Tuesday, November 6, 2018

A look at the top international NBA draft candidates this season

Sekou Doumbouya (Limoges)

A legit Top 3 draft candidate, the 2000-born forward is struggling in his first full pro season. He has an NBA frame despite his young age, but shooting 36.7 percent and 1/10 from three in the French league won’t take him very far.

Luka Samanic (Petrol Olimpija)

Slow start of the season for the Croatian power forward, struggling to earn consistent playing time in his first full year at the professional level. We got a glimpse of his talent in the last Adriatic League match, scoring 12 points in 19 minutes against the current champion Buducnost.

Amine Noua (ASVEL)

Currently sidelined due to a sprained ankle, he’s averaging 11.2 ppg and 5.8 rpg in the French league. His long-distance jumper is still a work in progress for an undersized power forward, but the talent and hustle are definitely there.

Goga Bitadze (Mega Basket)

He’s definitely improving his draft stock on Nikola Jokic’s former team, showing similar glimpses of elite IQ for a big man. His defensive timing is gold when it comes to swatting shots. Averaging 20.8 ppg and 37.5 percent from deep this season. 

Brian Bowen (Sydney Kings)

With his father playing a key role in the latest NCAA trial, Bowen is adjusting to pro basketball in Australia on Andrew Bogut’s team. He’s averaging 9.2 ppg while shooting 71.4 percent from three. So far so good.

Vanja Marinkovic (Partizan)

The Serbian shooting guard is having one the strongest starts of the season for a draft-eligible player in Europe, averaging 16.6 ppg in the Adriatic league. His defense is a question mark, but he can get buckets in every way possible.

Gabriel Galvanini (Bauru)

A torn ACL has the Brazilian power forward sidelined for the start of the season. After a strong NBA Global camp, he’ll have to recover the athleticism that took him to the 2019 draft boards.

Marko Simonovic (PETROL OLIMPIJA)

The Montenegrin big man had a crazy start of the year, being sent on loan to an Italian second division team where he only played four minutes. Back to the Adriatic League, he may have more playing time to show his skills.

Tadas Sedekerskis (Baskonia)

Projected to be in the rotation of a Euroleague team, a lumbar spinal injury will keep him out for more than two months. Important setback for a player who thrives in the open court when fully healthy.

Adam Mokoka (Mega Basket)

He followed the steps of a similar player (Timothe Luwawu) moving from France to Serbia. His long arms and energy can create havoc defensively on the perimeter. Although still far from a reliable shooter, he can definitely finish under the rim.

Maximo Fjellerup (San Lorenzo)

He’s having a tough start of the season after signing for the top Argentinian team, shooting only 15.8 percent from deep. Despite his early struggles, he’s athletic and smart enough on the court to fill the current void of Argentinian players in the NBA

aleksa radanov (crvena zvedza)

Playing for the best team in the Adriatic league, the 1998-born forward is not enjoying much playing time this season. For now, he’s shooting a stellar 10-of-12 between Adriatic League and Eurocup without missing a single three.

Karim Jallow (Ludwigsburg)

Playing on loan from German powerhouse Bayern Munich, Jallow had a monster game to start the season scoring 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting. He’s been less impressive since then, but it could be a big year for the energetic guard.

David Okeke (Torino)

A heart arrhythmia forced him to finish the 2017-18 season in February, and he hasn’t played again since. A real bummer for a player with legit potential to be a stretch four in the NBA.

Jordan Sakho (Manresa)

After testing the waters last season, the Congolese center is having solid enough minutes in the ACB league to make a run in 2019. A good finisher on the rim, he’s averaging 8.1 ppg with a 65 percent from the field.

Abdoulaye Ndoye (Cholet)

The next French PG with NBA potential after Elie Okobo, Ndoye has recently bounced back after a rough start with a couple of good games in the French LNB. Potentially an elite perimeter defender, shots are also falling for the 6-foot-7 guard.

Laurynas Birutis (Zalgiris)

Gaining some muscle will help the old-school 21-year-center. Lacking a reliable jumper, he’s entering the draft picture thanks partly great mobility in pick-and-roll situations.

tamir blatt (hapoel jerusalem)

The son of former Cavs coach David Blatt is already a clear starter PG for Amare Stoudemire’s team. He’s not a physically gifted player, but his IQ is just impressive. He’s averaging 13.2 ppg and 5.2 apg while shooting 48 percent from deep in Israel.

Vassilis Charalampopoulos (Lavrio)

Once considered the biggest European talent of his generation, he left Panathinaikos after a disappointing couple of years. Now trying to regain his fading elite potential on a much weaker team.

hu jinqiu (zhejiang guangsha)

The most promising Chinese big man since Zhou Qi got drafted. He’s been spectacular so far in the CBA, starting the season with three 20-10 games in a row. At age 21, he can definitely hold his ground against players with NBA experience.

alen smailagic (santa cruz warriors)

The 2000-born Serbian forward took the road less traveled joining the Warriors’ affiliate in the G League. If he succeeds, he will be first international player ever drafted in the NBA via the development league.



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