In the meantime, we find a mixed bag as far as this years group of Internationals is concerned. Stars from all the top leagues in Europe are mixed in with largely unknowns featuring upsides (and downsides) that are perceived to be considerable. The cream of the crop as far as youth of the Euroleague, Adriatic League, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Israeli leagues are represented--and for the most part, the majority of these players share a significant role on their current team already, which will surely ease the transition to the NBA. Last year saw four international players drafted in the first round, and 13 total, and this year will be similar in terms of the quantity well see.
In part one of our four part article about the top International prospects in this years draft, well look at three power forwards who are projected in various spots in our mock draft. Andrea Bargnani is a name that has become well known to NBA draft fans everywhere over the past two years, and he carries the torch as far as European prospects in this draft are concerned. Joel Freeland was unknown to most NBA scouts up until two weeks ago, but he too might end up cracking the first round if the buzz from his latest batch of workouts is any indication. Vladimir Veremeenko is probably the one that NBA GMs heard first of any player on this list, but as is all too often the case, waiting too long to enter the draft has hurt him in the eyes of scouts when considering the lack of significant improvement hes shown since he first emerged.
Andrea Bargnani, 7-1, Power Forward, 1985, Italy, Benetton Treviso
Jonathan Givony
The most intriguing European player to enter the draft since Pau Gasol in 2001, Andrea Bargnanis credentials speak for themselves coming off playing a leading role in helping his team win the Italian League Championship just last week. The comparisons to virtually every other European player thats entered the draft since Gasol in 2001 end here for that reason precisely, as hes been through the fire repeatedly after playing a grueling NBA-type season with two or even three games a week in the most competitive and demanding environments a player his age can face outside the NBA.
For that reason alone Bargnani is an attractive prospect, being proven again and again to be one of the top talents in the world in his age group and having seen and experienced far more than any NCAA player in this draft. Watching him play, its impossible to deny what GMs see in him as far as his talent and mismatch potential goes. His combination of size and offensive skill is without parallel in this draft, and its not difficult at all to see where the Nowitzki comparisons come from.
Bargnani is a potential nightmare as far as defensive matchups go. Put an average 6-10 NBA power forward on him and hell pull him right away from the basket and attempt to blow by him with his excellent first step and ball-handling skills. Sag off him and knock down a 3-pointer right in your face. Bigger forwards will have their hands full once he reaches his full potential, as his footwork and ability to read angles and slither his way to the basket for a creative finish is both surprising and quite effective coming from a player his size.
What makes him even more difficult to defend is the fact that he can pull up fluidly from mid-range and knock down difficult shots even when off balance or fading away. His understanding of how to throw the ball in the basket is extraordinary at his age, as his smooth, slithery movement and the confidence he has in his offensive skill goes well with the cool and calm demeanor he brings to the floor.
The pick and pop should be a play his coach begins running from day one for him, as he understands how to move off the ball and has the size and shooting mechanics to get his shot off basically whenever he pleases. The fact that he averaged 44% from behind the arc on just under 4 attempts per game in the Italian league playoffs is no fluke. Get him a good point guard, run some offense for him, and hell knock down his shot with no hesitation more often than not if he can get his feet set.
Beyond his terrific offensive skill, there are other things to like about Bargnanis potential. Defensively, he can deny angles to the basket due to his quick feet and excellent length. Hes quite an agile player, not explosive, but moves his feet well enough to get the job done.
All indications are that hes a hardworker who is very much dedicated to achieving his goal of becoming an NBA star, which is the type of work ethic youd expect from a player who was almost a complete unknown even in his home country three years ago. As mentioned, his court demeanor is excellent, as hes a mature player who understands the game, executes well, plays under control and is relatively mistake free despite his age. People often mistake his calmness for a lack of intensity, but you must understand that chest-beating and trash talking isnt the European way.
On the negative side, there are concerns about most of the other parts of his game beyond his offense. While hes a smooth and fluid athlete, he most certainly is not an explosive one. He plays under the rim for the most part, and has fairly small hands, which combined make him a below average rebounder, particularly in traffic. He gets pushed around too often and doesnt fight back as much as youd perhaps like to see. Its not rare to see bulky American big men back him down in the paint and score on him, without intense resistance coming from Bargnanis direction. He is able to contain players on drives to the hoop, but not prevent when strength becomes a factor in static situations. In team defense situations, he is just average in terms of the awareness he shows. In both team and man to man defense, he can be quite foul prone, as he gets baited into using his hands and body excessively and therefore commits unnecessary fouls by players that are more experienced than him.
On the other end of the floor, hes not really as much a focal part of Benettons offense as you would expect, and you have to sometimes wonder why. People will say that its his youth and thats the way things are in Europewhich is true to a certain extentbut its tough to fathom that if his (quite forward thinking) coach thought giving him a bigger share of the teams offense would give them a better chance of winning, he would refuse to because of tradition.
