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.
- Amar Sylla
| Current team | Filou Oostende |
| Nationality | Senegalese |
| Position | Power Forward / Center |
| Competition(s) | Basketball Champions League |
| Active since | 2017 |
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.