Lots of draft/Euro stuff from Insider

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

If you're interested in some of the lesser known European players (not
Milicic, Varaejo, etc.), Insider did a pretty good job breaking them down
today. Some interesting stuff for draft nerds (I'm one). Of course, it goes
without saying that I want Chris Wallace nowhere near any of the draft
picks.

Mark


In 2002, NBA teams drafted a record 14 international players (including a
record three lottery picks, and six overall first-rounders), changing
forever the way that we look at the NBA draft. 

Forget about the international invasion talk. The invasion is over.
International players are rolling into the NBA the same way America rolled
into Baghdad -- with only token resistance and to the cheers of the masses. 

The shadow government is running the show. 

Now that the brambles have been swept clear by pioneers like Vlade Divac,
Toni Kukoc, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and even rookies like Yao Ming and Nene
Hilario -- the floodgates are figuratively open. 


Darko Milicic is Europe's version of LeBron James 
By now you know that Yugoslavian big man Darko Milicic is the consensus No.
2 pick in the draft. France's Mickael Pietrus, Boris Diaw and Brazil's
Anderson Varejao are also considered potential lottery picks. 

After LeBron, Darko, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and T.J. Ford, the rest of
the field is wide open at this point. Increasingly, NBA scouts are claiming
that the void will likely be filled by a strong group of young international
players. 

Currently, Insider is projecting that a whopping 12 international players
will be drafted in the first round this year. As many as 20 international
players could be drafted overall. 

"This may be the best class of international players ever," one scout told
Insider. "NBA scouting overseas is better than it's ever been. We're
identifying kids younger and getting out to more places. I think the general
consensus from the start of the year was that this was going to be a pretty
weak collegiate draft. So what teams have been doing all year is going out
and finding kids who are truly worthy of lottery picks. I think there's a
lot to choose from." 

It isn't as easy as it looks. NBA teams are finding it harder than ever to
get a good handle on the talent of overseas. Teams are pouring in more
resources. But it's a little like drinking from a fire hydrant. The more
international kids see young guys like Nikoloz Tskitishvili (the
second-youngest player in the NBA this season) make the jump the more they
begin to believe that they can make it in the NBA too. 

The problem, as even the most enthusiastic international scouts will admit,
is that international scouting is following the same trend as American
scouting. "The kids we are looking at are getting younger and younger," one
assistant GM told Insider. "Even three years ago, you pretty much waited
until an European kid established himself over there before you seriously
looked at him. There were exceptions, like Andrei Kirilenko, but for the
most part teams were only comfortable drafting guys who had already become
stars on the international scene. Nowadays, we're trying to evaluate kids
like Nikoloz Tskitishvili. It's becoming a much riskier proposition."

That's what made Denver's selection of Tskitishvili fraught with danger.
Everyone could see his skills in workouts, but no one got a good look at him
in a game. This year, Milicic, who turns 18 just weeks before the draft,
will be the youngest player ever drafted in the lottery. Fortunately, he
starts for his team, giving teams plenty of game film to examine. 

But for a number of other blue chip international prospects, scouts must
increasingly rely on their gut and a little bit of faith. Without any real
game film to go on, teams must lean on international junior competitions,
grainy game film, practices (increasingly difficult to get into) and a lot
of second-hand accounts. 

Today Insider gives you an exclusive inside look at several young
international sleepers who could end up in the first round when the smoke
clears on draft night . . . 

Maciej Lampe, F, 7-0, 255, Real Madrid (Spain) 


Lampe could be this year's Nikoloz Tskitishvili 
Lampe, at the age of 18, is widely considered, after Darko, to be one of the
best three young prospects in the world along with Yugoslavia's Kosta
Perovic and Brazil's Tiago Splitter. 

Like Darko, Lampe turned pro at 15, becoming one of the youngest players
ever to sign for Real Madrid, widely regarded as one of the top teams in
Europe. At age 17, he became the youngest player ever on the Real Madrid's
first team. 

