IN THE GAME

The lottery was yesterday, draft night is next. On 25th of June, the NBA will assign franchise rights on the next sixty prospects, and among them will be a number of players that have already left an impression in European basketball. The European contribution has certainly been stronger in several drafts before 2009, however this one features the without doubt biggest story of the whole draft, Spain’s teenage sensation Ricky Rubio. Then there’s Brandon Jennings, the first elite high school project to take a sabbatical year in Europe. And there are the Llull’s, Casspi’s and Dasic’s, all of them subjects of intrigue for teams picking early in the 2nd round. Here’s in the game‘s look at the prospects from an European viewpoint.

Ricky Rubio – PG – 1990 – Spain – 1.92m/6’3ft

The most hyped European prospect ever. It all began with a title-clinching 51 points, 24 rebounds, 12 assists, 7 steals – performance, including a buzzer-beating shot from midcourt to force overtime, in the Under-16 European championship. Rubio has come a long way since, making his first ACB appearance at the age of 14 and putting up 10,5 points and 4,0 assists per game in his first season as starter at the age of 17, before starting for Spain in the later stages of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The today 18-year old has had a pretty turbulent season so far, defined by a wrist injury that basically ruined his 08/09 Euroleague campaign [hence the Euroleague statistics are clearly no reflection of his capabilities], a salary raise in January, rumours about Joventut’s financial struggles, and finally his decision to enter the NBA draft, made public on an eye-catching press conference in April. While he cannot be considered a top 5 elite point guard in Europe yet, Rubio is incredibly far for an 18-year-old. The flashiness and difficulty level of his passes remind of Steve Nash, however he does not possess the Canadian’s jumpshot. Defensively, Rubio relies on his instincts for the steal, and he can often be seen gambling for the basketball. Question marks in his game on NBA level remain shooting, body strength, honest man-to-man defense and athleticism, however, an incredibly talented point guard as Rubio is will make his mark rather sooner than later. Just like his former teammate Rudy Fernandez, Rubio has had a lot of freedom in a comparably fast and free-flowing offense at Joventut, with similarities to the NBA game. The buyout question, be it seven million, six million or less, as has all been reported, is going to take some negociation and organisation skills to solute, but it would be a surprise if Rubio didn’t show up in an NBA jersey in late autumn. Expected to go at two [Memphis Grizzlies] by both Draftexpress and NBADraft.net. I would consider all the rumours about his alleged statement of not wanting to play for Memphis strategy bis his agent. If they are true at all.

Useful links: IN THE GAME Profile, Euroleague Profile, ACB Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Videos: ACB Videos, Highlight Mix Joventut, Highlight Mix Olympics

Brandon Jennings – PG – 1989 – USA – 1.85m/6’1ft

Jennings, the first top US highschool player to make his way to Europe instead of the NCAA, has been drawing a lot of criticism for not putting up better stats in Lega A and Euroleague, but this kind of unjustified criticism can only be attributed to a lack of knowledge of the situation. Europe is tough for slashers [ask Josh Childress] and even tougher for American point guards, let alone one coming directly out of highschool, as completely different things are expected here on the playmaking position. Jennings got a lot of playing time in the preseason, which raised hopes in him to play a major role on the Lottomatica Roma team, but once the season had started, Jennings was asked to play in a smaller role, with veteran Sani Becirovic taking over duties to lead the team. Jennings hasn’t been able to put together a string of good performances since – the retirement of Croatian head coach Jasmin Repesa did not change that – , and he has even been relegated to third point guard, with Jacobo Giachetti taking over the job as 2nd playmaker. Jennings is still trying to figure out what he is expected to do at point guard. Apart from decision-making, his main difficulty has been the jumpshot. He’s been shooting the three on 20,7 and 28,6 percent respectively in Lega A and Euroleague. However, the faster NBA game should suit Jennings’ abilities, specifically his finishing skills in the open court, creative, risky passing, and ultra-quickness. And possibly, along with increased confidence, his jumper might start becoming more stable. One more positive I want to add: Jennings seems to have managed his situation reasonably well. Apart from a hurried blog entry which he was later asked by the club to edit, we haven’t heard any negatives from him [as is expected from professionals in Europe] regarding his difficult situation, and the fact that he spent 50.000$ [quite a large part of his reported 300.000€ yearly salary] for victims of the April earthquake near Rome says a lot about his personality. So, to conclude the Jennings experiment [I don't expect him to be a factor in the upcoming Lega A playoffs]: Did Jennings set a milestone in choosing Europe, did he smooth the way for future highschoolers to come over? The news that Jeremy Tyler is going to play here next season certainly suggests so, but on the other hand: Who is really interested in signing inexperienced players that would need two or three years to adjust, but will leave for the NBA after one season anyway? It simply doesn’t make sense to invest, apart from a bit of media recognition.

