ESPN insider hypes up the Yao-Bradley game, Top 10 Upcoming International players

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World Championships: The next Nowitzki? 10 players to watch
by Chad Ford



You know that NBA international invasion conspiracy talk that's been jamming the airwaves the last few months? It's bogus. The invasion is over, it's the shadow government we have to worry about at this point.

For the first time ever, folks in the know are wringing their hands a bit. Is this the year Team USA, and our dreams of American basketball superiority, take a beating?

The NBA's international scouting movement has produced a monster that one day will consume us. This year, the basketball World Championships will feature three international NBA All-Stars — Dirk Nowitzki, Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic; last year's rookie of the year, Pau Gasol; and two members of the NBA's All Rookie Team — Andrei Kirilenko and Vladimir Radmanovic. Had Canada's Steve Nash not pulled out at the last minute, you could've added a fourth NBA All-Star to that list.

We may not be seeing the best U.S. players at the Worlds, but we will see the cream of the international crop next week.

For the first time in a long time the best player out there may not be an American. Germany's Nowitzki, the only player in the tournament who was named to either the NBA first or second team last season, is arguably the most talented player in Indy.

Divac, not Antonio Davis or Raef LaFrentz, is the best center at the Worlds. In fact, the U.S. would probably prefer Pau Gasol to either Davis or LaFrentz. Stojakovic will battle Reggie Miller as the best shooter in the tournament. And let's not forget a few other young studs like Hidayet Turkoglu, Predrag Drobnak, Kirilenko, Radmanovic and Oscar Torres

And those are the players you already know. For many U.S. fans, the Worlds will be their first introduction to several future international NBA stars. Insider talked to several top NBA international scouts to give you the lowdown on the 10 international players to watch at this week's Worlds Championships. Had Raul Lopez and Nene Hilario not pulled out with injuries, we could've made it an even dozen. Give them a few years and they'll be giving the Dream Team nightmares.

1. Yao Ming, C, China
NBA Team: Rockets
The Skinny: Yao may be a bigger draw than Team U.S.A. and the rest of the NBA international players combined. The U.S. exhibition game was nice, but we want to see Yao in a real game. Sure, he played versus the U.S. in the 2000 Olympics, but he was just 19 years old then. Yao's first game is Thursday versus Germany. We were looking forward to a stellar Shawn Brandley-Yao matchup, but with Bradley off the team, look for Yao and Nowitzki to mix it up a little in the middle. But the big date is Saturday, Aug. 31st when China meets the U.S.

2. Marko Jaric, PG, Yugoslavia
NBA Team: Clippers
The Skinny: Many consider Jaric to be the top point guard in Europe right now. He's tall, 6-foot-7, has an old-school pass-first mentality and loves to push the ball. The Clippers just signed him to a three year, $6 million deal. However, with Andre Miller now in the fold in L.A., Jaric will have to learn the NBA ropes backing him up off the bench. Look for a nice matchup Friday when Jaric is matched up against another hyper point guard, Spain's Juan Carlos Navarro.

3. Emmanuel Ginobili, SG, Argentina
NBA Team: Spurs
The Skinny: How confident are the Spurs in Ginobili? They went ahead and shipped off Antonio Daniels to make sure that Ginobili, a former Euroleague MVP, gets plenty of minutes this season. Ginobili is already off to a red-hot start in exhibition play. He led Argentina to 3-0 record in the Pistons International Classic over the weekend. He averaged a sizzling 20 points on 24 of 31 shooting for the tournament and grabbed MVP honors. Argentina doesn't meet the U.S. in Round 1, but they should meet sometime in Round 2. They are considered, along with Yugoslavia, to have the best chance at medaling.

