The progress card of 10 European NBA draft prospects

By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net

Luka Doncic’s draft selection was the turning point to merge the worlds of European and NBA basketball. It wasn’t long before the 2019 draft selectee took off with the Dallas Mavericks, looking to continue the legacy Dirk built for nearly two decades. And then, the world of NBA realized there are actually top-notch players coming from the Old Continent, sometimes more experienced and/or accomplished than their college basketball counterparts.

European basketball might be facing a big rivalry between the organizations of EuroLeague Basketball (Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup) and FIBA (Basketball Champions League), but one thing is for sure. The continent keeps producing endless talent. Not too long ago, Giannis Antetokounmpo was named the NBA 2018-19 regular season MVP.

With that in mind, as 2019 comes to an end, Eurohoops will examine the progress of 10 NBA draft prospects during the year. We are taking a look at their report card in this countdown, including potential, their current stats, as well as the level of experience each one has.

It has to be noted that we are not looking straight to European-born players or strictly 2020 draft prospects, but more like a variety of players that could make the jump to the NBA in the future years.

10. Amar Sylla

Sylla made the jump from Real Madrid’s B team to Oostende this season (three-year contract with an NBA opt-out) and instantly became a favorite for the Best Young Player of the Season award in Basketball Champions League.

Growing up, he took up football first, until he realized he was made for basketball, and at the age of 16, he found himself in Madrid and in 2019 he was crowned Champion of the EuroLeague Next Generation Tournament.

Currently, he explores what it feels like to play in his first major competition with Oostende and leaves his impact in BCL with 7.2 points, 5.4 rebounds in 10 games during the 2019-20 regular season.

For sure a top-notch talent is growing in the Belgian team and we should expect more from him in the foreseeable future.

9. Aleksej Pokusevski

This Olympiacos prospect is one of the most versatile players on our list. A forward with guard traits, Pokusevski can run the floor in most positions at ease. What an advantage to obtain in a worldwide basketball that is growing more and more out of specific ‘roles’ for every position.

He grew up with Olympiacos‘ U18 team where he really showed what he is capable of, made the jump to EuroLeague last season for a couple of games and now the Reds have assigned him to their second team. And for the most part, this can only be a positive for this 2001-born prospect and not a step back.

8. Leandro Bolmaro

19-year-old Bolmero is on to his first season with Barcelona after spending a year in the B team.

Coach Pesic has allowed him to adjust to the team and he already counts six EuroLeague games this season with an average of 1.8 points and 2.3 assists in 9 minutes. Now don’t be too overwhelmed by stats, Barcelona is fully equipped and Bolmero adds value to the rotation for as long as it’s needed.

If we take a look at his ACB League presence, we can see that he fits perfectly into the role he is assigned to (4.4 points, 1.4 assists, 1 rebound in 12 minutes). He fully uses every minute on the court and makes it count, in a team full of big stars.

7. Arturs Kurucs

Just like his brother Rodions, Arturs Kurucs is waiting for his own chance to make the jump to the NBA.

He moved to VEF Riga of his home country this season on loan from Baskonia and the 2000-born really uses his chance wisely. He has a starring role in VEF, playing for 30 minutes with averages of 12.2 points and 3.6 rebounds. Despite having played in just one EuroLeague game in his only season with Baskonia, he already counts almost half a decade of action in professional basketball.

6. Rokas Jokubaitis

Jokubaitis happens to be coached at such a young age by one of the best point guards in EuroLeague history, Sarunas Jasikevicius. This, on its own, is a pretty big deal.

This season he has yet to score in EuroLeague, though he has his time to grow in the Lithuanian League. He averages 7.2 points in 15 minutes on the court. The athleticism is right there, all he needs is time to evolve.

He became a star of the U16 Zalgiris squad, setting up high expectations for his course. At the same time, it’s wise to cut him some slack in regards to that. Zalgiris is on to a 4-12 record, at the bottom of the EuroLeague standings along with Zenit. So, Jasikevicius counts more on Thomas Walkup and Arturas Milaknis.

5. Usman Garuba

This 2002-born Real Madrid big man started the 2019-20 season with a big breakout and impacted the game enough to earn playtime in the rotation when Trey Thompkins had to be sidelined for a few games. 

Real went through some rough patches in late October 2019 with consecutive losses, and Garuba saw his time being cut short, though Pablo Laso grants him more playtime in ACB League. To be exact, Garuba spends 18 minutes on the court and produces 10.6 points per game.

Now that Thompkins has returned, and with Walter Tavares being consistent, Garuba can use his time in ACB to evolve. His full potential is obvious and coach Laso knows exactly how to prepare him for his future campaigns.

4. Carlos Alocen

Alocen made his debut at 15 years (and 10 months to be precise) of age with Zaragoza in the Spanish League.

Signed by Real Madrid in summer 2019 and on loan to Zaragoza once again, this season Alocen posts 8.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in 24 minutes on the court and is a frontrunner for the BCL Best Young Player of the Season. And it’s really not a wonder, he impacts the game in plenty of ways. If anything, Zaragoza has a 7-3 run in the BCL regular season.

It’s also interesting to see his presence in ACB League, admittedly the best domestic competition in Europe. Alocen plays for an average of 21 minutes there already at this age. Some players who played for more than 20 minutes aged 19 or less? Ricky Rubio, Sergio Rodriguez, Rudy Fernandez, Luka Doncic. The chances are good for this youngster!

3. Killian Hayes

Hayes is leaving his mark in the easycredit BBL, after joining the team over the summer due to a ban he received by the French Basketball Federation, after his unwillingness to participate in the U20 European Championship.

With that in mind, Hayes decided to transfer to Germany and not ‘do his time’ by sitting six games out in the French League, and it turned out to be the best choice for him at this point in his career. 

This 2001-born played his best game for 2019 in Ulm’s last EuroCup game for the season (as they’ve been eliminated), recording 25 points and five assists across 30 minutes. Way to close out the campaign!

2. Theo Maledon

The ASVEL guard is on to the second season that he has an active role in the team’s rotation, though he is a EuroLeague rookie.

With that being said, in his inaugurate EuroLeague campaign, he averages 6 points and 3.1 assists in 16 minutes. While these numbers are by no means exceptional, he is confident enough offensively and will attempt to take shots from behind the arc. 18-year-old Maledon has already played professionally since 2017, getting a glimpse both of EuroLeague and EuroCup last season. 

Maledon has enough spontaneity to take big shots and defy even the toughest opponents and we have seen him doing exactly that into the 2019-20 season. Top-notch prospect to keep our eyes on, for sure.

1. Deni Avdija

Probably the hottest name on the list and for a good reason. Avdija already counts several EuroLeague games in his time in Tel Aviv. This season he takes his chances to shine. Given that Maccabi‘s roster has been trimmed due to injuries, he receives important playtime to be amongst the team’s leaders. 

His progress in comparison to the last two seasons has been satisfactory, especially in the domestic league. Several scouts have traveled all the way to Israel to check Avdija in action, and he keeps on delivering.

Currently, he averages 3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14 EuroLeague games, while he has come out as a starter in four of them. He is far more productive in the Israeli Winner League, with 9.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Another versatile player to make this list and rightfully among the top prospects of the 2020 NBA draft.

Photos: EuroLeague, EuroCup, Basketball Champions League, Sports Rabbi, and Dov Halickman Photography