Intl. prospects thread

Utility Sports is a nice YouTube channel. Their mock draft has Houston climbing to 3 via the Nets. ZR from France was chosen as the Rockets pick in this mock draft. I don't like him at all. He looks lackadaisical to me. This draft stinks at the top. Only Alex Saar is worth picking at number 1.


@Aruba77

 

If the Rockets select him, they should stash him in France for another year. He's intriguing, but too young at 18.

 

This is my thoughts as well. That's why if Rox get a top 4 pick I want us to trade down and get more guys top 10 down.

I think there's a lot of players here with potential and would qualify as late lotto picks but the top is really bad imo.

Like Kyshawn George and Cody Williams as good as Risacher and Ron Holland imo, these two just need a bit more experience. Salaun reminds me of a more active but less skilled Jabari Smith. He will also be a nice pickup.

 

They can bring him to GLeague similar to what they did with Cam and Amen.

 

Yes, but I think another year in Europe might be better for his development, provided if he's given more opportunities. ZR at times looks like a top 5
pick. He appears to be a high end role player most of the time. I wouldn't be surprised if he fell to 7.

Salaun is more raw than Risacher, but he works hard.

 

Ron Holland is a bit raw. I think he brings more energy and enthusiasm than Cody Williams. Holland needs to improve his jumper. I don't think he will last till 9 or 10. Cody Williams could fall to the Rockets. I just saw George for the 1st time just now. I liked his jumper and his court vision. I wouldn't mind him at all at 9 or 10.

 

Did some casual scouting of a few international names that frequently pop up on big boards:

Bobi Klintman - 6'10 SF/PF - 20 y.o
Played a year at Wake Forest before jumping to the NBL. Moves fluidly for his size but not super quick or explosive. Can grab a rebound and push the ball in transition but not an on-ball guy. Good motor defender on the perimeter. Spaces the floor. Does a bit of everything, but nothing at an elite level. High end outcome is a switchable 3-D guy that maybe plays spot minutes at the 5 against small lineups, kind of like Jabari Smith Jr.

Ulrich Chomche - 6'10 PF/C - 18 y.o
Product of the NBA Africa Academy. Probably the youngest player in the draft by a few months. A bit of a mystery. Bouncy shot blocker with a reported 7'3 wingspan. Quick feet, but not unicorn level fluidity. Inexperienced, raw. Flashes 3pt range. A legit sized shot blocker with hops + perimeter defense + 3pt range is an above average starter..but a lot of the tape I saw was in exhibition settings so its hard to get a good feel for his game. You're not drafting him to contribute immediately.

Juan Nunez - 6'4 PG - 19 y.o
Plays in the German League. Kind of a classic playmaker PG. Leads his team in assists. He's improved his shooting a bit, but he's still not good, and the FT% scares me. Crafty finisher with either hand. Handles bumps in traffic well for a teenager. Not gonna blow by or breakdown his defender, but he'll run an offense and make good reads in PnR. Mixed bag on defense, typical young player habits of inconsistent effort and awareness defending off ball. Can make some exciting passing lane steals when he's engaged. A tough POA defender. Could see him sticking around the league for a while as a backup, maybe eventually a non-all star starter.

Melvin Ajinca - 6'8 SG/SF - 19 y.o
French League pro. Right now I'd say he's a streaky shooter, but signs point to him becoming very good. Confident shooter, capable of knocking down highly contested shots. Shows a little off the dribble driving and shooting, but I think its far off from being a consistent on-ball weapon. Good motor on both ends but can be undisciplined and outmuscled on defense, typical teenager habits. Average athlete. Could be a 3D guy with a little scoring bag if the handles develop.

Pacome Dadiet - 6'8 SG/SF - 18 y.o
German League pro, plays on the same team as Juan Nunez. Slashing wing scorer. His handles and burst off the dribble are intriguing for his size and age..scores in transition, flashes of breaking down defenders, but anything outside of that is mediocre. Signs of becoming a passable shooter. Defensively he has the tools, but lacks discipline and awareness. Very much a project player.

I have these guys as late 1st-2nd round prospects. Klintman is the only one I'd project getting meaningful NBA minutes to at this point. Nunez and maybe Ajinca get minutes on a non-playoff team.

 

Nikola Topic: No Ceilings first-look after injury. You can see why people are high on him.

 

Yeah. Depending on how his combine goes, I think he could be a late 1st. Kinda reminds me of Serge Ibaka.

 

This video has makes and missis.

 

Risacher's last playoff game for JL Bourg (5/25-24): 31 minutes, 21 points, 8 boards, and 2-4 from 3. Looks like a prototype small forward: good size, spaces the floor, handles the ball well (especially on the break), knows where to be, etc. That is very productive for such a young player.

I'm sure San Antonio would love to have him on the court with Wembanyana and Sochan. As much as they need guard play, not sure they would pass on him at #4.

 

Interesting comments from Nikola Topic today. He is not working out, so no athletic testing is forthcoming.
Curious to me that he leaves out H-town.

 

For Washington, though, their front office has to ask themselves: how much is Topic ready to play? He's been injured, his body isn't NBA-ready (like so many others), his shot needs a ton of work, he's not a plus defender (yet), and he has to navigate the immense cross-cultural gap of coming to the States.

He offers a lot of true PG potential, but it will take time to see the results.

Do you really pick him #2? They would be telling their fan base that their best chances for success hinge on success in the '25 lottery

 

I will be curious to see how far he falls with the tear.