floor-stretching forward was on full display. In fact, he looked the part of a high lottery pick.

Bennett's focus now turns toward helping Canada in their hopes to secure a 2016 Olympic berth during this year's FIBA Americas tournament. He looked strong in tuneups leading up to the tournament and will figure prominently into Canada's fortunes.

Bennett's rejuvenated and improved play hasn't been lost on his coaches.

"It looks like he's loving basketball again," Canada head coach Jay Triano told TSN's Josh Lewenberg. "And I think that was the big thing for us. We try to make it fun for him, try to simplify it. He's so talented in a variety of areas that we needed to just simplify what we expect of him. If he does that, the rest of it is (going to) fall into place."

Bennett's performance and drive have also caught the attention of Team Canada general manager Steve Nash.

"Anthony has been exemplary this summer," Nash said. "He's had a tough first two years in the league but his attitude's been amazing."

For Bennett, simplifying his game has helped fuel his resurgence.

"All (Triano) told me to do was just rebound and run," Bennett said. "And when I think of it now, that's pretty much all I did at UNLV and before that in high school too. So I'm just trying to get back to all that."

There's no guarantee Bennett's improvements will translate to the NBA. It's a long way to go from dominating in Toronto at the Pam Ams, to excelling in Mexico City at the FIBA Americas, to flourishing in Minneapolis.

It takes one step at a time, and at long last, Bennett seems to have found his footing.