By Stefan Djordjevic / info@eurohoops.net
The coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed up the schedules of leagues around the globe and the NBA has been no exception.
One of the compromises the league had to make was to postpone the 2020 Draft for November 18 amidst the short offseason which might force teams to make trades sooner rather than later and it will without a doubt affect the choices at the Draft night.
A lot of European prospects pulled out of this year’s Draft in the 11th hour, however, there will still be a number of them featured and there is a solid chance that as much as five of them get picked up in the First Round. Two are lottery pick material for sure.
Deni Avdija
Age: 19
Height: 206cm
Weight: 100kg
Wingspan: 210cm
It all starts with Deni Avdija who is considered the best international prospect this year. The 2001-born Israeli forward attracts a lot of attention with his two-way versatility. He’s got the size and length which will be a huge plus on defense as well as a faster adjustment to the physicality of the NBA. On the offensive side, he’s got the skill set of a playmaker and is able to create with high IQ as well as run the floor. He can shoot quite well – although there’s room for improvement – and has shown fearlessness when taking numerous shots in crunch time.
At just 19 years old, Avdija also brings to the table what many European prospects have as an advantage over their American peers – experience. To be more precise, the experience of playing at an elite level against grown men, professional players.
He accumulated minutes in the Israeli League as well as the EuroLeague with Maccabi Tel Aviv for the past three years, especially so last season. He was named the player of the year in Israel and became the youngest MVP in the league’s history. One of his standout performance came in a do-or-die Game 3 of the quarterfinals against Hapoel Tel Aviv, notching a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Deni impressed the Golden State Warriors who hold the No.2 pick and there’s a small chance they could pick him up but it’s more likely he will go to one of the teams at four through seven – Bulls, Cavaliers, Hawks, and Pistons.
Kilian Hayes
Age: 19
Height: 196cm
Weight: 98kg
Wingspan: 204cm
He may not have gotten the same amount of attention but Killian Hayes silently enjoys the status of a lottery pick. Most mock drafts put him at No. 8 which belongs to the New York Knicks who are interested in Hayes, however, the Wizards and the Suns follow and might also want him. If he drops out of the lottery, the Kings and the Pelicans might be a good fit.
The American-born French guard played professionally for two years in Cholet while last season, he competed with Ulm in Germany and the EuroCup. He started all 33 games last season and averaged 11.6 points, 5.3 assists, and three boards.
Hayes showcased his maturity and playmaking skills at a high level in EuroCup and especially so with his ability to drive the lane, force help, and dish out the extra pass to the three-point line. He’s got an upside as he is expected to improve his range and shooting percentages as well as add some muscle to cope with the physicality.
Aleksej Pokusevski
Age: 19
Height: 214cm
Weight: 91kg
Wingspan: 221cm
Aleksej Pokusevski might be the biggest risk of the 2020 NBA Draft. He is an agile seven-footer that can dribble, pass, and shoot at a solid level. Who comes to mind when one reads a profile like that? Kevin Durant? Kristaps Porzingis? Dirk Nowitzki?
If Pokusevski is considered to have a sealing half as high as those players then his upside is definitely lottery-pick worthy. However, unlike Avdija and Hayes, Pokusevski doesn’t have the experience, meaning he hasn’t proven himself enough yet. He did appear in a few games for Olympiacos in EuroLeague but without a significant role and he mostly got minutes in the club’s B-Roster in the Greek second division.
While there is a chance for the Serbian big to get taken up around the 15th pick, he might drop even further. The most realistic option would be for the Celtics to pick him up with their 26th overall pick (they also have the No.14 and No.30).
Whichever team decides to bet on Pokusevski, they will without a doubt proceed with him as a long-term project and will have to wait. He needs to mature physically in order to be able to ‘survive’ in the NBA.
Theo Maledon
Age: 19
Height: 196cm
Weight: 80kg
Wingspan: 203cm
The 19-year-old French guard has been maturing with ASVEL over the past few years in the French League as well as EuroLeague and he had a significant role last season on the team. He started half the games and had his best performances so far. He logged career-highs in points (20 in French League, 19 in EuroLeague) and assists (10) while improving his shooting ability.
Some of the teams he might land on include Utah, Milwaukee, and Oklahoma at No. 22, 23, and 24 respectively. The Jazz don’t really have an alternative to Mike Conley at point guard while Milwaukee and Oklahoma aren’t strangers to betting on European talent.
One of the highly intelligent plays Maledon has been good at is using the pick and roll to enter the paint but not overextend. He is capable of stopping in his track around the free-throw line, keep the defender on his back and scan the floor for the best possible action at the time. Of course, he’s not yet fully developed and that can lead to a number of mistakes and turnovers but it’s a very important skill to have in today’s game and it brings a lot of upside. Still, his average for the NBA athletic abilities, don’t help him.
Leandro Bolmaro
Age: 20
Height: 201cm
Weight: 83kg
Wingspan: 203cm
A big point guard with two-way capabilities. Very good at securing the ball during the dribble and has no problem organizing the offense. Solid creativity and rarely turns the ball over. Puts as much effort on the defensive side and is capable of taking on slightly stronger and bigger opponents. His shooting will need some work and it’s very likely that if picked up, Bolmaro will spend some more time with Barcelona before potentially being brought back to the NBA.
Bolmaro’s mock predictions are around the same spot as Maledon’s but it doesn’t seem that the same teams would be interested in both. Bolmaro might be a better pick for teams such as Miami at No. 20, Philadelphia at No. 21 and all the way up to No. 29 which belongs to Toronto.
The Argentine guard played with Barcelona splitting games between the A and B squads before joining the main team regularly last season. He even logged 16 games this season which is rare for draft prospects. Just a few weeks ago, he dished ten assists in a Spanish league game.
Honorable mentions
Although the above-mentioned five players have earned some separation as the best talents on this year’s draft, there’s more of it coming as some fight for a place in the second round.
Another Israeli talent in Yam Madar who plays for Hapoel Tel Aviv will most likely get picked up after his great season while there are also Paul Eboua and Marko Simonovic who impressed as well.
Killian Tillie and Nico Manion should be mentioned as well. Europeans but coming off college stints with Gonzaga and Arizona respectively.