Useful links: IN THE GAME Profile, Euroleague Profile, Lega A Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile, Brandon Jennings gets his charity on
Videos: Brandon Jennings vs. Montepaschi Siena, Brandon Jennings vs. TAU Vitoria

Nick Calathes – PG – 1989 – USA/Greece – 1.95m/6’5ft

Nick, the younger brother of Maroussi forward Pat Calathes, was born in the US and has never played for a European ballclub, however he has has a Greek background and – most importantly – owns a Greek passport. The Greek federation has already put out feelers to recruit the tall Florida point guard for the national team, and the 19-year-old worked out with the Under-20 roster last summer. An appearance for the senior team seems probable sooner or later, if Calathes doesn’t lose his interest. The 1.95m/6’5ft Florida standout would thus continue the tradition of tall, premium class point guards on the Greek national team, following in the footsteps of Dimitris Diamantidis and Theodoros Papaloukas. Calathes is an outstanding passer due to his size as well as the ability to pass with either hand. Shooting is where he impresses as well, nailing 48.2 percent from the field and 39.0 percent from three point range in the 08/09 campaign. Defense and athleticism remain the most questioned aspects of his game on the NBA level. There is a chance, albeit a slim one, that Calathes will join one of the two Greek powerhouses, if the draft doesn’t go as planned. That said, Calathes’ goal is the NBA, and a move to either Panathinaikos or Olympiacos [it is a given those two would battle it out between them] might only materialise if the young point guard, who is currently projected 23rd pick by Draftexpress, falls out of the first round. If he comes to Greece though, Calathes better bring patience with him, as he is going to have to work for every second of playing time behind the powerful point guard combos on both Greek top teams.

Useful links: CBSsports Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Videos: Nick Calathes Mix

Sergio Llull – PG – 1987 – Spain – 1.92m/6’3ft

Sergio Llull has just been named “Revelation Player of the Season” in the ACB a few days ago, a title he fully deserves after an outbreak season for Real Madrid. Llull was expected to be the third string point guard [with some playing time as off guard] on the 08/09 Real Madrid roster at the beginning of the season, stacked behind Spanish national team playmaker Raul Lopez and the old Argentinian genius Pepe Sanchez. However, both players are having mediocre seasons [Sanchez was even released two months ago], hence the emergence of Sergio Llull couldn’t have come at a better time for Real. The 21-year-old knows only one mode: full speed. Considering this aspect, his mistake rate is surprisingly low. Llull is a solid pick and roll passer, can get to rim, possesses decent athleticism, plays aggressive defense, but his main asset is the long range shot, which – some may remember – had announced his arrival on the big European stage in the 2007 preseason via a 17-point performance [including several spectacular triples] in a win by Real over the Toronto Raptors. Questions remain regarding his point guard skills: Llull will need to learn to control the tempo if he is to become an elite point guard in either Europe or the NBA. Llull is almost sure to get drafted in the second round, but nothing has been mentioned yet [no surprise, as he is currently in the middle of the ACB playoffs] about his plans for after the draft. Staying in Europe for one or two more seasons seems to be likely, however, considering his level of development, we cannot rule out an imminent move to the NBA.

