|
| |
| |
| European Roundup: Claver Showing his Stuff |
|
|
|
| by: Jonathan Givony - President, Matt Kamalsky |
| November 22, 2008 |
Victor Claver gets the nod for player of the week honors, in the midst of a very solid season for Pamesa Valencia. Claver has transitioned to playing the small forward position full time, and has established himself as one of the most efficient players in the ACB. We also take a look at the biggest surprise of the ACB season thus far, Gran Canaria, in first place and led by an incredibly balanced attack, and the emergence of former Traiblazers first round pick Joel Freeland.
Past European Roundups:
-Brandon Jennings Managing Expectations
-Milenko Tepic the Man for Partizan
-Sergio Llull Sparks Real Madrid
While Ricky Rubio is unquestionably the top NBA prospect in the ACB, Victor Claver has given scouts a very good reason to continue to head to Spain this season, despite Rubio’s continuous absence. After getting his first taste of ACB basketball in 2006, Claver saw consistent minutes last year with Pamesa Valencia. While his production was solid (albeit inconsistent) considering he was only 19, Claver has taken his game to a completely different level this season despite having the added pressure of being one of Pamesa’s go-to players.
The name of the game for Claver has always been confidence (he’s been criticized for being passive and underachieving at times), and he’s been riding a rollercoaster this year, but still finds himself amongst the ACB’s most efficient players. At 6’10, with a developing frame, Claver has the size to play power forward and the quickness and skill set to play out on the perimeter. While he has seen a lot of time at power forward in the past, this season marked his first opportunity to see extensive minutes at small forward. His transition from backup four to starting three has looked very encouraging at times, and is clearly hugely beneficial to his NBA stock.
Though he started out the season on an absolute tear from the outside, putting up big numbers in the first three rounds of the season before dropping 23 on MMT Estudiantes in round four, he followed up that game with 19 combined points and ice cold shooting in his next three contests. After consecutive losses to significantly less talented opponents in Menorca and Ricoh Manresa is rounds 5 and 6, Valencia let go both Head Coach Fotis Katsikaris and General Manager Johnny Rogers. With Croatian coach Neven Spahija now on board, Claver’s fortunes seems to have taken a turn for the better after quality outting in back to back games against ACB powers Unicaja Malaga and Real Madrid.
In a round eight contest against Unicaja, Claver paced Pamesa with 19 points on 3-4 shooting from the field, 4-5 from three, and 1-3 from the line to go along with 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal. He started the game by running off the back screen for an easy alley-oop before raining a couple of catch and shoot jumpers from the outside. His other baskets came from quick moves to the rim for acrobatic finishes, largely characteristic of his offensive game at this point.
In Pamesa’s round nine game against Real Madrid, Claver looked like a completely different player, going 0-6 from three, but still managing 8 points and 10 rebounds. This game offered a glimpse of the type of player he can be as a power forward when his shot isn’t falling, an example of the inside ability he hasn’t gotten a chance to showcase very often this season.
While he has played well recently, there may still be more changes coming in Valencia. Although Claver’s increased role has done a lot for his development, it seems that Pamesa may not be entirely satisfied with his production thus far. They have been linked recently to names like Gabe Muoneke and Marc Salyers, both combo forwards who would fill similar roles to Claver in many situations. Whether they choose to sign another player could determine what position Claver plays the rest of this season, and where he winds up in the future.
The first thing that jumps out about Claver’s game this is just how opportunistically he plays his position offensively. With two talented guards that love to shoot or break their defender down off the dribble in Ruben Douglas and Shammond Williams playing next to him, Claver often finds himself receiving the ball with an open look or with his defender off balance. While his silky smooth three point shot (he’s ranked seventh in 3FG% in our ACB database) has been his calling card this season, he’s experienced more than his fair share of struggles.
When Claver is making his shots, he’s a force, but his confidence tends to wane when he misses his first couple of jumpers. At times he’ll get tentative, but against Real Madrid he continued to try and get going. While he didn’t see positive results, it’s a good sign that he didn’t take himself out of the game entirely like he did in rounds three through six. 50% of Claver’s attempts from the field this season have come from beyond the arc, and he’s making 54% of them so far, while hitting 61% of his overall shots.
In addition to showing vastly improved consistency from the outside, Claver has also been more aggressive putting the ball on the floor when he sees an opportunity to get to the rim. He shows an explosive first step and is capable of playing above the rim, but is still learning to finish consistently.
What makes Claver such an opportunist is how well he picks and chooses his spots when attacking the rim. He almost never forces a drive or a shot from the perimeter, seeming to only shoot when open and only drive when he knows he can go straight to the rim. This was apparent against Unicaja, where Claver was able to beat a slowed player in Carlos Jiminez on a couple occasions, but didn’t even try to get to the rim against the quicker Marcus Haislip. Claver is getting to the free throw line at a pretty poor rate, which is a bit disappointing considering the athletic advantages he enjoys against most matchups.
While his measured style of basketball has helped him put up some gaudy efficiency numbers (he ranks 2nd in the ACB in points per play, 3rd in true shooting percentage, and 2nd in effective field goal percentage while also ranking tenth in PER and EFF amongst qualified players in our database), it still exposes some of his weaknesses.
Claver doesn’t turn the ball over very often because he doesn’t take risks, a characteristic of his game that can be attributed to his inability change directions with the ball in his hands when attacking the rim. He seems more content to give the ball up when he gets cut off, and could definitely stand to become a more dynamic ball-handler to augment his growing perimeter arsenal. At times he shows nice court vision, so getting better at drawing addition defenders could improve his playmaking ability as well. Right now he sports a very poor 1/2 assist to turnover ratio, which definitely needs to improve if he’s to play on the perimeter full time.
Despite having not possessing great lateral quickness, Claver has done a very nice job defending the perimeter this season. His length gives him the ability to tip some passes and he’s not adverse to giving some effort on the defensive end. While he doesn’t garner much attention for his defense, his ability to create turnovers is a very promising sign (he ranks amongst just outside of the top 20 in steals per game). In addition to having the ability to create some turnovers, Claver shows nice anticipation as a help side defender at times, and is a lot more active defensively than most heralded players his age.
That same ability to anticipate also helps him rebound the ball, and while he’s not a standout in that area of the game, his size and athleticism let him make an impact despite spending most of his time defending the perimeter (he ranks 15th in rebounds per game in our database). When Claver does get a chance to defend the post, he shows good fundamentals, but isn’t quite strong enough yet to be a factor. He does a great job boxing out his man, something that helped him quite a bit against a Real Madrid team that features tremendous rebounders in Felipe Reyes and Jeremiah Massey.
Claver’s strong play in his past two games hasn’t necessarily led his team to a win, which is somewhat emblematic of his status as a role-player who doesn’t necessarily change the complexion of the game. While Claver will undoubtedly see his percentages dip and rise as the season goes on, he will need to maintain his confidence and consistency and not let a small step backwards hurt what has become a solid season. With Eurocup play on the horizon, and thus the amount of games doubling from one per week to two, Claver is going to have to deal with a whole new group of challenges, and will have to assume a bigger role in Pamesa’s offense to help the team avoid the letdowns they experienced in the ACB against much more formidable competition. Whether he accomplishes this feat should be reflected in how NBA scouts perceive his stock this summer.
Beyond the Draft
With the Euroleague off this week and the EuroCup group stage just about to kick off this week, this is a good time to momentarily take a look at what’s happening in the strongest domestic league in European basketball, the Spanish ACB.
Quite surprisingly, we find a small team at the top of the standings early on so far, as Gran Canaria has jumped out to a 7-1 start to claim a tie for first place alongside powerhouse Tau Vitoria. The most interesting thing about this team might be the terrific balance they display, as they don’t have a single player averaging more than 26 minutes per game, but have 10 total players who average at least 16 minutes or more. While it’s quite common to see coaches in Europe use their bench liberally, Gran Canaria’s Salvador Maldonado clearly takes this to the extreme.
