By Dionysis Aravantinos / info@eurohoops.net
Before Luka Doncic showed his unique talents in the start of the 2018-2019 NBA season, Americans did not trust the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague competition and especially European basketball. That is also one of the reasons, why two teams passed on him in last year’s draft. Within the last couple of years, however, European talent is making a statement in the world’s best basketball competition, with players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luka Doncic.
For another season, there are many European prospects for the 2019 NBA Draft, under the age of 22, playing in Europe’s best competitions (EuroLeague / 7DaysEuroCup / Basketball Champions League) and Eurohoops presents the eight best.
Sekou Doumbouya
Team: Limoges (EuroCup /Jeep Elite)
Stats: 6.10 PPG / 52.1% FG / 2.8 RPG
Age: 18
Position: F
Height: 2.05m (6′ 9”)
Nationality: France
Sekou Doumbouya is the most talented European prospect from this year’s draft candidate list. According to the latest mock drafts, he will be picked in the lottery, and probably the top ten spots in the upcoming 2019 NBA Draft. Despite the fact that he is incredibly long and can guard multiple positions on the defensive side of the court, the Guinean-born French player just turned 18 on December 23, 2018, which means he will only keep getting better. Besides, in 2018, he won Pro B’s (France’s second division) best young player award.
Doumbouya has played 20 games this season with Limoges (12 in Jeep Elite, 8 in EuroCup) and has had his fair share of success. In these 20 games, he is averaging 6.1 points (52.1% FG / 28.1% 3FG), 2.8 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.55 steals, and 0.45 blocks, showcasing his all-around skills. The 18-year old looks up to great NBA defenders, such as Tony Allen and as the NBA Draft Room states, he models his game after Paul George, by playing hard on both ends of the floor. Unfortunately, though, he suffered a right-hand injury and will miss 5-7 weeks of action, which can decrease his chances of getting picked higher in the NBA Draft. Thus, the question is how he will perform once he returns from his injury, and which team will eventually pick him in June’s draft.
Goga Bitadze
Team: Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (EuroLeague /ABA League)
Stats: 19.0 PPG / 61% FG / 7.27 RPG / 2.67 BLKPG
Age: 19
Position: C
Height: 2.11m (6′ 11”)
Nationality: Georgia
For American readers or those who don’t follow European basketball, being able to have Bitadze’s stat-line in, especially at this age is not easy at all. He is averaging 18.8 points on 60.3% shooting from the field, 7.21 rebounds, 2.64 blocks and 1.0 assists per game. Goga Bitadze is a very special prospect that could have been drafted in the NBA last year but decided to withdraw from the draft last minute and play one more season in Europe, in order to have more chances to be selected in the first round of the 2019 draft. The 19-year old center is not only effective on the offensive side of the floor, but his presence down the block on defense (2.67 blocks / 0.73 steals) makes him a great two-way player.
Bitadze started this season with Mega Bemax and had some impressive performances in the ABA League. One of them came against Partizan, where he scored 28 points on an incredible 10/11 from the field, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked four shots. On December 20, 2018, he moved to Buducnost VOLI Podgorica to play in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague competition, and from his first game, he showcased his talent and certainly did not disappoint. In his EuroLeague debut against Bayern Munich, he scored 17 points (5/9 FG), grabbed seven rebounds and blocked four shots. He picked off where he left off in his second EuroLeague game, with 23 points and seven rebounds against Olimpia Milano. The future is bright for the 19-year old Georgian international.