Useful links: Euroleague Profile, ACB Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Videos: ACB Videos, Sergio Llull NBA Europe Live vs. Toronto Raptors

Victor Claver – SF/PF – 1988 – Spain – 2.08m/6’10ft

Just like his fellow countryman Rubio, Claver has had an injury-plagued season, which limited him to only four games for Pamesa Valencia in the EuroCup. Claver burst onto the scene as a 18-year-old in the 06/07 ACB playoffs, when he unexpectedly was a huge factor at the power forward position. The definition of a primary position has been a huge obstacle in Claver’s professional career since then. Pamesa decided to not sign a pure small forward prior to this season, laying a lot of the responsabilities into the hands of their young forward and clearly pushing him to play on the three spot. However, after a promising start came the ankle injury, which took him out for more than three months. Claver is averaging 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in the ACB, solid numbers for a 20-year-old on a playoff-calibre team in Europe’s best domestic league, but questions remain: His quickness, perimeter shooting and athleticism make him a good fit at small forward, but weak ballhandling is a major negative in his game, leading to turnovers and a lack of ability to drive to the basket. If he gets drafted, Claver is not expected go overseas immedeately. However, an inner Europe transfer might be on the cards as well, as the forward’s contract is going to expire this summer.

Useful links: EuroCup Profile, ACB Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Videos: ACB Videos, Victor Claver Highlight Mix

Omri Casspi – SF – 1988 – Israel – 2.04m/6’8ft

Omri Casspi stood out in Israeli cadet teams before jumping into the Euroleague scene in the 07/08 season. In contrast to Claver, Casspi has really found his position, settling down on the small forward spot this season, after having appeared on both positions in 07/08. The 20-year-old averaged 8.8 points per game this Euroleague season for Maccabi Tel Aviv, and 12.6 in Israeli league games, where he is one of the key players due to the native players rule. Casspi is a confident young player who certainly doesn’t get intimidated by the big stage, bringing emotion and energy into the game every time he enters the floor. Slashing ability and off-ball movement [he scores frequently after hard cuts to the basket] stand out in Casspi’s game, and along with that, the young Israeli has dramatically improved his jumpshot, connecting on the three pointer on more than 42 percent in both competitions. The fast paced NBA game will not be an obstacle, but a privilege for Casspi, a style he has thrived in in his seasons with Maccabi. However, he will need to add some creativity to his game if he is to become a difference maker in Europe. It is yet unclear how Casspi is going to decide if he – as expected – is drafted in the 2nd round, but a stay in Europe for the next couple of years looks probable at the moment.

Useful links: Euroleague Profile, BSL Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Video: Omri Casspi Highlight Mix

Jonas Jerebko – SF/PF – 1987 – Sweden – 2.06m/6’9ft

22-year-old Jonas Jerebko is a role player for Angelico Biella this season, playing in the competitive but not elite-level Italian league. Just like Casspi, Jerebko seems to have found his place at small forward, after switching between the two forward spots earlier in his career. The Swede displays a maturity level well beyond his years, bringing intangibles to the table and playing hard every time he puts a foot on the floor. Additionally, he brings excellent rebounding on the three spot. Jerebko is a solid offensive player who will take what the defense gives to him. He is clearly not a creator on the offensive end at the moment. Chances are high that he will stay in Europe for quite a while and try to establish himself on the elite European level.

Useful links: Lega A Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Videos: Jonas Jerebko Dunking, Shooting 3-pointers at Reebok EuroCamp

Rodrigue Beaubois – PG – 1988 – France – 1.88m/6’2ft

Rodrigue Beaubois, a 21-year-old Frenchman playing for Cholet in both ProA and EuroChallenge this season, is a point guard who has established himself as a rotation player for the French club under Israeli headcoach Erman Kunter this season. Just like his teammate de Colo, Biella’s Jerebko and others, but in contrast to fellow potential draftees Milenko Tepic, Emir Preldzic and of course Ricky Rubio, Beaubois is untested on the highest European level, playing in France and in the rather weak EuroChallenge. The Frenchman is an ultra-quick point guard with excellent ballhandling skills as well as the ability to slash and finish inside, but the traditional point guard skills are underdeveloped in his case. Jumpshot is streaky. Certainly has the basics to make a career in the NBA, but picking him looks to be a bit of a gamble.

