By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
The 2019 NBA Draft is scheduled for Thursday, June 20, and this time European prospects are not expected to make a real splash with very few exceptions.
Sekou Doumbouya, Goga Bitadze, Luka Samanic, Deividas Sirvydis, Joshua Obiesie, Adam Mokoka, Yovel Zoosman, Matas Jogela and David Okeke have made themselves available to the teams but who’s got the best chance to join one?
First round
There seems to be a consensus among the mocks about the first eight picks in the 2019 NBA Draft which are expected to be: Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, R.J. Barrett, Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, Jarrett Culver, Coby White, and Cam Reddish.
Beyond that, the variation’s start and increase with the later picks but the top European prospect in this year’s Draft, Sekou Doumbouya, is highly likely to end up among the lottery picks.
Sekou Doumbouya
DOB: December 23, 2000
Position: SF/PF
Height: 2.06 m (6′ 9”)
Nationality: French
The 18-year-old French forward is considered a ‘raw potential’ resembling the Toronto Raptors‘ Pascal Siakam. Doumbouya’s main advantage is his physical profile which gives him defensive versatility to guard multiple positions. He is also strong around the rim on both ends of the floor and showed a solid shooting touch from distance.
The downside would be his inconsistency on the shot and energy levels along with troubles handling the ball. However, keep in mind that he is only 18 years old and many teams are willing to bet on his future.
Doumbouya is expected to be drafted as the 9th pick by the Wizards or 10th by the Hawks. The Wizards are in a process of rebuilding and need the best available option while the Hawks‘ fast and athletic playstyle would fit Doumbouya perfectly.
Goga Bitadze
DOB: July 20, 1999
Position: C
Height: 2.12 m (6′ 11”)
Nationality: Georgian
Goga Bitadze arrives at the Draft as the most proved and tested European. He has played 13 EuroLeague games and averaged 12 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks winning the competitions Rising Star award.
The 19-year-old Georgian has great paint presence with his size but is also quite agile making him a good pick ‘n’ roll option. He doesn’t take as many deep shots but has shown great accuracy when he does (41% three-pointers) and will be able to stretch the floor.
Defensive end is the limiting factor for Bitadze as he can’t cover ground quick enough and will have major problems defending mismatches against shooters. However, he’s got great blocking ability and can be a strong rim protector if he adapts properly.
There are quite a few teams which could use Bitadze and he is expected to land between 10th and 20th pick. The Nets (17th) are in need of a center to backup Jarrett Allen and that seems to be the most probable spot for the 19-year-old. In case he stays free by then, the Spurs at 19th and the Celtics at 20th would also be interested.
Luka Samanic
DOB: January 9, 2000
Position: PF
Height: 2.11 m (6′ 11”)
Nationality: Croatian
Luka Samanic moved from Spain and Barcelona’s B-team to Slovenia this season where he played with Petrol Olimpija. He needed some time to adapt but had a great run at the end of the season taking over the main role in the team.
The 19-year-old’s got great length and agility which allows him to cover both forward positions while also being excellent in transition. His overall skillset needs some work but he is a three-point threat and is able to get past slower bigs in isolations.
He is also able to cover a lot of ground defensively and reacts fast at the perimeter. He does need to work on his strength and size a bit more which is necessary for him to be able to cope with the NBA-level athletes.
Samanic was initially projected as a second-round pick but he impressed at the 2019 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago which pushed him up the list and is expected to get picked up late in the first round.
Any of the last six first-round picks (Blazers, Cavaliers, Nets, Warriors, Spurs, Bucks) could have Samanic’s name on it depending on previous choices but it seems the best fit would be the Warriors (28th) who are in much need of the bench depth and backups.
Second round
In general, for many teams, the second round is a dice roll, so it’s hard to predict the picks. Still, if Samanic misses the first round, he will hear his name called for sure in the second.
Other than that German Joshua Obiesie and French Adam Mokoka have a real chance to get drafted and maybe Yovel Zoosman also belongs to the same conversation. There’s also the case of Alen Smailagic who spent last season in the G-League as part of the Santa Cruz Warriors. The 19 years old Serb big man is automatically available in the draft after a season as a pro in the States and Golden State is expected to pick him. Speaking about automatically eligible draft prospects, keep an eye on Partizan’s Vanja Marinkovic who may also hear his name in the second round and Lithuanian Martynas Echodas.
According to the draft rules, all international players who are 22 years old are automatically eligible for the draft if they have not made themselves available to the process between their 18th and 21st year of age.
Having said that, it seems that this year only six or seven players from Europe will be drafted, a pretty modest number compared to recent draft history.