Gran Canaria’s go-to guy is clearly Canadian swingman Carl English, a 6-5 ultra aggressive sharp-shooter, currently averaging 16.5 points in just 26 minutes per game on 47% shooting.
From an NBA perspective, though, the most interesting player on this team is definitely Joel Freeland. The British big man and former Portland Trailblazers first round pick in 2006 (30th overall) is having a breakout season thus far, averaging an outstanding 12 points, 5 rebounds in just 18 minutes of action, shooting 67% from the field and throwing in a block per game for good measure.
 | | ACB.com |
From a per-minute standpoint, there is not a more productive player in the ACB at the moment. Per-40 minutes Freeland is averaging 28 points, 12 rebounds and 2.5 blocks, after only playing 9 minutes per game in the ACB last season.
At 6-11 and approximately 250 pounds, Freeland is quite an interesting player from a physical standpoint, as his frame appears to have filled out nicely and he’s retained pretty much all the athleticism that made him a prospect to begin with. Freeland runs the floor well, is very explosive off his feet, and possesses nice fluidity and agility for a player this size.
Inside the paint Freeland can make a big impact, as he has the size, bulk and explosiveness to finish everything around the rim with a powerful dunk, and is quick and active enough to go out of his area and make a living on the offensive glass as well. He is an excellent finisher and is beginning to improve his skill-level to a certain extent as well, showing nice hands and decent touch when forced to finish with a bit of finesse.
Freeland is still fairly limited when asked to create offense for himself, either with his back to the basket or facing up, as he lacks significant offensive polish and is still clearly learning the fundamentals of the game. Defensively he is a solid shot-blocking threat, but is still a little bit inexperienced in his knowledge of the game, making him somewhat foul prone at times.
At just 21 years old, and only playing basketball for a few years now, Freeland obviously still has a great deal of upside left to tap into. He is probably still a few years away from being able to contribute to an NBA team in a meaningful way, but the sparks he’s showing at times are quite promising. The Trailblazers are probably the last team in the NBA who need another young big man prospect, but they have the advantage of continuing to let him develop in Spain for free, and reaping the benefits later.
The only problem is that at some point, the highly unattractive slot allotted to the last pick of the first round according to the rookie scale may be outweighed by far better offers from Europe, especially considering Freeland’s British passport, which makes him a Bosman A player. Another season in Europe may make things difficult on Portland later, even if Freeland clearly isn’t ready right now for the NBA.
Regardless of what happens, you have to tip your hat to Kevin Pritchard and his outstanding staff for continuing to stockpile such promising prospects. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jonathan@draftexpress.com mwk1441@yahoo.com |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| European Roundup: Tepic the Man for Partizan |
|
|
|
| by: Luis Fernández - Director of International Scouting, Jonathan Givony - President |
| November 7, 2008 |
Player of the Week: Milenko Tepic
 | | AdriaticBasket.com |
Year after year, Milenko Tepic continues to improve. Going into his third Euroleague season, and seventh professional campaign overall (despite being just 21 years old), he’s finally taken over the reigns as his team’s go-to guy, following the departures of the highly productive Milt Palacio, Dusan Kecman and Nikola Pekovic.
Although Partizan is as young and inexperienced a club as you’ll find in this Euroleague, they currently are in second place in their group (tied with Efes Pilsen and ahead of deeper and much richer clubs such as Real Madrid, Armani Jeans Milano and Panionios), while still standing undefeated (6-0) and in first place in the local Adriatic League.
The biggest reason for that has clearly been the play of Milenko Tepic. The 6-8 versatile swingman spends heavy minutes as his team’s defacto point guard, and has been stuffing the stat-sheet in virtually every game he’s played thus far. Tepic’s team fell behind by 22 points this week in the Euroleague at home against Milan, but managed to rally to victory in large part thanks to his 11 point, 8 assist, 6 rebound performance. Tepic currently ranks sixth in the Euroleague in assists with 4.7 per game, and sports a sparkling 7 to 1 assist to turnover ratio.
The biggest key to Tepic’s improvement over the past few seasons has been the improvement he’s shown in his perimeter shot. He’s more than doubled his rate of makes thus far (he’s 18/44 or 41% in 9 games thus far this season) while maintaining a steady accuracy rate. His jumper is not the prettiest shot you’ll find in Europe, mostly flat-footed, lacking some arc, and still streaky off the dribble, but he’s become very reliable with his feet set, which is key considering how good his shot-selection is.
Tepic’s biggest appeal as a prospect has to do with the under control nature in which he plays, along with the versatility he brings to the table. He is extremely patient and unselfish, always staying within his limitations, rarely making mistakes, and never looking to be in a rush. He executes Partizan’s extremely methodical half-court offense impeccably, doing a great job making the extra pass and finding the open man, which is how he racks up most of his assists—in simple fashion. The fact that he’s 6-8 gives him a great advantage in this area.
Tepic has improved as a ball-handler over the past few seasons as well, to the point that he looks much more comfortable bringing the ball up the floor and taking his man off the dribble as well, using both hands effectively and doing a great job reading the defense and finding open seams. His first step is pretty underwhelming, and he often lacks the explosiveness to finish around the basket, but he’s extremely under control with his drives and really knows how to find open shooters spotting up on the wing off the dribble.
Defensively, Tepic has some clear strengths and weaknesses. One on hand, he plays extremely hard, has great timing, is very fundamentally sound, and really understands the scouting report, but on the other, he lacks a significant amount of lateral quickness, and often looks very upright in his stance, which makes it quite easy for very athletic wing players to beat him off the dribble at times. Tepic is an outstanding team defender, but is just average in man to man, which will raise some question marks in the eyes of NBA talent evaluators since he’s already lacking in some other areas.
Unlike a Ricky Rubio, Rudy Fernandez or even a Nicolas Batum, Tepic is rarely going to blow you away with anything he does on the court, as he’s quite a conservative player. At at the end of the day, though, his style of play is highly effective and very much conducive to winning games. He looks far better suited for playing European basketball, and would probably only be able to thrive in certain systems in the NBA, such as San Antonio, Utah, Boston or other slower paced, defensive oriented teams. With that said, there is definitely some appeal in a highly intelligent 6-8 swingman who can shoot, pass, not make mistakes and compete on every possession defensively.
Similar to his teammate from last season Nikola Pekovic, Tepic does not look to be as enamored with the idea of playing in the NBA as some of his European counterparts. According to sources, he’s likely to follow Pekovic’s lead and sign a large multi-year year contract with a European powerhouse before the draft, with an NBA option after two years. He will very likely not be coming to the States for private workouts, and will heavily attempt to discourage teams from considering him in the late first round, as he will need the flexibility of a second round contract (without the restrictions of the rookie scale) and a significant financial investment on the part of the team drafting him down the road if he’s ever to make it over the Atlantic.
Looking Beyond the Draft
Ilyasova Starting to Reach his Potential…
It’s easy to forget about European players returning to the Old Continent after an NBA stint. Actually, we’re yet to witness anyone actually coming back to the American competition. It makes sense for several reasons: if a player fails, it’s highly likely that he doesn’t have the goods to make it back there. Players coming back from the NBA rarely show the same hunger they displayed before, and even often struggle readjusting to the international game. If they finally overcome their flaws or were NBA material from the beginning, chances are they will be making a boatload of money in Europe. Plus, it’s difficult to convince front offices that the reasons for a player’s failure aren’t there anymore.
However, with players returning to Europe everyday younger, sometimes opting for superior European offering even while garnering some other NBA interest, the day we’ll see a player return to the NBA is surely not far away.
