With Giannis Antetokounmpo now NBA Champion and Finals MVP, regular season MVP Nikola Jokic and Olympic debutant Luka Doncic clearer than ever that Europe is a true home of basketball talent.
This is France’s first victory over the USA men’s team in Tokyo, not to mention.
In fact, a record number of Europeans took part in this year’s All-Star Game, with Giannis, Jokic and Doncic joining Rudi Gobert, Domantas Sabonis and Nikola Vucevich.
Don’t forget Antetokounmpo, LeBron’s first overall pick picked by James himself, scoring 35 points in a perfect 16/16 innings to earn his All-Star MVP, and it’s another reward to add to his already bloated treasure.
All six players have had great seasons, and while the likes of Bojan Bogdanovic, Bogdan Bogdanovic (unrelated of course), Danilo Galinari, Clint Capella and Jonas Valancionas shine at various points post-season, European talent beyond the Atlantic extends far beyond the world. stars. Dominate at the top of the game.
With all that in mind, with the 2021 NBA Draft coming out Thursday night, let’s take a look at some of the players heading into the league to further strengthen the European roster.
Alperin Sengon, Besiktas
The 19-year-old player was named the Player of the Year in the Turkish League with 18.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals for Beşiktaş this season.
With his impressive low roll moves and ability to pass as a big man, the 6’10” center is seen by most fake drafts as a lottery pick in the 8-15 range. Maybe not enough to play as a true NBA five. So to reach his potential in the league, he will have to improve his outside shot (he shot only 21% in Turkey).
However, Şengün’s impressive move is something that should illuminate the league in the years to come.
2:50
Franz Wagner, Michigan
Born in Berlin, Germany, the 19-year-old forward has played for the Michigan Wolverines for the past two seasons, averaging 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game this season.
Scouts love Wagner’s defense and all-encompassing ability on the field. He’s 6’9″ in reports, but the draft is expected to be in the top ten, given the combination of his roughly 6’11” size according to the player and his deeply powerful shot (34% for Michigan). . His brother Mo currently plays at the center of the Orlando Magic after being selected by the Los Angeles Lakers to the 25th spot in 2018.
Osman Garuba, Real Madrid
Like Luka Doncic before him, Osman Garuba progressed rapidly in Real Madrid’s youth teams after joining the club at the age of 12.
Now 19, he is the rising star of the Euroleague and was named the best young player in La Liga this season. Garuba also had two FIBA EuroBasket gold medals to his name in 2016 and 2019 as part of Spain’s under-16 and under-18 team.
Garuba is all about outstanding defense in more than one place, as evidenced when he stood alone while protecting none other than Kevin Durant in an exhibition match against Spain against the United States ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
The forward was the team’s highest +11 plus/minus during his 13-minute game against the United States, and he single-handedly showed the impact he could have on the defensive end, with +11 rebounds.
With plenty of room to develop on the offensive side of the ball, Garuba can easily prove to be one of the steals of this draft class. Many expect him to be picked at number 19 by the New York Knicks. If so, you can be sure that Tom Thibodeau will love running the Madrid native.
Jokobatis Rocks, Zalgiris
Rukas Jokobaitis, two-time cup winner with three-time champions Lithuania and Zalgiris, and Young Player of the Year in 2021 are likely to drop into the lower half of the first round.
The 20-year-old is a 6ft-4in combo goalkeeper who averaged 38.8% off-air in the Euroleague and can shoot a triple in a good clip. In the right environment, Jkubaitis has the potential to become the sixth man in the NBA gaming industry.
Joel Ayay, Gonzaga
Born in Bordeaux, France, Joel Ayai joined Gonzaga’s basketball program in 2017 but did not play in his first year. In January, he scored his first hat-trick in college history with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists in a win over Portland. Basketball also plays a role in family genes; His father was a professional in France and represented Benin internationally.
The 21-year-old averaged 12 points per game and scored 38.9% of Gonzaga’s three points in the 2020-21 season at 6’5″, which is a good project as a 3D secondary goalkeeper or a slightly undersized winger. They were caught. in the top 10 selections in the second round.
Philip Petrosev, Mega Sepet
6’11 playmaker Filip Petrosev from Belgrade, Serbia is out for a full season. Not only was he the top scorer in the Adriatic League, he was also named both ABA MVP and Top Prospect, averaging 23.6 points per game. Add to that the 57.9% pitch and 41.9% depth shooting rates and it’s clear this guy can take as many buckets as he wants.
As always, as with any great European man, there are concerns about Petrosev’s fitness compared to those in the big positions pending in the NBA.
However, he mostly played for Mega Basket as a four-player alongside quarterback Maru Simonovic (hence his relatively low rebound rate per game of 7.6) and given his obvious ability to score goals, there should be nothing stopping the teams from taking the Flyer . He. In the middle of the second round.
Oddly enough, NBA Player of the Year Nikola Jokic also wore Mega Basket in the Adriatic League, winning MVP and Top Prospect this season. then after He was drafted 41st overall by the Denver Nuggets in 2014. Stash Petrusev has been away for a season or two, let him grow and rise and who knows what talents you may have in the near future.
Other possible predictions in the second round: Johann Bejarin (Paris), Frenz Blijenberg (Antwerp), Santi Aldama (Loyola), Nemeas Quetta (Utah)
