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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 10, 2005 2:03:33 GMT -5
**I have not seen either of these players, so I do not know what they are really like. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night**
Here are 2 european players who could be available for us to take at 18. From the various scouting reports I've read on these 2, Roko Leni-Ukic and Rudy Fernandez are both tall backcourt players (6'5") who play with a lot of smarts and savvy. Both need lots of time in the weight room to beef up their sub-200 lbs frames.
Ukic is a truer PG than Fernandez, but Rudy can play the 1, 2, and 3.
I can imagine a backcourt of West and either Ukic or Fernandez.
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Post by BCHISTORIAN on Jun 10, 2005 3:17:08 GMT -5
i haven't seen ukic play but fernandez is pretty good looking player. but he's shooting guard and we have plenty of those right now.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 10, 2005 11:37:50 GMT -5
i haven't seen ukic play but fernandez is pretty good looking player. but he's shooting guard and we have plenty of those right now. But he sounds like he's got a very strong knowledge of the game, ala Manu Ginobli. He and Delonte could make a smart backcourt even if we don't have a true PG. |
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 10, 2005 12:08:15 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2005 12:21:33 GMT -5
I know Ukic played in the World vs USA game last year which feature Al Jefferson, Howard, and the other HSer but I don't remember Ukic being impressive at all. If anything he looked raw to me.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 10, 2005 15:48:31 GMT -5
The thing about european players is that they don't tend to shine individually in games. Unlike in the States, where teams don't win unless they have at least one superstar, international teams don't showcase individual players. But BC has seen some of these prospects and he says Rudy Fernandez looks pretty good.
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Post by ferbo on Jun 10, 2005 17:36:40 GMT -5
A related article from NBA.Com
Can't say that I'm excited at all about using the 18 on an international. second round is different. Not impressed with the stats at all.
Know the game there is different, but a guy coming off the bench and playing 13 minutes?
Global Game: NBA Draft Preview
By Brad Friedman
In 2003, a record nine international prospects were chosen in the NBA Draft's first round. The following June, eight international players were selected in the first round.
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Udrih went from 28th pick in the draft to NBA Finals participant in the span of a year.
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images
This year, a new mark could be established as a number of international prospects are being billed as potential first-rounders, including the favorite to be selected No. 1 overall, Australian center Andrew Bogut.
Born in Melbourne as the son of a pair of Croatian immigrants, the 6-11 Bogut moved to the United States in 2003 to play collegiate basketball at University of Utah. He shined with the Utes during his brief stay there, ranking 19th in the NCAA in scoring (20.4 ppg) and second in rebounding (12.2 rpg) en route to Consensus National Player of the Year honors as a sophomore this season.
Scouts compare Bogut to younger version of Lakers center Vlade Divac because of his passing skills, shooting touch and rebounding ability. Given the low supply of quality centers in the game of basketball, it'll be difficult for any team with a top pick to pass Bogut up in the draft.
Another international big man capable of landing in the lottery is 6-11 Brazilian forward Tiago Splitter, who's spent the last several seasons playing professionally in Spain. Splitter's been on the NBA radar screen for years -- he became the youngest player ever to compete in the FIBA World Championships in 2002 at the age of 17.
Now 20, Splitter has been a valuable contributor for Tau Ceramic in the ACB, Spain's top pro league, this season, averaging 8.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He has a long, athletic body that projects him as a potentially bothersome defender at the NBA level. While his defense is still ahead of his offense he has the beginnings of a low post game.
Scouts have been intrigued by Splitter for years but Spanish native Fran Vazquez has barely been given a second thought. Until this season that is, when the 22-year-old late bloomer averaged 11.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 24.2 minutes per game in the Spanish ACB for Unicaja Malaga and potentially played his way into the lottery.
He's been even more productive in the playoffs, where he's gotten the better of match-ups with Splitter. Standing 6-10, Vazquez is considered one of the top shot-blockers in Europe and he's also an efficient rebounder and scorer in the paint.