Ersan Ilyasova is as good of a candidate as anyone. Still only 21 years old, (if we opt to believe his official birthdate) he left a promising enough impression during his days with the Bucks to have NBA teams checking up on his progress. And what they can see this season is a face-up forward who makes a difference thanks to his physical exuberance for European standards, which helped him to be named Euroleague player of the month in October, after averaging over 15 points and 9 rebounds per game in under 24 minutes. You can follow his numbers in both the Euroleague and ACB here on his DraftExpress stats page.
The Turkish player would most likely be able to still hold his own at the small forward position in the NBA, but he’s certainly a much more effective player in Europe as a power forward. Struggling to play off the dribble against perimeter player (he is prone for traveling violations with his first step, which is called more rigorously in Europe), and not much of a low-post threat, it wasn’t easy for him to deliver his stuff in the crowded international half-court offenses. And even if he provided a terrific physical presence for that position, he sometimes suffered defensively keep up with the plethora of guard-type small forwards that you usually see on European teams.
Now, as a face-up power forward, he usually enjoys more space to release his unorthodox long-range rainbow shot (his back-step pull-up jumper simply can’t be contested), and finds less opposition to slash towards the basket. Hardly any power forward in Europe can keep up with his first step, and Ilyasova can go both ways, and even tries to attack them when they are unbalanced. He also enjoys more space inside to execute continuations on pick-and-roll plays, where he shows his excellent mobility and willingness to attack the rim.
In the end, he’s not really a go-to player even in Europe, but instead a superb complimentary guy. Ilyasova is particularly standing out in the rebounding department, where he uses his length, strength, positioning, athleticism and, above anything, shows the hustle and desire to come up with the ball, which becomes especially obvious on the offensive glass. He’s putting up outrageous production thus far in both the Euroleague and ACB in this category. Meanwhile, he also shows very nice activity on defense. After all, he’s an energetic guy who earns his salary.
On the downside, he still lacks some refinement in his game, including a more consistent shot, and shows little mid-range game to speak of. He could also better use his size and strength posting up opponents more frequently, and might be trapped between positions especially on the defensive end, being slightly slow to match-up against quick small forwards, and not particularly big to battle the elite power forwards. Anyway, given the complementary nature of his game and his basketball tools, he would likely be heading back to the small forward position if he ever rejoins the NBA. His draft rights are still owned by the Milwaukee Bucks, but they will likely have to pay a pretty penny to bring him over this summer. [/p]
Quick Hitters:
-Tepic’s main competition for player of the week honors came from Montenegrin forward Vladimir Dasic, whose team Buducnost got an outstanding result in the first leg of their EuroCup qualifier on the road in Istanbul against Galatasaray. After losing just 85-83 Buducnost will need to win by 3 points or more to get through to the group stage on the aggregate score, which would provide him with some outstanding exposure for the NBA draft. Dasic was the star of the match, scoring 23 points and pulling down 6 rebounds in 34 minutes of action, and was later featured on the EuroCup’s official website this week as well.
We will be taking a closer look at Dasic in the next few weeks with an in-depth scouting report, and will also be keeping an eye on his young teammate Nemanja Gordic, a 6-4 very athletic point guard who has had some excellent games this season as well. Gordic had 18 points, 4 assists and 3 steals in 29 minutes against Galatasaray, and is emerging as quite an intriguing draft prospect in his own right.
-Brandon Jennings seems to have bounced back from his slow start in both the Italian League and Euroleague, and looks to be adapting himself better to European basketball these days. Jennings had 11 points and 3 assists in 19 minutes in a blowout victory over Teramo last Sunday in the Italian competition, and then tacked on 14 points, 2 assists and 2 turnovers in a road victory over Olimpija in the Euroleague. Next week we promise to take a more detailed look at him.
-Another youngster who is making noise in the Euroleague is Slovenian forward Emir Preldzic. He had the game winning offensive rebound and putback this week to help Fenerbahce come away with a very important road victory over the severely depleted Joventut. Preldzic had 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals and 4 turnovers in the contest, while drawing a game-high 7 fouls.
-Giorgi Shermadini has officially signed a 4-year contract with Panathinaikos we’ve learned, and will stay with the Greek team all season long.
-Zalgiris point guard Zygimantas Janavicius continues to see big minutes in the Euroleague, especially now that American Willie Deane is out with a nose injury. He is shooting the ball well thus far, but is turning it over excessively unfortunately.
-One player who has been somewhat of a disappointment thus far is French point guard Rodrigue Beaubois. He continues to turn the ball over at a very high rate and has been unable to stay on the floor for long stretches due to foul trouble, which has limited him to just 18 minutes per game. He is relying way too heavily on his perimeter shot thus far, which has not fallen for him at all. Cholet is struggling in the French League as well after being booted out of the EuroCup, sitting at just 2-3 in the league thus far. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
luisfernandez@draftexpress.com jonathan@draftexpress.com |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| European Roundup: Llull Sparks Real Madrid |
|
|
|
| by: Jonathan Givony - President, Matt Kamalsky |
| October 31, 2008 |
Player of the Week: Sergio Llull
The life of a young player in Europe is full of peaks and valleys. The most coveted prospects often get snatched up at an early age by the top clubs in the top leagues around, only to struggle to see playing time due to the extremely high level of competition their team plays at. Once an opportunity opens up, it must be seized immediately, as the rosters of the top teams in Europe are always incredibly deep, the stress-levels high, and the leash for tolerating the mistakes of youngsters about as short as they come.
 | | ACB.com |
Seizing an opportunity is exactly what Spanish combo guard Sergio Llull (pronounced Youll, rhyming with mule) has done thus far this season, taking advantage of an injury to veteran point guard Raul Lopez to see significant minutes in both the Euroleague and ACB League, and in turn deliver terrific results. Through six games thus far (two Euroleague and four ACB) Llull is averaging 13.5 points in 23.5 minutes per game, shooting 68% from the field and 57% from beyond the arc.
Llull is coming off the bench replacing either Louis Bullock or Pepe Sanchez in Real’s rotation, and is seeing minutes at both guard spots. He’s bringing a great burst of energy, creativity and flair to change the tempo of the game for Real, which has made it very difficult for Coach Plaza to take him off the floor, even now that Raul Lopez is healthy and reclaimed his spot in the starting lineup. Llull played 29 minutes last weekend against Cajasol Sevilla and contributed 17 points on 6/11 shooting, and then was arguably Real’s best player on Wednesday in the Euroleague at Partizan Belgrade (an unbelievably hostile arena), pouring in 19 points in 28 minutes on a near perfect 8/9 shooting from the field. He saw significant playing time down the stretch and made a number of clutch plays in both games—but was unable to avoid his team being defeated in both encounters.
The main reason Llull has managed the incredibly difficult task of contributing significantly at the highest level of basketball outside the NBA, despite being only 20 years old, is that he’s an extremely cold-blooded player. He brings a similar type of confidence and aggressiveness to the floor like Ricky Rubio provides to Joventut, not quite as pronounced perhaps, but still quite noticeable. He’s not afraid to take responsibilities and seems to have the physical tools and skill-level to make a significant impact at the European level, particularly in his ability to play the pick and roll and get out in transition.
Llull stands out from many of his International counterparts due to the excellent athleticism he displays for a European prospect. He not only has great size at 6-3 and a well proportioned frame, but he’s also extremely quick, fluid and agile, as he’s shown slashing apart defenses at will and wreaking havoc on fast breaks—often to finish with an emphatic dunk. He can create his own shot with either hand interestingly and has no problem finishing with his off-hand once at the rim. He needs to add strength to his frame in order to become a better finisher, but there seems to be quite a bit to work with as he continues to fill out.
Possibly the biggest development in his game so far this season has been the consistency of his perimeter shot—a very pronounced weakness last season that made it very difficult for him to see playing time. He’s shooting a terrific clip from both the field (68%) and beyond the arc (57%) thus far, compared with 40% from the field last season and 15% from 3-point range. It’s obviously still extremely early and those numbers obviously will level out as the season progresses, but he does seem to have a nice stroke and is even hitting jumpers off the dribble or from well beyond the arc these days.