4. Mehmet Okur, PF, Turkey
NBA Team: Pistons
The Skinny: The Pistons stole him in the second round of the draft in 2000 and now Okur, a 6-foot-11 bruiser with a sweet outside shot, is ready to play in the NBA. The Pistons just signed him to a two-year contract last week and they expect big things out of him right away this season. The team already got a nice taste of what he can do this weekend at the Pistons International Classic. On Saturday, Okur scored 33 points, with 11 rebounds, four blocks and four steals versus a team of U.S. free agents. "He is going to be a terrific player," Scott Roth, an assistant with the Memphis Grizzlies, told the Detroit News. "It's just a matter of his learning curve and how quickly he picks up on the terminology and the defensive concepts of the NBA game. Offensively, he is good enough to play right away."

5. Dejan Bodiroga, G, Yugoslavia
NBA Team: Kings
The Skinny: He's a legend in Europe, but Bodiroga's been reluctant to play in the U.S. despite numerous offers. In fact, this summer, several NBA teams were willing to give up first-round picks to the Kings in return for Bodiroga's rights. However, Bodiroga instead decided to sign another contract in Europe, ending the discussions. Bodiroga can play three different positions on the floor, including point guard. He's a great ball handler, a dangerous outside shooter and one of the smartest players in Europe. A strong showing here versus the quicker U.S. players may give him the confidence he needs to finally make the leap to the U.S.

6. Mladen Sekularac, SG, Yugoslavia
NBA Team: Mavericks
The Skinny: Sekularac took a huge hit draft night when he slipped from the late first round all the way until the end of the second. But, in the end he may have landed in the best possible position. The Mavs don't really need him this season, but they were impressed with his toughness and outside shooting at the summer league. He probably would've made the Mavs this season, but decided instead to forego a buyout and play out the last season of his contract in Europe. Expect Sekularac to resurface next season, giving them another dangerous weapon from beyond the arc.

7. Igor Rakocevic, G, Yugoslavia
NBA Team: Timberwolves
The Skinny: His high-flying antics in Yugoslavia have stuck him with the nickname "White Jordan" After seeing his performance at the Shaw Summer Pro League, that may be a little much. It's his ability to play both backcourt positions, not his dunking prowess, that has the Wolves considering adding him to their thin backcourt this season. "He is more typical of an American player," says Divac. "He jumps very high, looks to score and has a lot of heart. He has a lot of moves, like Jason Williams. He is a little one, but he likes to dunk with two hands. He doesn't hesitate to drive in the middle of big people and put up shots."

8. Luis Scola, PF, Argentina
NBA Team: Spurs
The Skinny: He's a true low-post bruiser and may eventually be part of the answer for the Spurs down low when David Robinson retires next season. He'll likely play one more season in Spain before joining the Spurs, but Scola already figures to be a force on Argentina during the tournament. His toughness in the paint and on the boards reminds some scouts of Elton Brand.

9. Juan Carlos Navarro, G, Spain
NBA Team: Wizards
The Skinny: Navarro is a quick combo guard and an explosive scorer. His game is penetration and he can take just about anyone off the dribble in Spain. He's usually overshadowed a bit by Raul Lopez, but with Lopez out, he'll be running the show. The Wizards really liked his hustle and his defense and figure to bring him over next summer once Chris Whitney and Tyronn Lue come off the books.

10. Milos Vujanic, PG, Yugoslavia
NBA Team: Knicks
The Skinny: The 6-foot-4 Vujanic, the Knicks' second-round pick in June, may be the point guard of the future in New York. Vujanic will play this season with his Yugoslavian team, but the Knicks plan to have him for the summer league next July and the 2003 training camp. The kid was good enough that [selecting another point guard) wasn't really a concern," Knicks assistant GM Jeff Nix said. "We had targeted him from last summer. We felt he's the second-best point guard in Europe [behind Jaric]. He pushes the ball, throws it ahead to the open player and works to defend."

 

I really would want to see what Yao could do against the guy everyone wanted to compare him to. I think it would be funny to see the contrast, and for Yao to prove once and for all that height isn't talent; talent is talent. Too bad the 7'6" Opie Taylor isn't playing