Too often wed see Bargnani going through long stretches where he just disappears within the flow of the game, not trying to make his presence felt, and certainly not helping his team out that much in other aspects. When his shot is not falling, there are legitimate concerns about how much he will be able to contribute elsewhere. Becoming a better passer, rebounder, defender and post-scorer are all things that Bargnani needs to work on.
All in all, Bargnanis success will mostly depend on the situation he lands in, and how well he can adapt himself to the American style of play. If he falls on a team with a great coach who understands his strengths and will know how to utilize him, he will blossom. If he doesnt, people will once again decry the European hype machine, which is a shame considering just how talented he really is. People forget that Nowitzki landed in Dallas to play for one of the best offensive minds in basketball in Don Nelson, which set the stage for what is sure to be a hall of fame career. Where Bargnani lands will be of utmost importance; and his team will have to design a fair share of their offense around him to really let him maximize his full potential.
For that reason alone Bargnani is an attractive prospect, being proven again and again to be one of the top talents in the world in his age group and having seen and experienced far more than any NCAA player in this draft. Watching him play, its impossible to deny what GMs see in him as far as his talent and mismatch potential goes. His combination of size and offensive skill is without parallel in this draft, and its not difficult at all to see where the Nowitzki comparisons come from.
Bargnani is a potential nightmare as far as defensive matchups go. Put an average 6-10 NBA power forward on him and hell pull him right away from the basket and attempt to blow by him with his excellent first step and ball-handling skills. Sag off him and knock down a 3-pointer right in your face. Bigger forwards will have their hands full once he reaches his full potential, as his footwork and ability to read angles and slither his way to the basket for a creative finish is both surprising and quite effective coming from a player his size.
What makes him even more difficult to defend is the fact that he can pull up fluidly from mid-range and knock down difficult shots even when off balance or fading away. His understanding of how to throw the ball in the basket is extraordinary at his age, as his smooth, slithery movement and the confidence he has in his offensive skill goes well with the cool and calm demeanor he brings to the floor.
The pick and pop should be a play his coach begins running from day one for him, as he understands how to move off the ball and has the size and shooting mechanics to get his shot off basically whenever he pleases. The fact that he averaged 44% from behind the arc on just under 4 attempts per game in the Italian league playoffs is no fluke. Get him a good point guard, run some offense for him, and hell knock down his shot with no hesitation more often than not if he can get his feet set.
Beyond his terrific offensive skill, there are other things to like about Bargnanis potential. Defensively, he can deny angles to the basket due to his quick feet and excellent length. Hes quite an agile player, not explosive, but moves his feet well enough to get the job done.
All indications are that hes a hardworker who is very much dedicated to achieving his goal of becoming an NBA star, which is the type of work ethic youd expect from a player who was almost a complete unknown even in his home country three years ago. As mentioned, his court demeanor is excellent, as hes a mature player who understands the game, executes well, plays under control and is relatively mistake free despite his age. People often mistake his calmness for a lack of intensity, but you must understand that chest-beating and trash talking isnt the European way.
On the negative side, there are concerns about most of the other parts of his game beyond his offense. While hes a smooth and fluid athlete, he most certainly is not an explosive one. He plays under the rim for the most part, and has fairly small hands, which combined make him a below average rebounder, particularly in traffic. He gets pushed around too often and doesnt fight back as much as youd perhaps like to see. Its not rare to see bulky American big men back him down in the paint and score on him, without intense resistance coming from Bargnanis direction. He is able to contain players on drives to the hoop, but not prevent when strength becomes a factor in static situations. In team defense situations, he is just average in terms of the awareness he shows. In both team and man to man defense, he can be quite foul prone, as he gets baited into using his hands and body excessively and therefore commits unnecessary fouls by players that are more experienced than him.
On the other end of the floor, hes not really as much a focal part of Benettons offense as you would expect, and you have to sometimes wonder why. People will say that its his youth and thats the way things are in Europewhich is true to a certain extentbut its tough to fathom that if his (quite forward thinking) coach thought giving him a bigger share of the teams offense would give them a better chance of winning, he would refuse to because of tradition.
Too often wed see Bargnani going through long stretches where he just disappears within the flow of the game, not trying to make his presence felt, and certainly not helping his team out that much in other aspects. When his shot is not falling, there are legitimate concerns about how much he will be able to contribute elsewhere. Becoming a better passer, rebounder, defender and post-scorer are all things that Bargnani needs to work on.
All in all, Bargnanis success will mostly depend on the situation he lands in, and how well he can adapt himself to the American style of play. If he falls on a team with a great coach who understands his strengths and will know how to utilize him, he will blossom. If he doesnt, people will once again decry the European hype machine, which is a shame considering just how talented he really is. People forget that Nowitzki landed in Dallas to play for one of the best offensive minds in basketball in Don Nelson, which set the stage for what is sure to be a hall of fame career. Where Bargnani lands will be of utmost importance; and his team will have to design a fair share of their offense around him to really let him maximize his full potential.