Re: Teenagers first two picks next year?

["hironaka@xxxxxxxxx"<hironaka@xxxxxxxxx>]

> ---------- Initial message -----------
> From    : owner-celtics@igtc.com
> To      : celtics@igtc.com
> Cc      : 
> Date    : Fri, 6 Dec 2002 07:32:39 -0800
> Subject : Teenagers first two picks next year?
> 
> NBA players likely to get younger
> BY RON THOMAS
> Of The Examiner Staff
> "They're 17 and one of them played on the Yugoslavian 
national team and there's a strong possibility that if he 
gets declared
> eligible, he may be the No. 2 pick behind LeBron James."
> 
>   James is a high school phenom in Ohio and the 
Yugoslavian prospect is Darko Milicic, a 7-foot, multi-
dimensional center-forward out of the
> Kevin Garnett mold.
> 


My initial assumption was that the Euro draft pool must 
have thinned out considerably after last year's run on 
World Championship roster players and Euro teens. 

But judging by Web scouting reports like the one pasted 
below, you get the impression that there is an unlimited 
supply of high intensity 6-11 kids that have played 
professionally in Europe since they were around 15, and 
have talent that Kevin Garnett or Nowitzki might envy. 
And these kids probably don't even smoke filterless 
cigarettes or dress like Rambo, circa 1980s.

That, and the relatively high number of college freshmen 
who didn't declare for the past NBA draft, suggest maybe 
there could be a future NBA player or two there with 
Boston's first round draft picks (both in the mid-20s at 
present). The prep class, even with LeBron James, is 
rated as below average by Lindy's.

At worst, the Boston and Philly picks may have some sort 
of trade value to a rebuilding team (it would help if 
Philly starts losing). We've already read that Leo Papile 
has been scouting Carmelo Anthony, whose prep coach 
believes has more longterm potential than Jerry 
Stackhouse. 

---

Anderson Varejco 6-10 230 PF F.C. Barcelona (Brazil) 
1982 - Plays with great enthusiasm. A high intensity 
player with great motivation. A good athlete with 
excellent size, agility. Improved dramatically in the 
past year and months even. His jump shot has really 
developed lately and has many very excited about his 
potential. Very creative offensive player, with soft 
touch. Solid shot blocker, rebounder.

Zarko Cabarkapa 6-11 230 SF/PF Buducnost (Yugoslavia) 
1981 -- A versatile Power Forward with sensational 
fundamentals. Has really gained confidence in the last 
year and developed into a strong offensive player. Has a 
wingspan of a 7'1" man. Has gained a bunch of experience 
that has resulted in maturity and given birth to 
leadership skills. Has tremendous ball-handling skills 
combined with quickness, great reflexes and court sense. 
Creates his own shots using his point-guard-like ball-
handling skills, has a nice, hard to block jump-shot with 
a quick release. Penetrates smoothly into the paint from 
both sides either finishing with a lay-up or finding the 
open man with an assist, even when faced with a double 
team. Great agility that causes problems against bigger 
bodies. He outruns his opponents. Very impressive in the 
open court, goes with great energy to the basket. 

Malick Badiane 6-11 220 PF/C TV Langen (Senegal) 1984 -- 
The next great player out of Senegal. More athletic than 
all those who have been pros from Senegal before. Has 
long arms, wide shoulders, a great body and terrific 
upside. Has soft touch around the perimeter and can hit 
the open 15ft jumper. Good shot blocker, and outstanding 
rebounder. He wont box out but will move his feet to 
wherever the ball is. Only problem The mind. Has to get 
tougher mentally in order to make it at the next level. 
He will never go to a US college as he signed with a club 
team in Germany last month. Very intriguing athlete who 
lacks polish but has considerable potential. Size, 
agility and instincts. A very good dunker and a great 
shot blocker. He is very tall with extremely long arms. 
In terms of upside, he has more than anyone on this list. 
It's a matter of raising his skill level to truly become 
a great player.

