Fran Fraschilla's take on the top European players

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog?name=nba_draft&id=6478537

-not much new info, but just another voice to listen to. Again, I'd love Kanter, Biyombo, or Vesely.

Last year, at the 2010 NBA draft, I felt like the guy in the old Maytag repairman commercials. There wasn't much need for me to be around on ESPN's draft coverage because it was a quiet night for drafting international players, as only one went in the first round.

Most of the best international prospects decided to eschew the opportunity to stay in the draft in the hopes that they would continue to gain experience playing in Europe and improve their stock. And with many top college freshmen deciding to return for their sophomore seasons next year, many of those international players did help themselves.

If everything goes according to form, this draft could have the most international players selected in the first round since eight were selected in 2003. Here are some names you need to know:


1. Enes Kanter, 6-foot-10, Turkey
Although college basketball fans didn't get to see Kanter play at Kentucky, he has been a high-level prospect for the past three years in Europe, where he dominated the junior level. And while he hasn't played in an organized game since last year's Hoop Summit, he may be the most NBA-ready international prospect.

In fact, last year in Portland, Kanter scored a Hoop Summit record 33 points and grabbed 14 rebounds against a USA front line that included Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, North Carolina's Harrison Barnes and Kentucky's Terrence Jones.

Kanter, who turns 19 on May 20, is a power forward who invites contact around the basket, is a sneaky-quick jumper, has a nice shooting touch out to the college 3-point line and has an agility and footwork that belie his 262-pound frame. Had he played college basketball this year, he would have had the same impact on John Calipari's Wildcats team that Sullinger had for the Buckeyes.

While it's tough to draft a player like Kanter with the first pick because he didn't build up a résumé this season, an NBA team that doesn't need a point guard like Kyrie Irving, will give the young Turkish player a long look. He's currently working out in Chicago with famed NBA skills guru Tim Grover.

2. Jan Vesely, 6-11, Czech Republic
I first saw Vesely at the Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy, as a 16-year-old in 2007 and he spent the four days there as a relatively nondescript young big man. But I do remember camp director and Minnesota Timberwolves director of international scouting Pete Philo told me at the time that Vesely might be the best international prospect born in 1990, a group that includes Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio. Philo might be right.

Vesely is easily one of the best athletes in this draft and I'll predict he wins an NBA dunk contest someday. In fact, the youngster, who plays for Partizan Belgrade, is a clone of former NBA star Tom Chambers. (Check Chambers and Vesely out on YouTube.) He plays with good energy, runs the floor well and moves great without the basketball. In addition, his easiest adjustment should be at the defensive end because he can guard both NBA small forwards and most NBA power forwards.

Offensively, Vesely is more comfortable at power forward because of his below-average ballhandling skills and an inconsistent jump shot. Ultimately, Vesely should find himself selected among the first eight picks, in part, because of his NBA-level athleticism.

3. Jonas Valanciunas, 7-foot, Lithuania
While Kanter and Vesely may be more ready to play in an NBA game right now, many feel that Valanciunas is the best long-term international prospect in this draft. The big Lithuanian has been, like Kanter, a star on the European junior circuit and was the European Under-16 MVP in the summer of 2008 when NBA teams first started tracking him.

Valanciunas will turn 19 years old on Friday and his combination of size, agility and athleticism make him very enticing for a team willing to wait for him to physically mature. Conversely, with this perceived to be a weak draft compared to next year, he may find himself drafted higher this season while he stays in Europe to develop, especially with a lockout looming.

Like most young big men his age and lack of strength is a concern, and he does not have a developed low-post game to rely on. Yet he shows signs of developing a nice jump hook and he is an active offensive rebounder. If he stays in this draft, he'll be selected in the mid-to-late lottery.

4. Donatas Motiejunas, 7-foot, Lithuania
Motiejunas is another promising big man who could be drafted by the end of the lottery. Although not as athletic as Valanciunas and Vesely, nor as physically strong as Kanter, he's becoming a polished post player who will turn 21 in September.

Although Motiejunas is in the midst of a very productive season at Benetton Treviso in the Italian Lega A, there are aspects of his game I am not in love with. He must learn to play through contact in the low post and develop better body balance around the basket. In addition, he must improve his passing ability and his basketball instincts are average.

On the plus side, Motiejunas is a good midrange shooter who can play in a screen-and-roll system. He uses both hands around the basket, as well.

Although Motiejunas could be an effective rotation player for an NBA team in time, I don't see his ceiling being as high as the other three Europeans who could go in the lottery. His game experience, however, in Europe will get him on an NBA floor as soon as any international player in this draft.

5. Bismack Biyombo, 6-9, Congo
Don't let anyone tell you that there are no longer any secrets when it comes to international NBA prospects. I guarantee you that no more than three NBA teams knew the name Biyombo before January of this year. Now, some scouts consider the young big man from the Congo a potential lottery selection.

