Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder) y Jabari Smith Jr. (Houston Rockets) were the first three elections of a 2022 NBA Draft which had Spanish representation.
Spanish basketball was represented in the 2022 NBA Draft in the second round elections of Khalifa Diop (Gran Canaria), Matteo Spanish (Real Madrid) y Yannick Nzosa (Unicaja).
Khalifa Diop (Gran Canaria), selected by the Cavaliers with number 39 in the NBA Draft
Khalifa Dioppvot del Gran Canariawas selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round with number 39.
The Senegalese player, who is 20 years old and officially 2.15m tall, has averaged 7 points, 4.3 rebounds and a PIR of 8.1 in 16:40 minutes this season with Gran Canaria in the Endesa League.
Matteo Spagnolo (Real Madrid), selected by the Timberwolves with number 50 in the NBA Draft
Matteo Spanisha 19-year-old Italian point guard that Real Madrid loaned this season to Vanoli Cremona of the Lega Basket Serie A, was selected with the 50th pick in the Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The promising Spagnolo, who arrived at Real Madrid at the age of 15 from Stella Azzurra in Rome, has averaged 12.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and a PIR of 11.2 in an average of 27 minutes this season.
“I want to go to the NBA, but my future is at Real Madrid”recognized Spagnolo in May 2022.
Yannick Nzosa (Unicaja), selected by the Wizards with number 54 in the NBA Draft
Yannick Nzosa, an 18-year-old center forward who has a contract with Unicaja de Málaga until 2026, was selected by the Washington Wizards with number 54.
Nzosa, who came to be in the forecasts in very high numbers in the first round, has averaged 2.3 points, 2 rebounds and a PIR of 1.8 this season in an average of 11:07 minutes.
I think that the whole issue of the NBA has not been good for Nzosa
“He is a player who has a problem and is himself, according to his age. He has too high a self-demand, a very low tolerance for his error, and he is a player who, if he fails, gets stuck there. When he is able to improve it , improve and dare to do things, in the end it is the secret. I think that the whole issue of the NBA has not been good for him, ” explained Ibn Navarro to MARCA in a few days ago.