Carlos Delfino 6-7 201 SG/SF Fortitudo Bologna 
(Argentina) 1982 -- Good offensive talent but even better 
defensively. Argentinean playing in Italy. An explosive 
scorer who is really beginning to light up the 
competition with big scoring outbursts on a regular 
basis. Has good quickness and very good athleticism. 
Frequently compared to fellow Argentinean Emanual 
Ginobili although some feel he will be even better. Very 
good upside.

Edu Hernandez 7-0 235 C Real Madrid (Spain) 1983 -- 
Spanish center with a lot of potential. Still developing 
offensively but has soft touch around the basket and 
shows a great willingness to improve. Yep this Hernandez 
kid is for real, 740 and a huge wingspan. Should get a 
little stronger as is the case with most European 
centers, but he is a great shot blocker, a good 
rebounder, especially on the defensive end and has some 
post moves developed, most notably a hook shot. He is 
still very raw on the offense end but he is still young 
and has time. He is pretty athletic and has nice 
footwork, so he has all the elements to succeed. Compared 
to Loncar, Hernandez is more of a banger inside. 

Kresimir Loncar 6-11 245 PF/C Benneton Treviso (Croatia) 
1983 -- Excellent mobility and quickness for player his 
size. Equipped with a very good frame. Has a great 
shooting touch and is a high percentage shooter from the 
floor and FT line. Uses his quickness to go by opponents 
big men, has some nice developed post moves and hits the 
midrange jumper with regularity. He must improve his 
defense and strength, but has time to develop. At times 
he settles for outside shots instead of crashing the 
glass and fighting for points and rebounds. Intensity 
level and aggressiveness must improve.

Serhiy Lishchuk 6-11 PF (Ukraine) 1982 -- Tough forward 
with the ability to step out on the paint and hit 
jumpshots. A good rebounder. Probably doesn't have the 
athleticism for the small forward position. Has a good 
frame, but must develop more strength. Was a leading 
scorer at the U-20 Championships, and also played well at 
the Global Games in Houston, Texas.

Blagota Sekulic 6-10 PF Partizan (Yugoslavia) 1982 -- 
Grew 2 inches in the past year and has transformed from a 
SG into a PF. One of the purest talents of Yugoslavian 
basketball. Can play many positions (SG, SF, or PF if he 
gains weight). Great ballhandler for his size. Good 
fundamental skills. Already has good maturity in his game 
due to the professional experience of 3 years at the top 
level and his participation in the European Cadet's 
championships. He has very smooth moves and great 
wingspan. He is quick, has good leaping ability and 
timing. A good decision maker in games. He shoots in high 
percentages and his shots are very difficult block, he 
has good shot release. He has 3 point range but prefers 
to take the ball to the basket.

Vladimir Boisa 6-10 SF/PF Union Olimpija (Slovenia) 1981 -
- Has shown great confidence and improvement this year. 
This guy is like the energy bunny, the kids who sweep the 
floor when players go down hate him, cause he gives them 
work every minute. A true hustle guy and now his shot is 
failing from everywhere. What used to be a real weakness 
for him, his offensive game, is now really getting 
strong. He's hiting 2-4 threes a game and finds his way 
underneath the basket. 

Vassilis Spanoulis 6-4 PG Maroussi B.C. (Greece) 1982 -- 
An excellent athlete that shows rapid development in the 
last couple of years. He is speedy, tough and has very 
quick reflexes. He's got unlimited energy in his game. 
His leaping ability is impressive. His offensive game is 
aggressive. He likes to run in the open court and 
penetrate the paint. His crossover dribble is quick and 
brakes ankles. His passes are money in the bank; has 
quick decision making. He runs the offensive sets 
successfully and delivers the ball to the right person in 
the right time. He is an excellent defender in the full-
court press. He puts great pressure on the ball when 
defending. 

Valentin Pastal 6-9 SF/PF Efes Pilsen (Turkey) 1984 -- 
Very intriguing player. Has size, coordination, 
athleticism, basketball instincts, and shooting touch 
(must work on the shooting skills and range), leadership, 
not to mention a great attitude and coachability. He's 
raw and still a project, but wow, there is great 
potential and talent here! Has great quickness and 
athleticism. Has a bright future. Comparable in some ways 
to countryman Hedo Turkoglu. Same multifaceted game, with 
ball handling, passing, and shooting ability. Plays with 
great intensity and passion. 