Biyombo arrived in Spain only 21 months ago and was playing in the farm system of ACB club Fuenlabrada when he was called up to the main team midway through the season. Because of his NBA-ready strength, athleticism and a 7-7 wingspan, he was an instant contributor as an 18-year-old. (Although there are some questions about his true age.) And after playing in last month's Nike Hoop Summit, Biyombo recorded a triple-double and displayed ridiculous athleticism, assuring himself a spot in the first round.

Biyombo is a Ben Wallace-type player who, while a defensive presence, has a very, very limited offensive arsenal. He has no go-to moves at all, is a poor passer out of double-teams and has limited basketball acumen because of his lack of game experience. And, unlike fellow countryman and budding NBA star Serge Ibaka, he doesn't have any face-up game at all. Ibaka always had good shooting form but only recently has showcased it for the Thunder.

It likely won't matter how raw Biyombo's offensive game currently is, as there are few in this particular draft who can affect the game on the defensive end with shot-blocking and rebounding like he can.

6. Bojan Bogdanovic, 6-8, Croatia
Bogdanovic is 22 years old, so it's understandable that he plays with the type of maturity of someone with a lot of high-level playing experience.

I got to see Bogdanovic play again last summer at the FIBA World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, where he averaged 12 points a game and scored 17 against Team USA, knocking down five 3-point shots. Along with his shooting prowess, he is a deceptive athlete and takes the ball to the basket with toughness. In fact, his size and skill level reminds me of former NBA small forward Matt Harpring.

Bogdanovic is already one of the best young players in Europe and an NBA team would have to gauge his interest in coming to the United States. If he is serious, he could be an excellent pick in the backside of the first round for a team looking for a solid rotation player, in time.

7. Nikola Mirotic, 6-10, Montenegro
Writing about Mirotic may be academic because, although he has declared as an early entry for the draft, he has just signed a long-term deal with Real Madrid, extending his contract with the Spanish team until 2016. In addition, he was recently selected as the Euroleague's 2011 Rising Star as the league's best young prospect.

Mirotic is the classic European stretch power forward who is very comfortable playing both inside and out. The 20-year-old plays with toughness above what you see at the college basketball level and is a very skilled offensive player.

It is not likely that an NBA team would waste a first-round selection on Mirotic without an assurance that he could buy his way out of his current contract, but he is certainly worth a second-round pick in order to secure his NBA rights in the future.

8. Lucas Nogueira, 7-0, Brazil
Nogueira is an intriguing prospect who burst onto the scene last summer at the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championships in San Antonio. In fact, when I walked into the arena at Bill Greehey Arena to see him for the first time, I was stunned to see such a young player with his size and length. He has the perfect shot-blocking basketball body.

Although Brazil lost in the finals to Team USA, he had 22 points and 14 rebounds and finished the entire tournament with 27 blocked shots and made a name for himself in front of the numerous NBA scouts.

Although armed with his crazy length and terrific athleticism, Nogueira is nowhere near physically ready to play in the NBA. And, like Biyombo, his defensive skills are far ahead of his offensive game. Two years from now, Nogueira may very well be a lottery pick but if he stays in this draft, he will be drafted on purely potential from the middle to the end of the first round.

9. Davis Bertans, 6-10, Latvia
Nike Hoop Summit director Rich Sheubrooks was prescient enough to select the unsung Bertans for the game in Portland and the 18-year-old Latvian will earn a spot in the first round if he stays in this draft.

In both the workouts and in the Hoop Summit game, Bertans showed an outstanding shooting touch out to the NBA 3-point line because he has terrific lower body strength. And, in addition to his shooting, he can put the ball on the floor well for his size. Gaining upper-body strength will be his biggest obstacle, but he has plenty of time to make that happen.

Bertans was impressive enough last summer in the European Under-18 Championships to sign a professional contract with Union Olimpijca, the same team that developed current NBA guard Goran Dragic. And NBA European scouts took notice, as well. While he is not ready to play key minutes for a quality NBA team, enough decision-makers saw him do some things in Portland to make him a very promising prospect for a team willing to wait a while.

10. Leon Radosevic, 6-10, Croatia
Who? Radosevic is a teammate of Bojan Bogdanovic at Cibona who has averaged impressive numbers in the Euroleague this past season without an effective low-post game.

He averaged almost 13 points and six rebounds, based on his ability to run the floor, score in the pick-and-roll game and knock down a midrange jump shot. In addition, although his young team struggled in Euroleague, he plays with the intensity of a winner.

Radosevic's lack of physicality in the paint would render him ineffective, at the moment, in the NBA. But if he stays in this draft, he's your classic early second-round steal in terms of simply owning his rights. With maturity, the 21-year-old will develop into a high-energy power forward who may, one day, be able to stretch a defense with his jump shot.

 

sorry, added to the 1st post.