By Antigoni Zachari, Stefan Djordjevic / info@eurohoops.net
It’s been said over and over again that the gap between Europe and the USA is closing year by year. With a record number of European players in the NBA in recent years, including six of them in the All-Star festivities this season, it would be safe to say that the Old Continent will keep feeding the NBA with new talent as the years progress.
We might still be far from the 2021 NBA draft, with no actual date still on the table, but it’s never too early to take a sneak peek into the names that will be on the spotlight in the near future.
Below you can find out a list of 12 players eligible to partake in the 2022 NBA draft. Mind you, not included in the list but a top-notch prospect to look out for is Nanterre 92 big Victor Wembanyama, though he is not yet eligible to be drafted at the age of 17. Don’t get too disappointed though, the list includes some of the finest talents in Europe right now!
Let’s begin:
Usman Garuba
The energetic 19-year-old Real Madrid big man ranks high on the scouting lists for the upcoming draft, all for good reasons. His sophomore season in the EuroLeague under the guidance of coach Pablo Laso is paying off more than numbers can show. At an already bolstered Real frontcourt, Garuba has proved to be a viable solution, especially on the defensive end.
So far into the 2020-21 season, Garuba has averaged 4.6 points and 5 rebounds in 17 minutes in the Spanish ACB, while he has been posting 2.5 points, 3.3 rebounds on average in 13 minutes on the court in the EuroLeague.
Filip Petrusev
Taking a look at the current mock drafts across the US, Filip Petrusev, although well-known to America from his stint with Gonzaga, seems to be quite underrated considering what he showed since turning pro.
Petrusev exceeded all expectations during his stint with Mega so far as he leads the ABA League with 27.9 PIR and convincingly at that, being the primary candidate for the MVP honors.
He is also the leading scorer with 23.6 points and ranks third in rebounding with 7.44 per game.
Even more impressive was the 21-year-old Serbian’s debut for the national team this year with 27 points on 10-15 shooting including 2-3 from deep. He also grabbed six rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal.
Rokas Jokubaitis
Ever since Zalgiris‘ breakthrough early this season, there has been lots of discussion surrounding 20-year-old guard Jokubaitis. He stunned Olympiacos at the tipoff with his cold-blooded will and has been on the rise along with Zalgiris under its new coach, Martin Schiller.
Just like his team, the Lithuanian guard also had his ups and downs so far in the season, but remains a qualitative solution for Schiller, posting 6.8 points and 2.8 assists across 21 minutes on the court in EuroLeague.
And we have yet to see where he can excel through the course of the season.
Alperen Sengun
Another prospect that has recently shined in the national team jersey, a Turkish one in this case.
In a do-or-die game against Sweden, despite all the pressure that would be hard even for much-experienced players, Sengun put up a double-double with game-highs 24 points and 12 rebounds for the win including a pair of crucial free throws down the stretch.
As a product of Teksut Bandirma’s system of developing young players, Sengun got a lot of freedom and experience in the Basketball Champions League before moving to Besiktas this year and taking over as the team leader.
He’s been averaging 19.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 28 minutes of playtime across 26 games.
Ousmane Dieng
Soon-to-be 18-year-old Dieng has been drawing lots of attention from overseas, mainly due to his standout performances during the ANGT in Belgrade last year.
A point guard of the Paris side CFBB, Dieng is a point-forward that can evolve into a possible scoring wing, in the event he makes his NBA jump soon.
Even though CFBB plays in the third-tier of the French basketball competitions (Nationale Masculine 1), Dieng’s talent is one that exceeds past that.
Just this season, he posts an average of 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists — so he definitely has an active role on his team, though it remains to be seen if he can live up to more challenges in the future.
Roko Prkacin
Roko Prkacin is another prospect coming out of the ABA League and has a profile that could be very interesting for the NBA teams.
Playing as a combo forward, Prkacin has a great low-post game which isn’t surprising as he’s the son of the well-known former center Nikola Prkacin.
However, his talents don’t stop there. Roko’s speed and agility allow him more versatility on both sides of the floor and he is quite skilled on the dribble which allows him to create spacing and extra passes.
He’s got a solid understanding of positioning and court vision which, when added to his ball-handling skills, allow him to take on the role of a point forward.
One thing that he’ll have to improve is the long-range shot which, if he does, will make him a huge threat offensively coupled with the size, speed, and passing.
Prkacin was dominant in younger selections but the most important is that his game translated great to pro basketball. Turning 19 later this year, Roko has been averaging 13.8 points and 7.4 boards with Cibona this season.