Useful links: ProA Profile, EuroChallenge Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Videos: -

Milan Macvan – PF/C – 1989 – Serbia – 2.07m/6’9ft

Milan Macvan is a special player, we saw that coming in the cadet tournaments when he made headlines playing for Serbia, and he’s already proven his value on a high European level, contributing double digit numbers in points for ambitious Adrialeague and EuroCup club Hemofarm. Watching him play is almost like moving back in time ten years in the European game: Unathletic, slow-footed, cannot jump over a sheet of paper, but incredibly talented in terms of passing, shooting, and possessing an outstanding understanding of the game already. Macvan is probably not going to turn heads in the athleticism-driven NBA, and he’ll have his share of problems on the defensive end in Europe dealing with much quicker, more athletic opponents, but he still brings a skillset that is almost unique these days, certainly unique for a guy his age.

Useful links: EuroCup Profile, NLB Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Videos: Macvan U19 World Championship Highlights, Nike Hoop Summit Highlights

Vladimir Dasic – SF/PF – 1988 – Serbia – 2.06m/6’9ft

Dasic is not roleplayer but teamleader on his team, KK Buducnost from Montenegro. The 21-year-old Serbian forward is averaging 13.0 and 12.3 points respectively in Adriatic league and EuroCup, but he’s doing it on low shooting percentages. One of the negatives is his outside shooting, as he’s connecting on only 21.2 percent of his attempts in the Adriatic league, at 4.3 attempts per game. Dasic is blessed with solid athleticism and nice allround-abilities to certainly be able to settle on the small forward position, but he is going to have to improve on several aspects of his game, primarily shot-selection, toughness and consistency, if he is to be a star on the European or NBA level. Dasic seems to be a candidate for the middle of the second round at the moment, but he’ll be sure to stay in Europe for at least two more years if he indeed gets drafted.

Useful links: EuroCup Profile, NLB Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Videos: -

Nando de Colo – SG – 1987 – France – 1.95m/6’5ft

Nando de Colo, a 1.95m/6’5ft shooting guard who plays for Cholet, exploded last season when he had several high-scoring outings in both ProA and FIBA EuroCup, most eye-catching a 37-point performance in a victory over Barons Riga. He backed up his breakout season with a strong display for the French national team alongside Tony Parker in the Eurobasket qualifiers this summer, and continued to impress this 08/09 season, contributing 14.7 points per game for Cholet in ProA, 13.6 in EuroChallenge games. De Colo is a fluid player who makes passes and scores points seemingly without effort, but on the downside, he lacks aggressiveness and his decisions – particularly perimeter jumpshots – are not always the best options. Clearly being number one option on a ProA team at only 21 is already a huge task, and De Colo’s team has had a so-so season, making the EuroChallenge finals but missing out on the ProA playoffs. The Frenchman has had offers from big European ballclubs, but a reported one-million-dollar buyout has been making him stay in France up until now. However, he will soon be trying to climb up the career ladder and will try to find a Euroleague- or at least higher level EuroCup team.

Useful links: LNB Profile, EuroChallenge Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Videos: Nando de Colo Highlight Mix

Henk Norel – C – 1987 – Netherlands – 2.11m/6’11ft

As for his appearance and movement, Norel reminds me a bit of a young Tiago Splitter, but it is a long way to go if the Dutchman is ever going to reach the 2009 Splitter’s brilliance. Clearly, his game currently relies on running the floor, playing the pick and roll, and catching the ball with excellent hands as well as finishing inside on a high percentage. Norel is going to have to add some muscles if he wants to hold his own under the basket in Euroleague or NBA, and he’ll need to add a lowpost game and an overall ability to create shots for himself, which he doesn’t possess as of today.