The main question mark about Llull as an NBA prospect is the position he will end up at eventually. He sees minutes at both guard spots right now, often asked to bring the ball up the court and get his team into their offense, but not quite acting as a traditional half-court playmaking floor general. It’s pretty obvious that Llull thinks shoot-first and is most comfortable alongside another strong ball-handler, but he does see the court reasonably well, and is capable of executing offensively and making the extra pass as a a play develops. The fact that he’s a pretty solid ball-handler himself and is quick and agile enough to dribble himself out of trouble is a good sign. He’s managed to cut down on his turnover rate significantly thus far this season—a sure-fire sign of maturation and a very positive development if he can keep it up.
Defensively is where some more question marks pop up regarding Llull’s NBA potential. Unlike most European guard prospects, his physical tools are not that much of an issue in this case, as he has good size, a nice frame and reasonable quickness. On top of that, he’s pretty active and seems to put a decent amount of effort in—make no mistake, he would not play a minute in Europe at this level if he didn’t—but he seems to lack some strength fighting through screens and some fundamentals staying in front of his man in the half-court on the perimeter. Llull gets in the passing lanes at a nice rate, but tends to gamble a little too much. We’ll have to keep an eye on how he looks as the season progresses here, as it will likely play a big part in how he’s viewed by NBA executives.
Right now, there are very few European prospects his age who are playing and producing as significantly as Llull is, and even fewer who share his long-term upside due to his combination of physical attributes and versatile skill-set. It’s still very early in the season and Llull could easily revert back to the wild, inconsistent and unreliable player who was buried on Real Madrid’s bench for most of last year—but if he doesn’t, he’s an extremely intriguing prospect to keep an eye on. Even though he’s only 20 years old right now, Llull is automatically eligible for this year’s draft, as he will turn 22 in the calendar year of the draft (he was born in November).
Looking Beyond the Draft
In each edition from now on, we’ll focus on one or two non-draft eligible players in Europe who are performing well
Lasme Maturing in Europe
With Nikola Pekovic leaving the cozy confines of Pionir Hall for a massive contract with Panathinaikos, along with Dusan Kecman and Milt Palacio (now playing in Russia), most people thought this would be a down year for Partizan Belgrade. That doesn’t appear to be the case thus far, as the team with arguably the best supporters in European basketball (surely the most vocal) has knocked off mighty Real Madrid this past week, and came very close to beating Efes Pilsen on their home floor last week as well. It’s business as usual for Partizan in the Adriatic League as well, as they sit atop the table thus far with a perfect 5-0 record after securing a tough win this past weekend at Zagreb.
There have been many keys to their success this far, including the inspired play of draft prospect Milenko Tepic, the revival of ultra talented Aleksandar Rasic, and the gritty production of combo forward Novica Velickovic. If there is one thing that the fantastic Serbian school of basketball cannot produce, though, it’s the freakish length and athleticism found in a big man like Stephane Lasme.
Just a month or so off being cut by the Miami Heat, Lasme has adapted himself superbly to European basketball thus far, allowing him to produce impressive numbers in nearly every statistical category, in both the Euroleague and Adriatic Leagues. Lasme has given Partizan a huge boost with his activity on the glass and defensively in the paint, as well as in running the floor in transition and being a terrific target to catch and finish passes around the rim. He’s drawing tons of fouls, making a huge impact as an offensive rebounder, and possibly most surprisingly, is showing a very advanced understanding of his team’s half-court offense with the way he’s moving the ball around the court intelligently.
This could be a very important season in Lasme’s development as a player, and he’ll surely learn quite a bit more playing twice a week against a high level of competition than he would have warming an NBA bench. If he continues to perform the way he has early on, he’ll have quite a few options for himself this summer.[/p]
Another Alaskan Assassin?
No player in the ACB has been as productive as Brad Oleson in this young season, and possibly no player in Europe has been as surprising in his production. The 6’4 shooting guard and native of North Pole, Alaska, who made a name for himself as a prolific scorer during a three year collegiate tenure with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in Division II, has been nothing short of brilliant in his team’s first four contests. After helping Bierasar Rosalia earn promotion from the second division of the Spanish LEB to the first in in 2007, Oleson signed with Alta Gestion Fuenlabrada.
Despite this significant jump in competition, Oleson has been more impressive on both ends this season than he was during any of his three seasons in Rosalia. His deadly outside shooting stroke (he is the most prolific shooter in the ACB at four 3-pointers made per game, hitting 67% of his attempts) has been the key to his ACB leading 22 points per game, but his defense has been equally impressive (he also finds himself ranked 2nd in steals per game).
While Oleson is by no means a likely NBA target, it is tough to ignore how well he has played with defenses keying in on him. The German passport he acquired in 2005 could garner him some serious interest around Europe in the future, especially if he continues to play at such a high level. Players like Oleson show us how much improvement can be made by college players once they reach the professional level, as there surely weren’t many anticipating him being where he is now after he graduated from Alaska-Fairbanks in 2005.
Quick Hitters
-While we decided to go with Sergio Llull for player of the week honors, he received some very stiff competition from Milenko Tepic and Victor Claver. Tepic was likely the best player on the floor this week in Partizan’s win over Real Madrid in the Euroleague, and has been his team’s top scorer early on in the season. Claver started off the season on fire before cooling off this past weekend, which put his debut in this column on hold. We suspect we’ll be discussing both of these players quite a bit over the next few months.
-Brandon Jennings is long overdue for an in-depth look regarding how he’s been playing thus far in Italy. Even though the results have not been very positive thus far, it seems premature at this point to jump to any conclusions (as it’s hardly much of a surprise all things considered), which is what has prompted us to wait for another week or two at least. We are confirmed to attend the highly anticipated matchup between Jennings and Ricky Rubio on December 11th outside of Barcelona, but will surely evaluate his play at least once before that.
Nando De Colo started off the season on a tear in France, carrying the scoring load for Cholet in their first three games in the French League by putting up 20, 26, and 18 points respectively. His quick start certainly seems to warrant considering for the “who’s hot” list, but a recent set back in the Eurocup qualifying round against ASK Riga has landed Cholet out of the competition and into the Eurochallenge which doesn’t feature the type of competition that NBA decision-makers want to see De Colo compete against.
After warranting a number of significant offers from big teams in Spain, Italy, and Russia, De Colo’s one million dollar buyout led him back to France, and has put him in a difficult situation in terms of his prospects for the NBA. With the Eurocup and Eurochallenge playing their games on the same day, De Colo will have to carry his team deep into the competition to earn the exposure to improve his stock. He should have no trouble maintaing his spot amongst French Pro A’s top scorers and is no doubt a legitimate NBA prospect, but his struggles against ASK Riga cost him a golden opportunity.
-Enes Kanter is entering Ricky Rubio territory, seeing a handful of minutes in the Euroleague competition despite being six months away from turning 17 years old. The 1992-born Turkish center saw 10 minutes of playing time today against Alba Berlin, not disappointing his head coach Bogdan Tanjevic by delivering a solid 5 points and 3 rebounds in the process. Kanter saw even more playing time last weekend in the local TBL, getting 21 minutes in which he delivered 8 points and an awesome 12 rebounds against Kepez. We suspect this is NOT the last you’ll be hearing about him.
-With Zalgiris Kaunas having to let Marcus Brown go due to financial difficulties, young 1989-born point guard Zygimantas Janavicius has surprisingly stepped into a position of receiving significant playing time in the Euroleague and Baltic League. He started this past week in a blowout loss against Siena, and has seen over 34 minutes in two of the last BBL contests. His team is in the midst of an awful season thus far (0-2 in the Euroleague, a shocking 2-3 in the BBL) and Janavicius has seen his ups and downs, but that doesn’t change the amount of experience and exposure he is garnering as a key cog for a Euroleague team. Whether his minutes stabilize remains to be seen, but he’ll be a player worth keeping an eye on, especially if he emerges as a starter.
