IN THE GAME

Here’s the new European basketball rookie ranking, which I will update about four or five times each season. Strictly speaking, this isn’t a rookie ranking, instead every player born 1988 or later is qualified to appear on this list. European basketball and rookies … you know the difficulties with that term. The ranking is of course a very subjective thing which bases mainly on the author’s (my) opinion. Criteria is perfomance in the current season only. Criteria are not talent, upside or future draft positions. All I am trying to do is compare how players are performing, taking under consideration the level of the leagues they play in, the quality of their teams and the role they play on the court. As you see, I’m usually not a fan of rankings. Anyway, feel free to attack, insult and spam in the comment section.

Top 10

(1) RICKY RUBIO (Regal FC Barcelona); Point Guard; 1990
While his numbers are rather unspectacular, Rubio is playing a solid season for one of the elite teams on the continent. Long range shooting remains his weakness, but the young playmaker has really succeeded in making the step from free-flying PG at Joventut into a little smaller role at Barcelona, without losing the creativity that makes him so special. As advanced statistics tell us, 70 percent of his assists lead to layups, dunks, or other close range shots. That’s what he is: a risk-taker. Rubio is able to play with even more intensity on defense, since the point guard position is rich in both quality and quantity (Victor Sada and Jaka Lakovic) on his new team, allowing the 19-year-old to take longer breaks.

(2) PIETRO ARADORI (Angelico Biella); Small Forward; 1988
It is a close race between the two shaarpshooters Aradori and Rytas’ Mantas Gecevicius, but the Italian’s contributions so far this season have been nothing short of sensational: Aradori is third in Lega A in scoring at 18.9 points per game, and shoots better than 50 percent from both inside and outside the arc, accompanied by 2 assists per game to form a pretty complete package on the offensive end. He is showing remarkable consistency, never scoring less than 16 points in his last eight domestic games. Defense is where Aradori will have to improve significantly though.

Gecevicius, a standout player on youth level, is living up to the expectations [Image courtesy of bclrytas.lt]

(3) MARTYNAS GECEVICIUS (Lietuvos Rytas); Shooting Guard; 1988
Gecevicius, who had scored only 13 points in the whole 08/09 EuroCup season, started Rytas’ new Euroleague campaign off with a bang, netting 21 points on 8 for 12 shooting in a spectacular season opener versus Efes. While averaging 13.6 points per game, he has been a little inconsistent in scoring since, but the Lithuanian is never just about putting the ball into the basket. Excellent passing in pick and roll situations as well as when curling off the screen and finding the screener either on the roll or the pop out has gotten him 3.1 assists per contest so far.

(4) VICTOR CLAVER (Power Electronics Valencia); Small Forward; 1988
Valencia, standing at 9:3 (tied with Caja Laboral for third place) in ACB, is having an excellent season so far under the guidance of Croatian headcoach Neven Spahija, and Claver is contributing with 9.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game as starting small forward in a disciplined offense. Jumpshooting remains inconsistent.

(5) PABLO AGUILAR (CB Granada); Power Forward; 1989
Aguilar is expected to become Jorge Garbajosa’s successor as sharpshooting faceup-power forward on the Spanish national team roster, and he’s improving his productivity compared to last season. However, while his release remains effortless and he is shooting more than respectable percentages from the outside and his naturally high basketball-IQ is on display night-in night-out, the 20-year-old will need to improve in other areas of his game (ballhandling in particular) in order to help his team even more in what figures to become a long and tough battle versus relegation.

(6) DONATAS MOTIEJUNAS (Benetton Treviso); Center; 1990
The Lithuanian big man is considered a future NBA lottery pick and he is adjusting to the higher level a whole lot quicker than expected after his offseason jump from small LKL club (Atletas) to big, history-rich Lega A club (Benetton). The 2.13m/7’0ft Motiejunas has been scoring in double figures in five of his last six league games and is averaging 9.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in 19.3 minutes over the course of the season. His combination of size, outstanding mobility and quickness makes him a tough matchup, and the 19-year-old is in the process of developing a more expanded lowpost arsenal. However, he is a very soft defender at this point, and gaining weight (he is 101 kilograms on 213 centimeters) without losing mobility must be a priority for the Lithuanian.

(7) JAN VESELY (Partizan Belgrade); Small Forward/Power Forward; 1990
Just like Motiejunas, Vesely is a projected future first round pick due to his combination of size, quickness, and jaw-dropping athleticism. His understanding of the game is eye-raising as well, Vesely’s off-ball-movement would be outstanding for a veteran player, let alone a 19-year-old. However, the Czech forward doesn’t seem to have significantly improved compared to last season as far as his individual skill package is concerned – his biggest weakness, shooting, is still very much present.

(8) STEFAN MARKOVIC (Hemofarm Stada); Point Guard; 1988
Markovic, who logged 15.9 minutes per game in Eurobasket 2009 mainly for his excellent defensive play – the 4 for 26 he shot from the field probably wasn’t what kept him on the floor – , is having a very solid season leading Hemofarm at the point, averaging better than 10/4/4 while shooting 13 for 31 (41.9 percent) from three point range. The tall point guard’s contract expires next summer, and it would be a surprise to see him remain with Hemofarm for another season.

(9) SERGEY GLADYR (Suzuki Manresa); Shooting Guard; 1989
Gladyr had been fairly unknown, hiding in the wilderness of Ukrainian basketball, before the Atlanta Hawks picked him at #49 in this year’s NBA Draft and the shooting guard joined Suzuki Manresa for the 09/10 season. In ACB, Gladyr has launched an astronomical 87 three pointers in 12 games, making 32 percent of those. More than 85 percent of his field goal attempts were fired from beyond the arc, which is one of the reasons for his extremely promising yet still terribly inconsistent play so far.

(10) PETTERI KOPONEN (Virtus Bologna); Point Guard/Shooting Guard; 1988
The 21-year-old Finnish guard is enjoying an unspectacular yet fairly solid season with Virtus Bologna, with his team tied for fourth place in the Italian league. The rather uncreative but reliable Koponen is doing particularly well from the outside, making three point shots on a 44.8 percent clip on 3.2 tries per contest.

Honorable mentions

Patrick Beverley (Olympiacos Piraeus), Bojan Bogdanovic (Cibona Zagreb), Nick Calathes (Panathinaikos Athens), Antoine Diot (Le Mans Sarthe Basket), Nihad Djedovic (Xacobeo Blu:Sens Obradoiro), Deividas Gailius (Silauliai), Nemanja Gordic (Buducnost Podgorica), Thomas Heurtel (Strasbourg), Edwin Jackson (Rouen), Mindaugas Kuzminskas (Silauliai), Milan Macvan, Boban Marjanovic (both Hemofarm Stada), Adrien Moerman (Entente Orléanaise), Tim Ohlbrecht (Telekom Baskets Bonn), Tibor Pleiß (Brose Baskets), Leon Radosevic (Cibona Zagreb), Miroslav Raduljica (FMP Zeleznik), Nemanja Bjelica (Crvena Zvezda), Giorgi Shermadini (Panathinaikos Athens), Janis Strelnieks (BK Ventspils), Ludovic Vaty (Entente Orléanaise), Jessey Voorn (Amsterdam)

For a whole lot of scouting reports and detailed information on up-and-coming European basketball talent, I recommend you visit Europeanprospects.com.