Splitter would be an interesting choice, he has good size and can rebound well. I don't see Simien and Diogu dropping to the 2nd round, if Simien is still around at #24, then the Rockets should pick him up no doubt.
I notice Sean May isn't in the top 10. I've seen that on few mock draft boards. He would be a nice pick up at 24 if he slips down a few. Splitter who??
26. DETROIT PISTONS Yaroslav Korolev RUSSIA | SMALL FORWARD HEIGHT: 6-9 | WEIGHT: 215 | AGE: 17 Korolev is another young international player who could dramatically raise his stock in the next few years if he stayed in Russia. The Pistons, who have an eye for international talent, won't let him slip by. LOL they have an eye for international talent? It sure came in handy when they took darko
What's wrong with Eurotrash? There's no such thing as a known commodity. Not in the top 5 picks. Certainly not at #24.
There have been plenty of European guys drafted late in the 1st rounder that contributed right away, to me, it's just kind of luck. But you have to take the risk sometimes, just look at some of these names: Tony Parker, Raul Lopez, Mehmet Okur, Barbosa, AK-47, Ginobili were all picked #24 or after.
That list of players suddenly bring a lot of hope to me for a 24th pick. I would say it's all luck. KH
Eurotrash or Ameritrash, I don't think it matters much at #24. Although the talent level at that spot may be a bit better than it was a few years ago, it's probably still going to be a crapshoot.
The mocks I've seen have Splitter going around 10. That looks like a freefall. And with Simien and Diogu in the second round, who is it that's moving up?
ESPN is moving Andrew Bynum, Julius Hodge & Yaroslav Korolev into the first round. Most other mocks have these guys as second rounders. Marko Tomas is also not on many mocks but his position is about right for the ones he is on. I expect a couple of these euro guys to withdrawl if they see themselves falling to far. IE - Ersan Ilyasova, Tiago Splitter, Nemanja Aleksandrov & even Martynas Andriuskevicius
Not all of the players contributed right away. I'm not sure about any of the others you named, but I'm pretty sure AK spent 1 or 2 years playing ball elsewhere before coming Stateside
FYI: HoopsHype.com Interviews Tiago Splitter: "I think I'm not going to declare" by Jorge Sierra / March 7, 2004 - Photo: Euroleague Pictures You've played a lot of minutes on your previous teams in the Spanish lower divisions. How do you handle the lack of playing time with your current club (Tau Ceramica, the best team in the Spanish league)? Tiago Splitter: I think playing for Tau is the best thing for me. But getting used to this level now... It's much harder. I now have to earn my minutes when I play. In which area of your game do you think you have improved the most this season? TS: I think the main thing is toughness, because this is a league with much bigger people than LEB (Spanish second division) and that changes the whole thing. Ever since you were a kid, you've been expected to become a star. Do you feel the pressure? Is that a problem for you? TS: No, I think that is not is true. I've always played against older guys, older players and I feel no pressure. But I do have to prove why I play on a team with this level. Had you stayed in Brazil, do you think you would have progressed the way you have in Spain? TS: I don't know. I know there are a lot of players there that have not progressed as well as I have. It's hard to compare. It's something difficult for me to say. Is there any player you look up to as a model? Gasol maybe? TS: No, you have take the best of each player. You don't have to focus on one player only. You are one of the most talked about draft prospects this year. Are you aware of all that? TS: Yeah, well. I know there is a lot of speculation about me, but I don't worry much about that. Right now, I'm really fine in Europe. What are your plans regarding the draft? TS: Right know, I don't know yet. It depends on my agent and it also depends on how I play this season. And what's your agent's advice? TS: Right know -- the way things have gone this season -- I think I'm not going to declare. But well... If things change, I may change my mind. What would you do if they give you a guarantee that you will be a lottery pick in the draft? TS: I would have to look at it. The thing is, I have a contract with my team Tau Ceramica, and I would have to pay a buyout. But if I was a lottery pick and it was a good situation money-wise and I could afford to pay the buyout... Do you how much is the buyout worth? TS: No, no. I can't tell you that. If you finally go to the NBA, how would you handle a situation like the one Darko Milicic is going through -- not playing at all? TS: That will be another thing I would have to look at. I would have to get guaranteed minutes there. That's important.
You're right, AK spent 1 more year overseas. But my point is that picking a foreign player at #24 is just as risky as choosing a college guy. You just never know how a player is going to pan out, especially late in the 1st round and 2nd round. But you can't pass the so-called "eurotrash" just because you want someone to help out right away. You could be skipping right over the next Manu or Parker.