Drago Pasalic 6-11 205 PF Plastik Split (Croatia) 1984 -- 
Has already gained 3 years of professional experience, 
showed a lot of promise playing for the Champions, 
Croatia in the European U18 Championship. He has a good 
frame, runs the court like a SF, shoots like a shooting 
guard from both in and out the perimeter and always 
fights with aggressiveness for the rebounds. If this guy 
shows development of his offensive inside game, he will 
be drafted in 3 years. The kid has game and guts. 

Mateo Kedzo 6-10 235 PF Plastik Split (Croatia) 1984 -- 
Big frame , runs gracefuly, good at fast breaks and 
positional basketball, technically sound, good footwork 
for such a young guy, but has room to improve ... 
Physically he hasn't matured yet. Very nice touch, can 
hit an ocasional 3, versatile, do everything type of 
player. Jump shot is dependable out to around 18-20 feet. 
Like with most European players defense is the area most 
in need of improvment.

Amaury Fillion 6-9 SF/PF Metros (Dominican Republic) 
1981 -- Left-hander deluxe, sports a big afro, great 
passer, great court vision, very versatile, has a bright 
future because of his intensity, desire, and versatility. 
Plays well facing the basket but can also play in the 
post. Extremely versatile, especially in zone defenses 
due to his ability to defend on or off the ball. Played 
high school basketball in California and dominated as an 
19 year old before returning home and was subsequently 
not allowed to return to the United States.

Zoran Planinic 6-6 195 PG/SG Cibona (Croatia) 1982 -- He 
can play both guard positions with ease. He handles ball 
very well and his passes always seem to be right on time. 
He is very quick and versatile and has a great all-around 
game. He needs to gain some strength as he seems skinny 
for European standards not to mention NBA. His best skill 
is his movement without the ball. He just doesn't give 
his guard a rest and constantly runs on backdoors and 
uses set screens perfectly. His movement without the ball 
reminds of Reggie Miller, but his body is too skinny. His 
shot isn't on the level of Miller, but is solid and so is 
his range. I think with hard work and dedication he is a 
diamond in the rough and this is his first season he will 
be getting extended minutes on one of top European clubs 
and deservedly so. This kids potential seems unlimited, 
but he's got to show talent isn't everything he's got. 

Misan Nikagbatse 6-4 PG/SG Olympiakos (Germany) 1982 -- 
Very gifted athlete. Can rise high above the rim for 
dazzling dunks. Also very gifted scorer. Has enormous 
potential. Strong with the ball in his hand. One on one 
he is nearly unstoppable with his ability to drive or 
shoot. Must get more playing time to really show what he 
is capable of. Strong defender, a great talent, he's very 
active. He can distrubite the ball , but hes a scorer 
first, he has great body no fear shooting range atlethic 
skills drive he has to polish his game. 

Diego Brezzo 6-9 PF (Argentina) 1984 -- Power forward 
with great strength and aggressiveness. Excellent shot 
bloker. Has great timing for rebounds. long arms. Good 
athleticism, can run the court, can really jump, is a 
worker with good strength. Offensively, all his work 
takes place around the rim, tip-ins, put-backs, hooks are 
his weapons. Needs to work on his body and his offensive 
skills. Must develop a better offensive game and more 
range. Hes experienced for his age and has played for 
the top team of Atenas, as a substitute since 1999. 

Uros Slokar 6-10 SF KD Slovan (Slovenia) 1983 -- He 
rebounds well, using his long hands to snatch boards, a 
good shot blocker, some nice post moves, very agile down 
there. He sinks 20 ft jumpers, can hit a occasional 3. 
He's a little skinny for PF but is as fearless as Gasol 
so you wont see him being pushed around a lot. Fought 
through a few injuries that kept him out for 2 years and 
appears to have fully recovered. 

