does anyone have any knowledge of the european leagues and players in that league.... if so can you let me know through pm or on here who i should be looking out for and which teams i should be watching
also when does a player have to declare themselfs for the draft and which is the best mock draft to look at please
It's a funny year for Euros (I'm a huge Euroleague fan)- the '91 class is coming into its own, but many of the players have been around a while and might gain a lot of stock in the lead up to the international games this year. My top list, and Kings targets:
1. Tomas Satoransky (Czech Republic), PG/SG: Great dual-position guard with fantastic length and leaping ability. OK defense, fantastic court vision and passing ability, very smart with the ball, and great range on his shot. Think of a mix between Marko Jaric, Sarunas Marciulonis, and a less flashy, less explosive J-Will. A project, but could go places and is very, very talented. Could excel on a team where he doesn't have to get heavy minutes for a year or two. Also, deeply desires to play in NBA and has excellent English- often speaks to the maturity factor. Doesn't try to do too much, but that restraint may be a good thing for a player with his type of game. He could be a great complement to a player like Tyreke, in that his patience (and court vision) in setting up plays and quick passes could create a better flow for a charging, aggressive, ball-hungry guard like Evans. Projects to late first round (19-30).
2. Evan Fournier (France), SG/SF: Don't know much about him, but a solid player from what I hear with good range and a decent shot. I hear he has good speed and mobility, but again, not very familiar. A chance he may not even come out. The buzz with this kid stems from the fact he is an excellent ballhandler and is creative as hell, with star potential. Shoots good against tough defense, and seems to excel at making something out of nothing. The downside is his 3 shot isn't great, and despite his ability to attack the rim and get good looks, he can be as streaky as they come. He plays a pretty good D, although Euro players rarely possess the physical or speed games that compare to the NBA players he'd meet every night. Still, he offers a nice project, and may have the highest ceiling of any international eligible in the draft. Could go virtually anywhere in the draft, depending on what stock teams put in his season, versatility, and workouts. My guess is somewhere between 20 and 25.
3. Furkan Aldemir (Turkey), PF/C: A project, but an absolute rebounding machine. He's not explosively quick or great in transition, but he plays with a ton of energy and can really wear teams down inside, plus get above the rim. His splits project him as a 10P/10+R a game guy in EuroLeague, and I suspect that projection would be his ceiling in the NBA. Still, he's a great fit on a team needing an affordable PF option and has a lot to offer. May never develop a shot, but could convert 3-4 putbacks a night. He's not David Lee or Foster, but he'd certainly make teams pay for letting him charge the lane. A great 2nd rd. pick.
4. Leon Radosevic (Croatia), PF/C: In my opinion, perhaps the biggest sleeper international pick in the draft. He really could go either way, projection wise: he's not a very flashy or even overly talented player, but he has a tremendous feel for the game and doesn't try to do too much. In particular, he's great in transition offense and has a dangerously accurate shot for someone his size. If he plays the 3 in the NBA, he could present a big challenge. He certainly, defensively, wouldn't be great fit for the 5 in my opinion, but many are putting him there now. He's a very clean player, and has the fundamentals down. Also, he played a lot of minutes last year and could be more "battle ready" than the rest. I would compare him, when he's on, to a slower version of Drazen Petrovic (even though Petro was a guard- his shot and command is that good). Tons of excitement, lots of lean ins and fade aways, and not afraid to go at anyone. Defense will be a project, but a very high ceiling pick. The phrase "high basketball IQ" comes up a lot with him as well.
5.) Nihad Djedovic (Bosnia), SF: Extremely creative and agile, with an impressive shooting stroke and the ability to step into tough situations and make an impact. He is very mature and is a great slashing forward or guard in the lane, able to receive passes confidently and dish them out as well. Some scouts have called him "NBA-like" in his poise already, but I don't know what that means exactly. He plays passable but spotty D and isn't terribly fast, but on the right team (Minnesota, OKC, CHI, DEN, etc) he could get a nice amount of open looks in a high tempo system and terrorize teams by being able to convert. You'd be drafting him for his shot, maturity, and shot creation and he'd likely deliver. My second round pick if I were Kings GM- but I'd list him more as a Shooting Guard. May not have the upside of the players listed above, but may be a little more ready to step in right away with an NBA ready attribute in his outside shot.
Hope this helps! Again, my vote is for Satoransky, Fournier or Djedovic, but will be interesting to see how this list evolves over the year. Enjoy!
