An article on ESPN.com's draft page has some nice info on Nachbar and Welsch for those that don't know a lot about them. http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/story?id=1394910 In the article they are making comparrisons (Nachbar/Prince) (Welsch/Dixon) to show how foreign players stack up against "known" college players. Below is the information on Nachbar and Welsch. Also "Skita" is also on that page compared to Gooden if you want to check it out. =========================================== Jiri Welsch Czech | Guard | 6-7 | 208 Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but it is the versatility of the international players that gives them a leg up against America's brightest college stars. Because every player, whether they are 6-foot-10 or 5-foot-11 are taught all of the fundamentals from ball handing to passing to outside shooting, there are more players available with an unusual arsenal of skills for their size. ,p> The match-up of Welsch versus Dixon is the classic example. While Dixon has the skills of a two guard he has the body of a point guard. Welsch, on the other hand, has the combination of size, and fundamentals that get teams all worked up. It may be an unfair label, but Dixon is seen as a "tweener." He has the scoring mentality and shooting touch of a two guard, but he lacks the ballhandling skills of a point guard. Welsch, at 6-foot-7, has the size and skills to play three NBA positions. Teams love his athleticism, defensive tenacity, and a sweet shooting touch. But it's his ability to handle the ball and run a team from the point that has NBA scouts drooling. Teams compare his game to Brent Barry. "He's the real deal," one league executive who has scouted Welsch said. "He's real tough and a great defender. He's got long arms and loves to attack the basket. He's very mature. He's played at a high level for a few years, so he should be able to step in and contribute immediately." Welsch's versatility gives teams more flexibility in the draft. Most teams in the mid to late first round aren't looking for starters. They're looking for role players who can serve multiple needs. The fact that Welsch can be a back-up point as well as a back-up shooting guard and small forward makes him that much more valuable. Welsch fills three needs for the price of one player. -- Chad Ford, ESPN.com ============================= Bostjan Nachbar Slovenia | Forward | 6-9 | 221 While most foreign players are unknown to American fans, Bostjan Nachbar vs. Tayshaun Prince may be the best example of the unknown trumping the known. Teams and fans saw Prince for four years in Kentucky. They know his strengths and his weaknesses inside and out His so-so senior season probably knocked him down a few notches. Nachbar, on the other hand, is a young player on the rise. Because he plays in Europe he doesn't get nearly the exposure or the criticism of Prince. This season, his first as a starter on Benetton Treviso, he had a breakout year. Nachbar loves to play on the break, has excellent ball-handing skills and a dangerous mid-range jumper. He's a decent athlete who knows how to play the game. Some scouts say that he reminds them of a bigger version of Sacramento's second-year small forward Hidayet Turkoglu. Believe it or not, Nachbar is a better shooter than Prince and is much more aggressive running the floor and taking the ball to the basket. Prince, however, does has a much more developed low-post game. The key to Nachbar, unlike a few other potential first-round foreign prospects, is his ability to come in and contribute right away. He's played at the highest level in Europe for the past two seasons and has the ability to immediately come in and help a veteran team with his shooting and experience. He can play either the three or the two, which gives him added versatility. Prince, on the other hand, will have to make the switch from playing power forward in college to small forward in the NBA. That should hinder his development, at least for a while. Both players have similar weaknesses. Defensively, both Nachbar and Prince will struggle playing the quicker two-guards in the league. Nachbar doesn't have great lateral quickness. Both Nachbar and Prince need to hit the weight room, but right now Nachbar has the weight and strength advantage. Nachbar's strong performance during the Euroleague Final Four, along with a strong recommendation from his coach, former Nuggets head man Mike D'Antoni, has pushed his stock into the late lottery or early first round. That's a meteoric rise for a guy who couldn't sneak into the first round last year. -- Chad Ford, ESPN.com ======================== Some good information there. I think the "versitility" of Welsh is attactive for Rudy since he likes those players that can play multiple positions. Plus it allows Rudy to put Welsh on the floor at the same time as Francis allowing Welsch to do the PG duties. But then where would Moochie fill in? Good question. Still the versitility is tempting. I think one of the more attactive things about Nachbar is that they say he is ready to play "NOW." That means the Rockets can get a starter or a TOP notch reserve to contribute NOW. Ming will take some time to develop but getting a player that can contribute NOW from this draft would be a big bonus. Just some things to think about. Thoughts anyone? Chris (And yes, if Stoudamire, Nene, Jeffries etc fall I would DEFINTELY look at those players but assuming they DONT fall, the above players are players I would look at.)