His Spanish countryman, 6-5 combo guard Rudy Fernandez, made headlines last season when he earned MVP honors of the Spanish King's Cup competing for DVK Joventut Badalona. The following summer in the Olympics, Fernandez showed flashes of brilliance, even against Team USA, using his athleticism to make an impact on both ends of the court.
Fernandez often draws comparisons to Spurs guard Brent Barry because of his ability to play both backcourt positions.
If there's a word that sums up the perception of French seven-footer Johan Petro, it's "potential." Petro's NBA body and fluid mobility have scouts drooling over his upside. Those same talent evaluators are also wondering when he's going to tap into it.
In two seasons in France's top professional league with Pau Orthez, Petro's been relatively non-productive. This season was supposed to be his break out year, but instead Petro averaged just 6.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 13.0 minutes per game. Considering the limited playing time, those numbers are solid but you have to wonder why he's playing so little.
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Marty Blake made the first ever international selection in the NBA draft in 1970 as GM of Atlanta.
Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images
Like Petro, 7-3 Lithuanian pivot Martynas Andriuskevicius is prospect attracting attention because of his potential. Andriuskevicius is a match-up problem waiting to happen -- he's a long and skilled big man who can move, shoot and dribble. Trouble is Andriuskevicius is also a match-up problem waiting to be exploited -- he's thin and dislikes contact, not exactly traits desired in a pivot.
Andriuskevicius averaged 4.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 9.6 minutes per game for Zalgiris this season in the Lithuanian LKL, competing under the tutelage of former Trail Blazers center Arvydas Sabonis, who owns the club he plays for.
Given the fact that he only turned 19 in March, Andriuskevicius' upside is unlimited. For now, he's still a project.
One of the few international prospects in the draft who has earned meaningful minutes with his pro club is 7-1 Croatian center Kosta Perovic. Playing alongside four other NBA prospects on Partizan Belgrade, the same the same Serbian team that produced Divac, Perovic averaged 12.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in YUBA League action this season as a starter.
Should the 20-year-old remain in the draft, he's a strong candidate to land in the first round.
Perovic's backup, 7-1 Macedonian center Predrag Samardziski, is another ballyhooed candidate for this year's draft. Like Perovic, he could have been a first-rounder in the 2004 Draft but instead chose to withdraw and return to Europe for another year of seasoning.
Samardziski averaged 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game filling mostly a a reserve role for Partizan this season.
This summer, many pegged 6-11 BC Reflex phenom Nemanja Aleksandrov as their projected No. 1 pick in the 2005 Draft despite his having only two games of experience with Reflex's senior team last season.
In a fulltime promotion to the senior team this year, the 18-year-old Aleksandrov performed to mixed reviews, averaging 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 17.0 minutes per game in Adriatic League play and seeing his stock slide. Scouts worry about lapses in Aleksandrov's concentration. Even so, with his perimeter skills at 6-11, he remains a probable first-rounder.
Other than Fernandez, perhaps the only other international guard who may go in the first 30 picks is Croatian point guard Roko Leni Ukic. Quicker than a blink of an eye, the 21-year-old Ukic gets to the hole on a regular basis. His decision making at times is enough to make his coach's head spin, but he has good vision and an uncanny aggressiveness on the offensive end.
He averaged 18.5 points and 4.3 assists in 35.2 minutes for Split in the Adriatic League this season.
Ukic's main rival in Adriatic League play, 6-7 KK Zagreb swingman Marko Tomas has also drawn serious first round interest. Tomas, an early entry candidate in the 2004 Draft, had a spectacular season this past year, averaging 19.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Other first round candidates in the 2005 NBA Draft include: Turkish forward Ersan Ilyasova, French forwards Ronny Turiaf and Mickael Gelabale, Serbian forward Luka Bogdanovic, Russian forward Yaroslav Korolev and Italian forward Angelo Gigli.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 10, 2005 19:47:07 GMT -5
I know that Ainge will not make a blind move by drafting a european player he hasn't scouted very carefully with the 18th pick. You can rest assured that we won't be drafting a european just because Ainge read that he's good. If Ainge picks a european, odds are very good that he's seen the guy on several occassions and seen the basketball talent with his own eyes.