Lampe's combination of size, shooting touch, ball handling skills and an
advanced inside-outside games have drawn comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki. 

NBA scouts, however, don't want to go that far yet. "He's not quite the
athlete that Nowitzki is," one NBA executive told Insider, "But he's got a
great handle for a 7-footer. Put that together with his range on his jumper
and he's very intriguing." 

People who see him every day are even more impressed. 

"I have never seen such a quality player at his age," said Alberto Herreros,
widely regarded as one of the best Spanish players ever. 

Spanish coach Tonin Llorente went further, "I have not seen many players
with his conditions, to be honest. Maybe some older ones, but I have not
seen players at his age passing, running or jumping like Maciej. He
possesses everything that makes up a great player." 

Lampe, like most 18-year-old players, isn't perfect. He can play three
positions, but he's probably best at the four. His defense needs lots of
work and teams say he's just an average rebounder for someone his size. He
also needs to bulk up to handle the rigors of the NBA game. He's also
struggled to get playing time this season on a veteran-laden Euroleague
team, prompting his coach to send him back to the second team earlier this
year. 

"There just wasn't enough minutes for me," Lampe told Insider in a phone
interview. "I tried to be patient, but I keep wanting to get better. So I
think that the second team is better because I get to play every night." 

The move has paid off. Lampe recently dominated Splitter in a head-to-head
matchup, scoring 26 points to Splitter's 14.

Lampe, like most young international players, is mature for his age. He
speaks five different language fluently -- Polish, Swedish, English, Serbian
and Spanish. He's been traveling and practicing with players for the past
three years. He is wise beyond his years. 

"I don't want to go to the NBA too early," Lampe told Insider. "But I know
if I go now, I will get better faster. I need to learn how to play better
defense and I need to get stronger and quicker. But these things are
emphasized here as much. Maybe I'm impatient. But my goal is to be the best
and I think I get the best in the NBA." 

Lampe's agent, Keith Kreiter, plans on putting Lampe's name in the draft and
testing the waters. He's bringing Lampe to Chicago next month to begin
working out with Michael Jordan's personal trainer, Tim Grover. Grover has
worked wonders over the past few years with young draftees who've needed to
get stronger or more athletic. 

Lampe will also get the chance at Grover's gym to play with other top-level
college players preparing for the draft. Several NBA players, including
Jordan, Antoine Walker, Michael Finley, Jamal Crawford, Darius Miles and
Quentin Richardson, also frequent the gym. 

If Lampe gets feedback that he's a lottery pick (several NBA scouts claim he
could be this year's Skita), he's likely to keep his name in the draft. He
may be the perfect pick for a team like the Pistons or Bucks, who have full
rosters and could afford to leave him in Spain another year. Drafting Lampe
in the lottery and keeping him overseas would allow the team to avoid taking
a cap and luxury-tax hit on his salary this season. Most lottery teams can't
afford to do that -- they need the help now. But on veteran teams like
Detroit or Milwaukee, they can afford to be more patient. 

Lampe watches two to three NBA games a week in Spain. He can't wait to begin
testing his game against the best in the world. "I know I have much to
improve on. I can't wait for the opportunity." 

Leandrinho Barbosa, PG, 6-4, 183, Bauru Tilibra (Brazil) 


Brazil's Leandrinho Barbosa hopes to capitalize on Nene Hilario's success
this year. 
Widely considered to be the best player in Brazil, Barbosa, who just turned
21, may be the hottest international name in the draft right now. 

That's thanks in part to a videotape his agent, Michael Coyne, has been
sending to teams in the league. Coyne, who brought us Nene Hilario last
year, sent Insider a 30-minute tape of Barbosa doing his thing in Brazil. 

It's pretty amazing. He's very long and an explosive athlete. The thing that
has scouts buzzing is the speed at which Barbosa plays for someone his size.
He's constantly attacking the basket on offense, and aggressively harassing
his man on defense. With his long arms (6-foot-10 wingspan) he gets an
unusual amount of steals and blocks for a point guard.