Here's an interview with Nachbar Would you have taken part in workouts for any team in the NBA in case Benetton Treviso was out of the championship race in Italy? Bostjan Nachbar: It's not an issue in fact. I'm not used to thinking about possibilities in the past. My only aim at the moment is to win with Benetton. Do you feel like not taking part in those workouts is affecting your chances of being a lottery pick in the NBA Draft? BN: I don't think so. I have some chances to get into the Draft and I think that these chances were built through this last season on the floor, in Europe. Are you going to play in the NBA next year no matter what is the position in which you are selected in draft day? BN: Definitely, it's not an easy decision for me. Maybe I think I need to stay some more time in Europe to improve and become much more skilled. No matter what the position is, this is only a matter of experience and maybe it's better for me to play another year with Benetton. When did you first feel you had a chance to play in the NBA? Was the Nike Hoops Summit an indication? BN: I took part in that event two times in my career, and I was proud to be there with the best young players in the world. But, in my opinion, the last season I spent in Italy with Benetton Basket was a great indication. A lot of people think you are the European player most likely to enter this year's draft and be a good contributor in your first season in the NBA. Do you share that view? BN: Maybe. It's possible. But it can depend on many different things: fitting well with teammates, with the coach, with another style of playing basketball... I mean, it is really difficult to say such a thing. I hope I will be an important player when I go to the NBA. What are your main strengths? BN: Offense is the feature I like the most in my skills at the moment. This year I'm much more confident with my three point shots, fast breaks and physical impact on the game. And I am quite satisfied. But I know that I still have to walk a long way to be a top level player. And your main weaknesses? BN: I want to improve in defense, being much more aggressive in one-on-one solutions, being more quick and skilled in the paint. Is there any NBA team where do you think you could fit in especially well? BN: I don't know NBA teams really well at the moment. I know the names of coaches and players, but it's not enough to say where I could fit in well. What can you say about your teammate Nikoloz Tskitishvili? Is he really that good? BN: He is a fantastic player in my opinion. It's not so easy to see such young player in Europe. He is young, but he can play in several positions and he can go to the NBA soon. He didn't play much time with Benetton, but I see him everyday in practice, where he shows all his skills. Which other European players do you see in a position to go to the NBA right now? BN: There are many European players who can step on the floor in the NBA right now. Marko Jaric or Emanuel Ginobili, for example, are ready to go in my opinion. We've heard you are a die-hard fan of the NBA... What do you think about this season? BN: Oh, great surprises. But the Lakers finally won for the third time! I was surprised by the season made by Dallas Mavs and New Jersey Nets. Maybe it means that something is going to change in the NBA. And European players can make the difference now. This is so important for me... What is the NBA player you admire the most? BN: Michael Jordan was an example for me. He is the best player I've ever seen in my life, but Kobe Bryant is going to become another great star like MJ. Here's an interview with Nachbar
Welsch is a good prospect, as is Nachbar. I am sure both are attractive to Rudy T because they can contribute right away and we have no advantage doing poorly next year (we have no #1 pick). I think Nachbar is a slightly higher prospect because of his ability to put the ball in the basket. However, I found the comments about Prince interesting. Prince is liked by the Rockets, and I think Prince is a typical Rockets draft pick. Prince is a senior, played at a high level in college. He is big, athletic and can really shoot well. He did play alot of pf in college, but his shooting range allows him to have a smoother transition to the 3. Also, I think Rudy T knows that Steve and Cuttino are poor defenders, and Prince is an elite help defender. Don't be stunned if the Rockets go for a role player sf at #15, like Prince, over a scorer like Nachbar.
In a thread on the Rockets BB, Doc Rocket said that Rockets were very high on Nachbar. So I guess they like him. Chris
Thanks for the info, Deuce. Hell, all those guys sound really good. I was impressed with the interview Houstone found with Nachbar. Where was that from, Houstone? He sounds intelligent and together. I'm getting really excited about who we may get with the 15, or who we get trading up with it. Saw what Doc said in the other thread... sifting through all this is a blast!
smackpeddler: "Prince is a typical Rockets draft pick. Prince is a senior, played at a high level in college. He is big, athletic and can really shoot well. He did play alot of pf in college, but his shooting range allows him to have a smoother transition to the 3. Also, I think Rudy T knows that Steve and Cuttino are poor defenders, and Prince is an elite help defender." Good description of Prince. He could post up most 3s and shoot over the rest. My only worry about him would be his man defense. He mostly played 4 his junior year because he wasn't quick enough to play 3. His team D is good, though: he's smart, keeps good position, and can block shots from the high post. He's a bit of a poor man's Drew Gooden. Is he an underweight 4 or a slow 3?