For all we know, Nemanja could be a sleeper at 18. If not for his injury, he'd be a high lottery pick, most likely. But because he had surgery and didn't get to play as well as we'd like to see him play, he'll slide in the draft.
But I won't worry about it. If Ainge is scouting him, I have faith he'll make the right decision whether to draft him or not, if he's available at 18. Same with Fernandez and Ukic.
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Post by meltinjohn on Jun 10, 2005 19:55:42 GMT -5
i haven't seen ukic play but fernandez is pretty good looking player. but he's shooting guard and we have plenty of those right now. Danny can move Tony Allen or even we could get him if Pierce is gone but 1 sg will be gone and 1 new one will come in. Thats all I know. |
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Post by Roadrunner on Jun 10, 2005 23:08:56 GMT -5
I wouldn't be surprised if Danny pulls the trigger on Fernandez. That makes one of the SGs available, or expendable.
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Post by meltinjohn on Jun 10, 2005 23:30:52 GMT -5
You mean draft him then trade him? I think he can be better than a few guys we might have now. Allen imparticular.
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Post by ferbo on Jun 11, 2005 12:44:29 GMT -5
Don't see trading anyone right now.
When season ended, Cs only had 12 guys under contract.
Payton is gone. Somehow, DA will have a replacement---either FA or trade. A guy who would qualify as a veteran. If FA, roster remains at 12. If a trade, could fluctuate, one way or the other.
AW? I'm guessing he is back. If not, I'm guessing that DA goes after someone else. FA or trade. Same as above.
Allen might be used in a trade like this. But I keep remembering Bruce Bowen. Who made the all-defensive team for the 3rd or 4th time. So I wouldn't go looking for a trade.
Three total slots remain (assuming 12). Which means 3 guys could be stashed on IL.
DA at present has 3 draft choices. My guess is that no more than two of these will make the roster, and probably only one.
So there should be at least 1 slot, maybe 2 or even 3 for new guys---apart from whoever takes Payton's slot and the "if" about AW.
Lots of way this team can get better with the bulk of players who are here already.
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Post by Roadrunner on Jun 11, 2005 14:27:37 GMT -5
Payton is most likely a goner. Walker on the other hand, after testing the NBA waters, will return. For Danny to draft a PG, he has to be sold on him.
Ferbo - you may be right about Allen, like keeping him. Perhaps for another year to see how he turns out.
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Post by ferbo on Jun 11, 2005 18:18:02 GMT -5
Kid showed enough to start for awhile. Make it possible for Davis to play the 6. And for Welsch to go to the bench and then to Cleveland. Don't recall anything about him having an attitude problem. Do seem to recall that he may have had attention lapses.
Maybe check him out for ADD.
Not joking about that. My son is in a dental program where a guy is about to be ditched because of stupid and dangerous things he does in what is almost assuredly lapses in attention from some such condition.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 11, 2005 21:09:05 GMT -5
Yep, that's what's holding Tony Allen back--his lack of focus (and a consistent jumpshot). The kid has tremendous physical gifts. He can literally get to the rim anytime he wants to, against almost anyone. He's an underrated ball handler, but this also ties in with his ability to concentrate. He can get sloppy with his dribbling when he's not focusing. At times, he can handle the PG duties because of his adequate ball handling. He's quick and shifty and he can stop on a dime. He's creative near the rim and you can see by the way he positions himself, and the angles in which he attacks, that he's going to be a good finisher in traffic. His potential is quite good and I hope he develops it with us. But until he learns how to keep his focus on the game for the whole time he's out there, and until he develops a consistent jumper, he's going to drive us nuts because we're all waiting for good things to come out of him.
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