-Giorgi Shermadini’s rumored imminent signing with Panathaniakos would be a huge step in the right direction for the young center. While he was able to dominate the Georgian League with Maccabi Tblisi with his size and inside-outside ability, he would likely never have the opportunity to reach his potential against that level of competition. In Athens, Shermadini would spend his days getting pummeled in practice by Mike Batiste and 2008 draft selection Nikola Pekovic, arguably the most physically dominant center in European basketball today. Whether the club opts to loan Shermadini out to a lesser team or gives him some garbage minutes remains to be seen if they do sign him, but either way, he would be taking a big step up in competition and put himself in position to do a lot of good for his NBA stock. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jonathan@draftexpress.com mwk1441@yahoo.com |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| European Update: Targeting the Draft |
|
|
|
| by: Luis Fernández - Director of International Scouting |
| June 5, 2008 |
This is the part of the year when many European prospects have finished off their seasons, while some others are still in the hunt for a title. Besides, thanks to the return of the pre-Olympic tournament in Athens, a few more players will very soon be featured on their National Teams preparing for the quest of clinching the last Olympic berths.
Still, in the minds of many young players, the NBA draft emerges as a very important target at this point of the season. Let’s take a look at the most likely players to stay in this draft and be selected, and what they have been up to these past weeks.
Danilo Gallinari
It was just a week ago that Gallinari kissed the season goodbye with a quick exit in the Italian Lega semifinals against the almighty Montepaschi Siena. If he shined brightly in the quarterfinals leading Armani Jeans Milano over Premiata Montegranaro, he somehow struggled against Siena and their aggressive man-to-man defense and excellent defensive rotations, which particularly prevented Danilo from producing off the dribble on a regular basis.
Statistically, Gallinari averaged 21 points and 7 rebounds in 5 games against Montegranaro. In one of the two losses, he could only stay on the court only 26 minutes before fouling out, registering a +/- of +9 while on the floor. Those figures dropped to 13.3 points and 5.7 rebounds against Siena. Truth be told, the Italian league has sadly developed into almost a second-tier competition in Europe, with just one really strong team –Montepaschi- and a huge bunch of similarly mediocre squads. Fortunately, Gallinari had already proven himself in the Euroleague.
Gallinari will be in Treviso for a day over the weekend, although he probably won't be doing much as far as competitive play is concerned.
Nicolas Batum
Batum is still in the mix for the French title, with his team Le Mans currently tied at 1-1 in the semifinals against Roanne. He’s delivering some solid, albeit unspectacular performances, averaging 13 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists in the playoffs. A 9-assist effort (in just 24 minutes) in the first game of the quarterfinals against Cholet stands out among his stat-lines, while he reportedly played excellent defense on Cholet’s star Nando de Colo.
Everybody is aware by now that you’re likely not getting a real star in Batum, a go-to guy to anchor a team. But at the same time, he’s just a more consistent stroke away from virtually guaranteeing to become an excellent role player for any team picking him in the draft.
If Le Mans loses in the semi-finals, there is a possibility Batum will come to Treviso for a private workout with NBA teams. Otherwise he will come to the States and begin criss-crossing the country. According to his agent, his will be staying in the draft regardless of where he’s projected to go.
Alexis Ajinca
Ajinca enjoyed a confidence boost right after the Hoop Summit, which was followed by his best season performances, but the campaign finale was not to be remembered. An early exit in the French playoffs, with decreasing importance on the team, put an end to a very inconsistent season. Only 2 points in 19 minutes in the first game, no rebounds in 8 minutes of the second, he definitely wasn’t a big factor in the series against Lyon-Villeurbanne, although he left his mark with 6 blocks in the opening game.
Some people say Ajinca doesn’t bring it every night, which results in that great inconsistency (fuelled by his obvious rawness); others point to his extremely limited playing time, which would have hampered him from getting into rhythm and building his confidence, and his excellent per minute production. Considering the lack of game action seen this very same season, I can’t honestly take sides in the matter, but I would be shocked if he had developed enough during this season to escape from the D-League for the next campaign. Although that’s a pretty concerning assessment for any player in the first round, the good news is that there’s actually a D-League that might help him improve and get into the NBA.
Ajinca is currently touring the country for private workouts at the moment. He started off in Miami on the 3rd, will continue to Toronto on the 5th, and then goes to New Jersey on the 7th.
Omri Casspi
The season finished a few days ago for Omri Casspi, virtually in tragedy. That’s the only possible description for Maccabi Tel Aviv losing the national championship in the final against Hapoel Holon. Capable of the best and the worst, it’s seriously hard to find a more inconsistent campaign for any single team across the Continent, as it has been for the Euroleague runner up.
Casspi has been an integral part of the debacle, staying as unsteady as his team, and enjoying a starting role in the domestic competition. His performance in the Final Four was pretty weak, going scoreless in the semis, and collecting just 3 points in the final, despite playing a combined 35 minutes in the two games. However, the season has also left plenty to drool about –such as his improved ability to defend perimeter players- while showcasing first-round calibre talent. Still, the depth of this draft could push him to the second round.
 | | MaccabiFans.co.il |
Casspi is already in the States working out for NBA teams. His first workout was in Miami on the 3rd, followed by Detroit on the 4th and Memphis on the 5th. He will not participate in the Eurocamp, instead opting to squeeze as many NBA workouts as he can before the 16th. If he cannot secure a spot in the first round, he will likely remove his name and head back to Europe, where he may or may not return to Maccabi Tel Aviv. He will surely make a big impact next season regardless of where he plays.
Omer Asik
Asik and his team Fenerbahce Ulker are fresh off securing the Turkish League championship, as they just today knocked off Turk Telekom in the playoff finals. As usual this season for the Turkish powerhouse, its deep inside rotation hardly allows their players to showcase great statistical consistency. With Asik, his great limitations to create his own scoring opportunities come into play too. In the end, he’s averaging 7.8 point, 7.8 boards and 1.8 blocks during the playoffs. However, his rebounding and shot-blocking production look excellent considering his 21 minutes average. Besides, he’s fresh off a 16 point, 10 rebound and 6 block performance in 24 minutes in the third game of the finals.
All in all, there’s nothing much we can say here about his game that we hadn’t anticipated in previous reports. His strengths and weaknesses are rather defined, and his game has remained pretty stable all season long.
Asik is getting looks in the late first from a few teams, but is more likely to go in the second round, where his camp prefers him to land (as far away from the rookie scale as possible). He will arrive in the States somewhere around the 16th.
Nikola Pekovic
Leading Partizan to the Serbian semi-finals, the top Balkan team this season hasn’t needed much from its starting center to lead the SuperLeague regular season. Playing less than 23 minutes per game, Pekovic has averaged 14.4 points and 4.7 rebounds (he’s still struggling with the defensive captures), proving again his superb ability to finish near the basket.
Pekovic has already signed a mammoth three year contract (with NBA outs) with Panathinaikos, the top team in Greece and one of the richest teams in Europe. His camp has done everything in its power to discourage teams from wanting to draft him in the first round (again due to the rookie scale), even though it’s clear that on talent and especially production, he is more than deserving. We’d be shocked to see him in the States working out for anyone.
Semih Erden
Recently awarded the Turkish league title alongside Asik, Semih Erden is another victim of Fenerbahce’s depth, and even if probably more talented, a less reliable player on the court. Averaging 7 points and 4.9 rebounds in the playoffs, his 14 point, 6 rebound effort in the last game of finals opener was probably his highlight this post-season, but there’s nothing great to write home about.
Somebody will likely pick him in the second due to his upside, hoping that he figures out how to put everything together and become a solid ball player down the road.
Serge Ibaka
Delivering a pretty strong run late into the campaign, Ibaka couldn’t stop his team L’Hospitalet from being relegated to the 3rd division after finishing last in the LEB Oro. The forward from Congo averaged 18.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.5 blocks in the last four games of the season (three of them against the very top teams in the league), with a 25 point, 13 rebound, 7 block performance in the closing act.