Useful links: Euroleague Profile, ACB Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Videos: ACB Video, Henk Norel Mix

Milenko Tepic – SF – 1986 – Serbia – 2.03m/6’8ft

Together with Rubio and fellow teammate Novicka Velickovic, Tepic is probably the best player of all potential European draftees this year, however, NBA clubs’ operatives do not see too much of an NBA prospect in him. Tepic is a fundamentally sound point forward who possesses a multi-faceted game but there is nothing he does particularly well. Lack of explosiveness is the main negative aspect in his game, but apart from that, Tepic is an extremely well-schooled player with tons of experience as a main contributor on a Euroleague quarter finalist. Tepic looks like a player who might, even if drafted, not join the NBA at all. The transfer from Partizan to Panathinaikos is rumoured to have been finalised already, and one can expect that Tepic would not be wasting much time thinking about the NBA while playing for the Euroleague champion under Serbian coaching legend Zeljko Obradovic. A dream situation for Tepic.

Useful links: Euroleague Profile, NLB Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Videos: CSKA vs. Partizan Online

Emir Preldzic – SF – 1987 – Slovenia – 2.06m/6’9ft

Not far behind Tepic is Slovenian forward Emir Preldzic, who had his breakout-season in 07/08 under the guidance of youth-friendly Fenerbahce headcoach Bogdan Tanjevic. Preldzic possesses outstanding ballhandling for a 2.06m/6’9ft forward, which is why Tanjevic utilises him as a point forward to put pressure off of Willie Solomon’s shoulders. Preldzic even played the role of go to guy for Fenerbahce early in the season, when Solomon was still playing for the Toronto Raptors, and both Gordan Giricek and Mirsad Turkcan were sidelined with long-term injuries. Preldzic did well but had to find back into a smaller role with the three key players returning to the lineup. The 21-year-old clearly needs to add more strength in order to be able to finish on his drives, which are wild and uncontrolled at times. Preldzic’s future is clearly at small forward, and he is talented enough to become an elite European player in the future, after earning playing time on a high level at a young age already.

Useful links: Euroleague Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Videos: Tough shot by Preldzic

Slava Kravtsov – C – 1987 – Ukraine – 2.13m/7’0ft

A bit surprisingly, Draftexpress lists Kravtsov at 60 in their most up-to-date mock draft. The guy is a defensive role player for BC Kiev, who has actually gained some advantage by the club’s financial struggles and forced release of foreign key players, getting increased playing time. Kravtsov was blocking 1.4 and 1.3 shots per game in Ukrainian league and EuroChallenge respectively, and he is showing solid rebounding numbers in limited minutes. His physicalness and pure strength are his main pluses currently, but he is still worlds away from being a polished inside player. It is a lottery to say which spheres his development is going to lead him into, but with the last pick of the draft, why not take a gamble.

Useful links: EuroChallenge, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Videos: Kravtsov spectacular block

Novicka Velickovic – PF – 1986 – Serbia – 2.06m/6’9ft

Velickovic has been described as a young Jorge Garbajosa, and while many of the comparisons I have read in the last few years seem completely unfitting, this is a justified one. Scoring, hustle, defense, rebounding, a great competitor, and heart and soul of the Partizan team that has been producing fantastic results with an almost laughable budget in the last couple of years. However, as goes for most of his Partizan teammates, Velickovic’s game is often mistakingly reduced too much on the fighting/hustling aspect. Make no mistake, this is an extremely talented basketball player, well-schooled and possessing a multi-faceted game. A very physical defender, excellent passer, ballhandler and solid scorer, can shoot the three, work for points in the post, and recently added a fadeaway baseline jumpshot to his repertoire. Lack of size and subpar athleticism for NBA standards might lead to him going undrafted, but Velickovic is sure to become – in fact, he already is – an excellent European player, probably joining an elite team this summer.

Useful links: Euroleague Profile, NLB Profile, Draftexpress Profile, NBAdraft.net Profile
Videos: 2009 February MVP, 2008 Week 13 MVP