By Dionysis Aravantinos / info@eurohoops.net
The NBA regular season is over, ‘March Madness‘ is also over, and so scouts from all over the world, teams, coaches, and players are getting ready for June’s NBA Draft.
By the end of April, all players interested in declaring for the draft would have to sing up for it. Last season a record number of 182 players filled as early entry candidates and 40 of these players were from Europe. This year, the European prospects will play a significant role in the draft, as players like Luka Doncic, Moritz Wagner, and Dzanan Musa could all be selected in the first round.
The following ten prospects, could all be selected in the upcoming NBA Draft, so remember their name, because you’ll meet them again in the near future.
Luka Doncic / Slovenia
- Team: Real Madrid
- Stats: 15.1PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.6 APG (EuroLeague & Spain’s ACB)
- Age: 19
- Position: G
- Height: 1.98cm (6-6)
No introduction needed for Luka Doncic. A possible No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft is taking Spain and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by storm. In EuroLeague, the 19-year old ‘wonderkid’ has been averaging 17.1 points, 4.6 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game, emerging as one of the best players. As it was stated by his mother last week, the Real Madrid guard will declare for the NBA Draft, but will quite possibly not attend the event.
Doncic can do it all at a very young age, lead this historic franchise to wins (ACB & EuroLeague), score points off the dribble, attack the paint as well as grab rebounds, run in the open court and hand out unique passes. In a crucial EuroLeague game against Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade, he was simply unstoppable. He finished with 24 points, scoring the game-winning three-pointer causing Red Star coach Dusan Alimpijevic to call him ‘great‘.
Many would ask what’s next for Luka Doncic and what he dreams of, but as his mother told Eurohoops, he doesn’t think about the future.
Dzanan Musa / Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Team: Cedevita Zagreb
- Stats: 12.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG (Adriatic League)
- Age: 18
- Position: F
- Height: 2.03cm (6-9)
One of the best young players in Europe that can score the basketball and affect the game to a large extent offensively. Musa is averaging 12.6 points in the Adriatic League, which features teams from the former Yugoslavia, against some tough competition. He has great size, can attack the paint fearfully while also pull up off the dribble. In Europe’s 7Days EuroCup competition, the 18-year old Bosnian earned the EuroCup Rising Star Trophy, while also winning a similar trophy in the ABA Liga.
Back in November in Cedevita’s win over Mornar Bar, the 6-9 forward had all eyes on him as he finished the game with a career-high 35 points. He shot 10/11 from the free-throw line, made five three-pointers (5/6 3p.), showcasing his offensive skills.
Moreover, Musa has declared to the NBA Draft and according to the latest mock drafts by ESPN and Sports Illustrated he could be selected in the Top-20 of the first round.