If Serge was already thinking about taking a step forward for the next season (perhaps the NBA, but more likely the ACB League), now that L’Hospitalet has gone down to LEB Plata (third division), he will do everything to get out of there. For the moment, he has been working with Joe Abunassar in Las Vegas, and he’s expected to play in Treviso. His performance there will likely determine his immediate future (draft-wise, to keep his name in or withdraw).
Ante Tomic
Not surprisingly (it’s not the first time it happens), Tomic has statistically stepped up in the Croatian championship, emerging as the top ranked player in efficiency during the regular season, where he averaged 16.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. However, he couldn’t help his team Zagreb avoid losing in the quarterfinals against Zadar, despite delivering 15 points and 11 rebounds per game. In the end, and regardless of his solid production and remarkable skill set, he’s still suffering from some serious softness that raises concerns about his ability to adjust to more demanding settings, especially the NBA. He would probably be better off playing in a tougher league somewhere in Europe, and there are already rumours about some wealthy clubs being interested in him, such as Maccabi Tel Aviv. The problem is the length of his contract, which features no exit clause for Europe or the NBA. It’s possible some team decides to draft him in the late first round, but he could just as well pull his name out of the draft.
Rodrigue Beaubois
Not only has the buzz around Beaubois refused to die down from last season, it’s actually more alive than ever. Still, it’s not because he has blown away anybody this season with his playing level. Nevertheless, his playoff outing was rather intriguing, managing to combine for 18 points in the 32 minutes he spent on the floor during the two games that Le Mans needed to send Beaubois’ Cholet home.
People just love his potential, his athleticism, wingspan, defense, ball-handling or even his pretty decent shooting touch. I still question his stature as a playmaker, his ability to create, to run a team. He has made strides during the season, but he’s likely not ready to take the NBA step.
Beaubois is in the States right now, working out for as many teams as possible until the June 16th deadline. He will not be participating in the Treviso Eurocamp this week. If he does not receive a promise in the first round, he will pull his name out, and hope to translate his strong momentum into a very good season in France next year. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
luisfernandez@draftexpress.com |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso Confirmed Participants |
|
|
|
| by: DraftExpress |
| May 13, 2008 |
 | | reebokeurocamp.com |
Eurocamp Director Pete Philo announced the confirmed players scheduled to attend the very prestigious "unofficial European pre-draft" camp in Treviso, Italy from June 7th-10th, an incredibly impressive list of players encompassing basically every player of note in the 1986-1990 European classes.
Official Website
The Reebok Eurocamp has established itself as a mandatory stop on the scouting trail for any NBA or European team serious about keeping tabs on the top international players in the world, staged in an extremely comfortable atmosphere at the training facilities of Benetton Treviso. Players conduct drills under the tutelage of an excellent coaching staff in the morning, and participate in 5 on 5 games later on in the day. Every NBA personnel member who attends is extremely fond of the event as it brings together a large group of players who are often tough to reach and thus saves teams a great deal of time and resources. Former participants include Andrea Bargnani, Rudy Fernandez, Marco Belinelli, and many others.
This year's roster might be shaping up as possibly the best ever so far. Highlights include Danilo Gallinari (shooting only), Nicolas Batum (tentative), Serge Ibaka, Joe Ingles, Nando De Colo, Vitor Faverani, Nicolo Melli, Alexey Shved, Donatas Motiejunas, Henk Norel, Artem Zabelin and many others.
NBA Draft Early Entry Players
1) Danilo Gallinari 6'10 (shooting only)
2) Nicolas Batum 6'8 (only if team loses in semi-finals on June 7th)
3) Rudy Mbemba 6'0
4) Serge Ibaka 6'10
5) Joe Ingles 6'9
6) Henk Norel 6'10
7) Giorgi Shermadini 7'1
8) Jonas Jerebko 6'9
9) Luc Louves 6'9
10) Nando De Colo 6'5
11) Ronalds Zakis 6'9
12) Maxym Korniyenko 6'7
13) Maxsym Vilkhovetskyi 6'3
14) Sergey Ilin 7'5
15) Mladen Jeremic 6'6 (if team not in playoffs)
NBA Draft Eligible (players born in 1986)
1) Anton Ponkrashov 6'7
2) Tadija Dragicevic 6'9 (if team not in playoffs)
3) Uros Tripkovic 6'6 (if team not in playoffs)
4) Mantas Kalnietis 6'5
5) Vladimir Golubovic 6'11
6) Rafael Hettsheimeir 6'10
7) Damjan Rudez 6'9
8) Manuchar Markoishvili 6'5
9) Nikita Kourbanov 6'8
10) Roland Hendlein 6'9
11) Andrija Stipanovic 6'10
12) Michelle Antonutti 6'8
13) George Tsintsadze 6'4
14) Ryan Read 6'3
15) Sam Van Rossom 6'2
"Next Generation"
1) Nemanja Aleksandrov 7'0 (if not in playoffs)
2) Boban Marjanovic 7'2 (if not in playoffs)
3) Vladimir Dasic 6'9
4) Vitor Faverani 6'11
5) Semen Shashkov 6'9
6) Nicolo Melli 6'9
7) Alexey Shved 6'6
8) Adrien Moerman 6'8 1/2
9) Slava Kravtsov 6'11
10) Ivan Paunic 6'4
11) Donatas Motiejunas 7'0
12) Luigi Datome 6'6
13) Jakub Wojciechowski 6'11
14) Jaka Klobucar 6'6
15) Chavdor Kostov 6'5
16) Oleksandr Kolchenko 6'6
17) Marko Keselj 6'9
18) Elemden Kikanovic 6'10 (if not in playoffs)
19) Stefan Markovic 6'4 (if not in playoffs)
20) Artem Zabelin 7'0
21) Andrey Vorontsevich 6'9
22) Aboubakar Zaki 7'2
23) Vladimir Stimac 6'11
24) Maxim Krivosheev 6'9 |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jonathan@draftexpress.com |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| Euroleague Final Four: Nike International Junior Tournament |
|
|
|
| by: Luis Fernández - Director of International Scouting, Jonathan Givony - President |
| May 11, 2008 |
A recap of the top prospects seen at the Nike International Junior Tournament played parallel to the Euroleague Final Four in Madrid last week. FMP Zeleznik, led by Bojan Subotic, Dejan Musli and Andrija Milutinovic continues to crush any competition they face at the junior level in Europe. Cibona Zagreb's Tomislav Zubcic and Zalgiris' Donatas Motiejunas were standouts.
Tomislav Zubcic, 6-11, SF/PF, Cibona Zagreb, 1990
 | | Jonathan Givony/DraftExpress.com |
Arguably the most impressive performance of any prospect at the Nike International Junior Tournament might have come from 6-11 Croatian forward Tomislav Zubcic. It’s not like this came by surprise—we’ve been talking about how talented this kid is since he was 16 years old, but he just hadn’t quite put everything together in an international tournament yet like he did here in Madrid, at least not from a mental standpoint.
We’ve written about Zubcic’s physical tools before—he’s long, athletic, with great size (listed at 7-feet here), but with a game more reminiscent of a small forward. He did everything on the court for Cibona—breaking the press, moving the ball around unselfishly, knocking down 3-pointers and blowing past his man with a very nice first step—his versatility is pretty extraordinary for a player this age, particularly at his size. Zubcic can execute advanced moves that players much older than him struggle with until much later in their career—coming off screens and creating sharp separation off the floor with a fluid pull-up jumper for example, and banking the shot in from a tough angle off the glass for good measure.
