International House of Prospects

 Profiling the international prospects of this year’s draft.

Every year the NBA cupboards are restocked with foreign goods; more in some years and less in others. While not as chock full of non-domestic talent as in past drafts, 2014 draft looks to house a few gems, perhaps two potential all-stars.

Andrew Wiggins, Canada:  

You may have forgotten that Wiggins is Canadian. Shame on you! Nah, not really. There are a slew of foreign guys that played college ball in the United States this year so I won’t spend too much time on them. Wiggins is almost guaranteed to go within the first three picks, maybe even have Canadians take back to back first overall after Anthony Bennett last year. Bennett probably should not have been the top man last year but Wiggins definitely has a case this time around.

Joel Embiid, Cameroon:  

Wiggins’ Kansas teammate will assuredly join him among the draft’s first three selected. The young seven footer displays touch and two-way ability well beyond his years.

Dante Exum, Australia:  

The first real international man of mystery on the list, Exum occupies a unique position. Without playing in college, Exum hasn’t had his game picked apart by scouts and general managers yet. The compelling combo-guard project is riding high on a short sample size of stellar international performances. He may not be as good as advertised but the package is shiny enough that a general manager will probably pick him within the first five or seven picks without much regret. Look for him to go to lotto teams in big need of a point guard.

Dario Saric, Croatia:  

This is the kind of foreign player that can be particularly polarizing. Although the point-forward has done nothing but practically dominate his European competition, his game is not the flashy, run-and-dunk style Americans are more accustomed to. More cerebral and fundamentally sound than an athlete, Saric is still a talented player. However, perceived weaknesses regarding his outside shooting and ability to defend an NBA position, along with a murky buy-out situation, could put Saric anywhere from late lottery to late first round.

Nik Stauskas, Canada:  

Another Canadian familiar with college basketball fans, Stauskas has been shooting his draft stock up ever since he laced up his shoes at Michigan. He is arguably the best shooter in the draft which should come as no surprise considering his Lithuanian heritage. Stauskas has steadily made a claim for himself as a versatile NBA prospect thanks to nice handles, solid athleticism and a concerted effort to drive to the rim last year. Several NBA teams are in dire need of shooters and shooting guards so Stauskas might go a bit higher than he probably should (as high as mid to late-lottery) but he’s a solid pick with decent upside.

Kristaps Porzingas, Latvia:

A seven foot power forward that can handle the ball and shoot the rock. Sounds like Nowitzki, right? One of the youngest eligible draftees, Porzingas has enough potential to make him a surprise pick of the draft. Not only can he dribble and shoot but he is also an above average athlete, good pick & roll defender thanks to his lateral quickness and a promising weak side defender and shot blocker. Biggest knock against him: Extremely thin.

Jusuf Nurkic, Bosnia and Herzegovina: 

Another European wildcard is this young behemoth. Nurkic is a bruising seven footer that plays like a raw hybrid of Nikola Pekovic and DeMarcus Cousins. He decidedly dispels the “soft Euro big” stereotype with his pedal to the floor, run through walls style. Because of this he really racks up the fouls but he has a nice feel and touch for the game considering he is in the baby stage of his basketball career.

Clint Capela, Switzerland:  

Maybe one of the best six-foot, eleven athletes to come along in a while. I haven’t seen an international big man hang in the air like him since a young Nene Hilario for Brazil. Terrific length combined with JaVale McGee hops makes Capela a potentially devastating rim protector. Also like McGee he can be pretty clueless at times and seems to coast often, not getting as many rebounds as he should. Capela is decidedly a project but could blossom into an excellent pick and roll big like Tyson Chandler.

Vasilije Micic, Serbia:  

Six-foot five point guard that plays like a “true point.” Micic runs a team well and sets his teammates up with good floor vision and passing ability. He’s an old pro at running the pick and roll which bodes well for his adjustment to NBA offenses. Micic is a crafty, shifty guard that compensates for a lack of athleticism and an ACL tear by using change of pace dribbles and other tricks. Besides the average quicks and injury history he also doesn’t possess much of a track record for long-range accuracy; a major thorn in his draft stock.

Bogdan Bogdanovich, Serbia:  

Unlike countryman Micic, Bogdanovich is an above-above shooter. The six-foot, six-inch guard is a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none but the potential is there. Forced into playing point guard when his Partizan teammate went down with injury, Bogdanovich played admirably by running the team well and displaying solid handles. A classic combo-guard in that he’s neither a lights-out shooter nor a polished facilitator, he has decent athleticism but lacks a great first step and will probably need time to develop at either guard position. High steal potential on draft day, and could contribute to a team sooner than later.

Best of the Rest:

Walter Tavares, Spain:  

Raw seven footer with great size and decent mobility. Only been playing basketball for four years. Has a lot of potential as a rebounder and defender. Runs like he’s wearing clown shoes.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Greece:  

Giannis’ older brother. Good size and length, hangs his hat on defense with good potential to be a lock-down defender thanks to athleticism. Erratic on offense, needs to improve touch and awareness. Not a strong shooter but has okay mechanics.