2011 NBA Draft - International Prospects

“With the 5th pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, the Denver Nuggets select… Nikoloz Tskitishvili.” Um, who? It wasn’t that long ago that this scene was played over again and again as NBA fans sat and listened to Commissioner David Stern call out names like Khryapa, Lampe, Korolev and Araujo, guys who not only had they never seen play, they’d never even heard of.  With the emergence of international stars Dirk Nowitzki, Manu Ginobili, Peja Stojakovic and the like, NBA GM’s were keen to take a shot at drafting the next great European star. And so it began, starting as a fad, a trend, before evolving into a full-on invasion. From 2002 till 2006, an average of seven international players were drafted in the first round. Three international players were drafted first overall during this time, with Yao Ming (2002), Andrew Bogut (2005) and finally Andrea Bargnani (2006) being the first to shake David Stern’s hand on draft night (Bogut did spend two seasons at the University of Utah, however he was born and raised in Australia and represents Australia in national competition).

It looked as if it would never end. Then, almost overnight, it stopped. Too many of the international draftees weren’t living up to expectations (Darko Milicic anybody?) and the love affair with international players began to deteriorate. There continued to be a gradual injection of international talent – recent success stories include the likes of Luis Scola, Marc Gasol, Danilo Gallinari, Marco Belinelli, and JJ Barea just to name a few – however essentially it was over. In the past three drafts, just ten international players have been selected in the first round, including one last year (Ricky Rubio, who is yet to step foot on an NBA court). But those who thought it would last were clearly mistaken. The 2011 NBA Draft might soon be remembered as the international revival – no fewer than ten international prospects have been mentioned as potential first rounders in the upcoming draft.

This year, for the first time since the introduction of the NBA’s age-limit, a number of highly rated freshmen decided to pull their names out of the draft and return to college. As a result, experts are already predicting one of the weakest draft classes in history. What this means, however, is that NBA scouts have been accumulating sky miles and scouring the overseas leagues in the hope of once again finding elite talent outside of the US. Early indications suggest they won’t be disappointed, with this years crop of international prospects some of the most talented and athletic prospects in years. To be honest, most of these guys might’ve been lottery picks even if the likes of Jared Sullinger, Harrison Barnes and Perry Jones had decided to skip their remaining few years of college and head to the pros.

Jonas Valanciunas, a 6’11”, 240lbs center from Lithuania, is the highest rated of this year’s crop of internationals. Valanciunas is the epitome of a developing post man; he has a solid game with back to the basket, great length, and is an energetic rebounder. He lacks strength, and developing some more muscle will among the priorities in becoming an effective contributor in the NBA, as well as developing a consistent and reliable jump shot.

One thing is for sure – Lithuanian basketball is in good hands, as Valanciunas will almost certainly be joined in the lottery by countryman Donatas Motiejunas, a 7’0”, 215lbs power forward/center. The left-handed Motiejunas has excellent ball-handling skills for his size and a smooth mid-range jumper. Like Valanciunas, he has a solid inside game and great length, however he too would be well served spending some time in the weight room.  

Motiejunas is just one of many international players to have participated in the annual Nike Hoop Summit, which has served as a breaking out party for NBA stars such as Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Luis Scola and Andrea Bargnani. In recent years, the summit has served as a showcase for two record-setting performances from international prospects Enes Kanter and Bismack Biyombo. Turkish center Kanter (6’10”, 250lbs) set a Hoops summit record with 34 points, breaking Nowitzki’s previous record of 33 points in 1998. Kanter, who was ruled ineligible for the 2010-11 NCAA season having received payments above his actual expenses from his Turkish club, probably has the best post game of any of this years prospects, domestic or abroad. He has great footwork and is a strong finisher, and pursues rebounds with great determination.

Biyombo (6’9”, 240lbs) recorded the first triple-double in Hoop Summit history in the 2010 showcase, finishing with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks in a dominant display. Questions abide as to his exact age – some reports have him as 18-19, others as high as 24 – which raise questions as to his potential for improvement, especially offensively, where he is undoubtedly in need of further development. However, scouts love his athleticism and energy, comparing him to Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

While African players like Biymobo tend to excel athletically, when it comes to European players, it isn’t the first thing we tend to think of. Shooting range, high basketball IQ, strong fundamentals, these are the traits commonly associated with elite European prospects. Consider Jan Vesely the exception. At 6’11”, 240lbs, the Czech Republic forward has been labelled the European Blake Griffin, due to his nightly highlight dunks and freakish athleticism. His ball-handling needs work, but he does own a reliable jump shot and his off-the-charts athleticism makes him an intriguing prospect.

The darkhorse in this years draft is Real Madrid’s Nikola Mirotic. A 6’10”, 210lbs forward from Spain, Mirotic was the recipient of this years Euroleague Rising star award, an award that lists Andrea Bargnani, Rudy Fernandez, Danilo Gallinari and Ricky Rubio amongst its previous winners. Most mock drafts have him going midway through the second round, mainly due to a large buyout clause in his contract, which was recently extended through the end of the 2015-16 season. However, even knowing they will have to wait several years before he finally dons their teams’ jersey (if ever), any GM should be happy to take a fly on Mirotic because he will undoubtedly be worth the wait.

Other Notable Prospects: Lucas Nogueira (6’11”, 225lbs) Brazil, Davis Bertans (6’10”, 210lbs) Latvia, Leon Radosevic (6’10”, 210lbs) Croatia, Dario Saric (6’8”, 215lbs) Croatia, Bojan Bogdanovic (6’7”, 216lbs) Bosnia and Herzegovina