Zubcic’s feel for the game is what sets him apart at this point, along with his excellent skill-set, and he regularly showed that by making pinpoint passes from the perimeter into the post with absolutely no hesitation. He sees the floor extremely well at his height, and showed no problem moving the ball around the court fluidly, despite clearly being his team’s most talented scorer. Zubcic likes to shoot the ball from the perimeter—he went 5/15 in three games from behind the arc—and also showed great touch from the free throw line knocking down all 16 of his attempts.
In the post, he doesn’t have much footwork to speak of--mostly preferring to attempt turnaround jumpers, and looking too skinny and a bit too soft to use his size effectively enough here. He’s an excellent ball-handler with either hand, particularly in the open floor, and is capable of creating his own shot from the perimeter with a nice first step and solid creativity. He does struggle finishing in traffic at times, partially due to his lack of strength, and partially due to his lack of toughness.
Zubcic’s biggest issues have always been his rebounding and poor defensive play, along with the lack of intensity and assertiveness he shows to fully take advantage of his terrific talent. Rebounding definitely wasn’t a problem here in Madrid—he averaged nearly 16 rebounds per game in this tournament—and we can attribute a lot of this to the improved intensity he brought to the floor. He made a conscious effort to crash the glass as much as he could despite his skinny frame, and showed really nice timing (and excellent hands) in the process to go along with his already promising quickness and length. Defensively he struggled at times, not doing a great job on the pick and roll and getting bodied up inside. He lacks the lateral quickness to effectively guard small forwards, but still isn’t strong enough to function as a full-time power forward yet either. “Who is he going to guard exactly?” will be the operative question here, we can already predict.
NBA teams have seen European prospects in this mold (the perimeter oriented, but soft combo forward who does everything except defend) emerge over the past few years—Toni Kukoc comes to mind, but Andrea Bargnani’s struggles are a lot fresher in people’s minds. That’s why people will be very skeptical about Zubcic moving forward, until he proves otherwise, which is why he’ll probably have to have some real success in Europe first if he’s to reach his full potential draft-wise. He could get drafted very high sometime down the road, but we’ll have to wait and see how his frame and especially his all-around game develops first. It’s a healthy thing to be carefully skeptical about players like this these days, and there is really no reason from his end also why he should be in any real rush.
Donatas Motiejunas, 7-0, PF/C, Zalgiris Kaunas, 1990
 | | Jonathan Givony/DraftExpress.com |
There was nothing surprising about Motiejunas’ performance in the Nike International Junior Tournament, meaning that he delivered his usual stuff-- emerging as one of the very top performers, while looking like arguably the most promising junior seen in Madrid. Besides, his team Zalgiris was the only squad able to give a serious fight to the almighty FMP Zeleznik, following his leadership.
Motiejunas showcases a dreamed combination of length and skill set. Visibly standing in the seven-feet area, he also enjoys a nice wingspan and an excellent frame to build upon. If he’s not a super bulky inside player, he’s still a lengthy big with enough strength to operate in the paint and the athleticism to fuel his versatility.
In this tournament, Motiejunas operated mainly in the low post, exhibiting a superb ability to score around the rim. The Lithuanian shows very nice footwork and footspeed, the will to seek for physical contact, and a phenomenal ability to put the ball in the net with either hand. Indeed his touch with his off hand is a thing of beauty, which makes him virtually ambidextrous around the rim. The way the ball leaves his hands gives the expression ‘soft touch’ a whole new meaning, gently dropping it on the basket so if it hits the rim, there is a good chance it will still go in.
His jumper was another story. Usually a pretty reliable spot-up shooter, he suffered an awful tournament in this regard, even looking frustrated at times. The lefty also went for some off-the-dribble attempts, that he can also knock down with excellent mechanics, but obviously didn’t work either. He did put the ball on the floor, not as often as in past occasions, but still showing his excellent quickness and coordination (he performed a few great reverse moves).
Motiejunas makes basketball look easy, not only when he goes for his points, but also finding his teammates within the flow of the game. He has no trouble delivering passes from a variety of situations, and even tries behind the back dishes and stuff like that. Defensively, he’s not the most consistent player; but he showed nice activity. Obviously, he does have not any problem of mobility and length, he just needs to stay more focused and physical with his opponents (which will be easier for him as he fills out his frame.)
Anyway, the Lithuanian keeps showing a peculiar character. He gets way too easily frustrated with calls or game situations, which probably make him lose focus. Besides, he doesn’t always stay equally intense, sometimes depending on the momentum of the game. Which looks pretty clear is that Motiejunas still needs to gain a degree of maturity on court.
Dejan Musli, 7-0, Center, FMP Zeleznik, 1991
 | | Jonathan Givony/DraftExpress.com |
Really not a whole lot has changed with Dejan Musli since the last time we saw him, and despite his extremely tender age of 17, there are question marks regarding whether much will change in the near future as well from what we can tell. We’re still talking about the same skyscraper of a teenager, with a body reminiscent of a 25-year old. He was able to produce effectively in this tournament in short stretches, before exploding in the final game for a 25 point, 14 rebound, 4 block outing that landed him MVP honors.
Fairly slow, not super fluid, and lacking some aggressiveness, Musli doesn’t have much of a problem regardless dominating in a setting like this due to his terrific size, combined with his excellent hands and very solid finishing ability. He was a very reliable presence in the paint for his guards to drop the ball off to on drive and dish plays, and therefore was able to knock down 24 of his 43 shots in four games (56%). He also stepped outside from time to time to attempt a mid-range or long-range jump-shot, and saw mostly mixed results in the process. The fact that he almost took out a ball-boy by air-balling a free throw badly tells you that this part of his game is still being developed—he only hit 11 of his 24 attempts at the line.
Musli might not be the most active player you’ll find (he looks a bit bored or apathetic at times running up and down the court), but he has solid reflexes and surprisingly good passing ability, as he showed from time to time with some Sabonis-esqe bounce passes. He also averaged 12 rebounds per game over four days, looking very solid going after everything in his area, but not being quite as dominant as you might think considering his huge size and strength advantage. Defensively, his extremely heavy feet limit his potential staying in front of quicker players or stepping outside to hedge a screen, and he also lacks the explosiveness to project as a great weak-side shot-blocker down the road—also he did his part and then some in this tournament, with nearly 4 blocks per game.
Clearly an outstanding prospect for Europe, Musli will surely play in the NBA if he so desires, but there are some question marks about how high his ceiling is. His physical maturity and ridiculous strength advantage make you wonder about his long-term upside, even if it’s clear that at age 17, he still has quite a bit to improve upon.
Ryan Richards, 6-10, PF/C, Real Madrid, 1991
 | | Jonathan Givony/DraftExpress.com |
Considering that the other top prospects here were pretty well known, Ryan Richards was one of the most interesting features in advance of this Nike International Junior Tournament. And while he had some productive games, he didn’t blow away people with his performances, leaving some mixed feelings about his talent and feel for the game.
First of all, we have to always take into consideration his youth, as Richards is a 1991-born player, but still he surprised with a pretty strong frame for his age, especially his upper body, despite being reportedly a rather skinny guy not long ago. He stands 6-10 and could be done growing (he looks physically rather mature); it’s nice size, but not outstanding considering his array of skills and his average athleticism, although he does enjoy a mammoth wingspan.
Left-handed, Richards showed a decent perimeter stroke, displaying increasing consistency as the tournament advanced, from the mid-range area and out to the three-point line. However, he didn’t look like a face-up player, and if he’s not shooting the ball, chances are you will see him bruising in the low post. Not a finesse player, he relies on his strength, his length, some basic footwork and a certain ability to finish with his left hand, to get the job done. His footwork is pretty raw, and he really doesn’t have much in the ways of moves at this point.
On defense he looked again pretty physical, and was probably the most successful player guarding the MVP Dejan Musli all tournament long. His length and size also makes him a very solid rebounder. In the team setting, his poor awareness stood out at times, though, particularly when forced to step out and hedge a screen or rotate in the post. He’s not the most reactive player you’ll find.