Ivan Koljevic 6-1 PG Cetinje Lovcen (Yugoslavia) 1984 -- 
An incredible ball handler and an excellent three point 
shooter. Dribbles the ball very adeptly. Ambidexterous 
player, uses both hands incredibly well. Player of great 
instincts and talent. Breaks the defense down with 
excellent penetration, very creative with the dribble-
drive. Plays with great energy. Sometimes makes bad 
decisions. Because of his great ball handling skills, he 
has a tendency to over-handle the ball.

Christos Tapoutos 6-8 SF AEK Athens (Greece) 1982 -- Very 
athletic slasher with a nose for the goal. 6-8, with 
large wingspan which makes him play bigger. He's a left-
handed "three", very quick, pretty moves around the 
basket, finger-rolls, fadeaways, stuff like that. Not 
very strong, but has a feel for the game. Not strong on 
defense yet, although he blocks shots. Average rebounder. 
Lacks experience, of course. But leadership is nothing 
new to him, as he was the star of the Greek Under-18 
national team, which he led to the European Cadet 
Championships final. has nice passing skills. Has really 
struggled in senior competitions after being heralded as 
one of the best of his age group on the junior level. His 
jumpshot has disowned him and his confidence has really 
suffered.

Victor Khriapa 6-9 210 SF CSKA Moscow (Russia) 1982 -- 
He's the top Russian prospect since Kirilenko and often 
gets compared to his fellow countryman. His game is 
similar, but he's not another AK-47. He's neither as 
skilled nor as athletic. He does a lot of things well, 
but lacks superstar athleticism. Can pass well, plays 
aggressive, and has very good size and versatility. 
Nicely built athletic body. Good all around game. Lacks 
great range on his shot. Mostly slashing player with good 
inside moves. Has developed post skills. Versatility. 
Imaginitive offensive player. Lacks experience against 
quality competition.

Beno Udrih 6-4 185 PG/SG Maccabi Tel Aviv (Slovenia) 
1982 -- Speedy lefty with good ball handling ability and 
fundamentals. Shoots and drives well. He's a quick left-
hander who plays mostly the PG position but his game 
right now is better suited for the SG position, but his 
future is as a PG. He has a good offensive package, hits 
3 point shots with regularity, is a good penetrator and 
has a sweet pull up jumper. He is a good distributor of 
the ball in the open court but in set play his 
distribution needs work. Also he's not comfortable with 
the ball in a full court press. He had some huge games 
last year, but then there were occasions when he 
disappeared, so consistency is also something that he 
really has to work on. His defense is solid but nothing 
special, he should put some work into fighting through 
picks better and must be more aggressive on defense. He's 
still relatively young and already has a lot of 
experience in European pro ball. This year he's expected 
to be the main option on his club and if he shows 
improvement like every year till now, he will do just 
fine.

Roko-Leni Ukic 6-2 PG Split (Croatia) 1984 -- He's a 
quick player with great control of the ball, a good 
distributor, doesn't make a lot of mistakes. Plays very 
fundamental. Takes over games, as he did at Mannheim in 
the 2002 Junior Championships. A good rebounder for a PG, 
and never afraid to shoot when left alone, very good 
penatrator, if his shot is failing, watch out! He has a 
great future. Probably will look to play a few years at 
the top level in Europe before entering the NBA draft.

Boris Diaw 6-8 201 SF Pau Orthez (France) 1982 -- 
Probably the most athletic prospect from Europe right 
now, but lacks a killer instinct. Has a great feel for 
the game. Versatile player who can cover many positions. 
Shooting and aggressiveness are his weaknesses but 
otherwise he does it all. Really could care less about 
scoring, prefers to wow the crowd with his ball handling 
and passing. Very good defensive player, that's easily 
his best attribute. Has super athleticism but must 
develop intensity to fulfill his vast potential. Gets 
criticized for worrying about style over substance, but 
plays to win.

Mickael Pietrus 6-6 SG/SF Pau Orthez (France) 1982 -- 
Excellent athlete with good leaping ability, and can 
excel at both ends of the floor. His midrange game is 
getting better, if he improves his passing and 
ballhandling skills and adds a 3 point shot he will be 
great. A good slasher and decent shooter. Defends and 
rebounds very well.


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