You can feel the game doesn’t come easily to Richards. He doesn’t look like the most naturally gifted player, and his decision making often looks underwhelming. He’s not much of a passer, and generally speaking, his team Real Madrid had a pretty disappointing showing compared to what we had witnessed in L’Hospitalet. Despite his very solid production, Richards might be partially to blame.
Bojan Subotic, 6-8, Power Forward, FMP Zeleznik, 1990
From a pure production standpoint, there was no better player in this tournament that Bojan Subotic. Extremely mature despite being six months shy of his 18th birthday, incredibly smart and superbly versatile, there is absolutely no question that Subotic will find a way to become an outstanding basketball player one way or another down the road. He’s an undersized power forward in the Eddie Najera mold, but with a developing perimeter game that might give him a chance to become a Linas Kleiza type power-wing in time.
Subotic does everything you can ask a player to do on the floor—he can take his man off the dribble, knock down 3-pointers, score inside seeking out contact and using his body superbly, pass the ball, rebound in traffic or play solid pick and roll defense. He is confident, extremely aggressive, and savvy enough at his age to already know the little tricks he needs to utilize to get by as an undersized 4-man. He’s surely not a great athlete, but has the timing, toughness and feel for the game to get by at this level without a problem. His footwork is excellent, as is his body control, and he’s constantly fighting to gain his team advantages on the floor.
Not particularly big, strong or explosive, Subotic doesn’t project as a future NBA player on first glance, but he’s also not the kind of guy you want to write off. He has four more years until he’s automatically eligible for the draft, and he’ll definitely have to become a lights out shooter (which he’s not at this point) and an extremely productive high level European player to have a real chance. One way or another, you’re definitely going to hear his name again.
Nikola Mirotic, 6-10, Power Forward, Real Madrid, 1991
Mirotic came to the Nike IJT bearing some very high expectations after his outstanding showing last January in the prestigious L’Hospitalet Tournament. And while he wasn’t quite able to live up to them, he wasn’t a disappointment either.
Mirotic again showed his excellent ability to operate facing the basket, mostly to put the ball on the floor with his dominant left hand, knock down 3-pointers, and shoot turn-around jumpers. He has an excellent feel for the game, a high skill level, and is extremely aggressive trying to make things happen for his team.
He struggled a little bit trying to adjust to the presence of brand-new teammate Ryan Richards (which forced him outside even more), and looked a little predictable at times using strictly his left hand. He has good length and a decent frame, but doesn’t enjoy the upside of some of the other big men here due to his limited athletic ability. He had trouble defending the pick and roll, showing poor lateral quickness, and seemed to lack some quickness and explosiveness to get himself high-percentage looks at the basket on a regular basis. This probably wasn’t the best weekend he’s had, but some scouts we talked to who were very familiar with him said it will take a lot more than this to erase the excellent impression he left at L’Hospitalet a few months back.
Papa Abdoulaye, 6-10, PF/C, Axa Barcelona, 1990
Showing up in Madrid without his inside African buddy Michel Diouff, Papa Abdoulaye enjoyed more chances to showcase his abilities, but ended up exposing his extremely raw game.
Nobody will argue about his superb physical tools. Enjoying nice size, he possesses a terrific wingspan and a nicely built and already pretty strong frame, a lot better than your typical skinny African. On the other hand, his well-developed body only fuels the uncertainty about his real age.
Anyway, when it comes time to play basketball, Abdoulaye has little to offer. The most intriguing part about his game is probably his jumper, which he seems to be working hard on, having delivered pretty orthodox mechanics with a high release point while showing decent accuracy (actually solid if we talk about the charity stripe). He also tried to produce from the low post, but struggled here noticeably to get anything going, as he doesn’t enjoy the footwork and the basketball IQ to take advantage of his body. At least, when he managed to release the ball, he did show a very raw jump hook that he could actually deliver with his left hand also.
On defense, he stands out with his intimidation skills, especially his ability to elevate really high for blocks on defensive rotations, showing nice timing in his leaping efforts. However, he’s not a solid player here, easily being baited with pump-fakes, his positioning is not the best around, and he’s neither particularly physical in the paint.
We’ll see what the future is for Abdoulaye. History unfortunately tells us that African players in this mold struggle to develop and overcome their lack of knowledge of the game, especially those taking up basketball as late as Abdoulaye (he has reportedly been playing basketball for not much more than a year).
Andreja Milutinovic, 6-6, SG/SF, FMP Zeleznik, 1990
 | | Jonathan Givony/DraftExpress.com |
Steady, but not really dominant at any point in time, Andreja Milutinovic picked his spots efficiently while helping his team come away with the Nike IJT championship. He’s a fairly mature wing player, with good size, a nice frame, and solid athletic ability, along with some pretty nice skills.
Milutinovic is an excellent shooter first and foremost, but he’s also a very effective slasher when he puts his mind to it. His body control and ability to change directions with smooth hesitation moves is pretty unique amongst European wing prospects, and will surely help him overcome the fact that he’s not the most fluid or explosive player you’ll find. He’s also crafty and pretty aggressive when he puts his mind to it, which makes him capable of making some impressive plays from time to time. He had an emphatic dunk in traffic in the championship game for example that seemingly came out of nowhere, and also made strong moves spinning into the paint and finishing or pulling up off the dribble from mid-range to continue and drop glimpses of potential.
The problem is that it didn’t always seem like Milutinovic was playing all that hard. Whether he was deferring to his teammates or just coasting against weaker competition (no one could touch FMP at this tournament, or in all of European junior basketball for that matter) remains to be seen, but it would be nice to see him play aggressively for the entire time he’s on the floor. His coaching staff wouldn’t stand for anything less than 100% from him on the defensive end, though, and he seemed to put in a solid effort and always compete trying to stay in front of his man. He seems like a pretty tough kid all in all, and is definitely a name to keep in mind for the future.
Others:
Agustin Ambrosino is a 6-7 Argentinean power forward who will eventually make the transition over to playing the 3 we imagine, and he has some pretty nice tools to do it if he keeps working hard. He’s long, fairly athletic, and has decent skills facing the basket, making him someone to at least keep an eye on for the future. Nimrod Tishman won’t turn 17 until later this month, but he still managed to leave a pretty strong impression playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv in an almost impossible group. He has great size at 6-5 for a point guard, solid athletic ability, a decent stroke and a nice feel for the game. He created a lot of opportunities for his teammates while drawing some inevitable Yotam Halperin comparisons, but struggled on the defensive end and finishing around the basket due to his obvious lack of strength. His teammate Daniel Rom has all kinds of talent—good size for a power forward, decent athleticism, and the ability to create his own shot from the perimeter or with nifty pivot moves in the lane. The problem is that he looks incredibly apathetic running up and down the floor, and like almost all Israeli players seemingly, doesn’t play a lick of defense. Carmel Bouchman, also of Maccabi Tel Aviv, hit a late growth spurt supposedly and is now listed at a shade under 6-9. He’s fairly athletic and likes to face the basket and hit 3-pointers. He’s too skinny and soft at the moment to be anymore more than a defensive liability, but he will rotate over at times from the weak-side and come up with a blocked shot. Nemanja Nedovic (6-3, 1991, Red Star) won’t turn 17 for another month or so, but he has some tools that make him worthy of keeping on the radar for now. He can put the ball in the net getting to the rim or from long range, and looked pretty pesky getting in the passing lanes as well. He’s not a bad athlete either. 15-year old Vytenis Cizauskas of Zalgiris was one of the youngest players at this tournament (born in September of 1992), but he had some very nice moments, particularly attacking the basket. He emerged as Zalgiris’ most reliable scorer at times, and also showed all kinds of toughness sticking his nose in places they didn’t belong. He plays a bit out of control at times (our impression from watching him last month at the Jordan Brand Classic practices and game in New York), but has decent tools to work with. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
luisfernandez@draftexpress.com jonathan@draftexpress.com |
| |
| | |