Only a few teams have actually been to Brazil to see Barbosa play. He
averaged 29.6 ppg, 7.8 apg, 4.2 rpg, 2.6 spg and 0.8 bpg while shooting 57
percent from the field, 47 percent from beyond the arc and 85 percent from
the free-throw line. 

Several NBA scouts who have seen the tape feel that he could move his way
into the late lottery with strong workouts. 

"I think the big thing I saw from the tape was that he's a real point
guard," one NBA executive said. "Our international scouts had only seen him
once or twice and they thought he was more of a combo guard. But after
watching the highlights it's pretty clear that he's an above average
distributor.. He's got a knack for the game no question. He's also a
fantastic athlete. I imagine he'll really be hot, like Nene, once he begins
his workouts." 

While Barbosa also owns a strong outside shot, several scouts did raise
their eyebrows about his shooting form. Barbosa launches his shot from the
middle of the chest and has a long release. He's going to have trouble
getting it off in the NBA if he doesn't change his form. 

The good news for NBA teams is that Barbosa, unlike Nene, has no buyout
issues to speak of. He's already in Cleveland working out with a strength
trainer and will begin individual workouts in late May. 

Pavel Podkolzin, C, 7-4, 300, Metis Varese (Italy) 

Insider readers may remember Metis Varese's Pavel Podkolzin from our Yugo
Diaries back in December. Pavel was the Siberian giant who was discovered by
a Clippers international scout a few years ago. Before Insider wrote about
him in December, he had never been scouted by a NBA team. 

That's all changed. After the story on Podkolzin appeared in Insider in
December, representatives from 18 NBA teams have made the their way to
Varese to watch the 18-year-old giant play. 

While admitting that he is very raw, and only now beginning to get playing
time in Italy, most of the teams that have seen him play claim that he'd be
a late-lottery to mid-first-round pick if he puts his name in the draft this
year. Pavel has yet to hire an agent, but the word around the league is that
he will declare for the draft. 

Obviously, teams are enamored with his huge frame. But it's another
attribute that makes him something more than George Muresan. "He's a
legitimate athlete," one NBA executive said. "I'm not saying that he's Vince
Carter, but he's got above average athletic skills for his size. He runs the
floor well and he's pretty active. He's a big-time project, but at 18, he's
probably worth it." 

Zaur Pachulia, PF/C, 6-11, 250, Ulker (Turkey) 

Pachulia, a 19-year-old big man from the country of Georgia, actually
entered his name into the draft last season and worked out for a handful of
NBA teams. 

One of them, the Pacers, seriously considered taking him with the No. 14
pick. However, Pachulia's agent, Marc Fleisher, wanted a promise. The Pacers
couldn't give it and he withdrew his name from the draft. 

Zaur Pachulia, PF/C, 6-11, 250, Ulker (Turkey) 

Pachulia, a 19-year-old big man from the country of Georgia, actually
entered his name into the draft last season and worked out for a handful of
NBA teams. 

One of them, the Pacers, seriously considered taking him with the No. 14
pick. However, Pachulia's agent, Marc Fleisher, wanted a promise. The Pacers
couldn't give it and he withdrew his name from the draft. 

After a slow season in Turkey playing behind the Euroleague MVP, Joe Blair,
Pachulia finally got his chance two weeks ago when Blair went down with an
injury. He responded with 26 points on 10 of 13 two-point shooting and added
eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in a huge win over defending
Euroleague champ Panathinaikos. 

The game wasn't a fluke. He followed it up with a 13-point, 17-rebound
performance against Skipper Bologna. Pachulia is a true NBA center who is
comfortable playing with his back to the basket. He's very mobile for his
size and has a decent handle. He's also considered an above-average shot
blocker. While scouts say he needs to bulk up, his frame suggest that he'll
be able to withstand the rigors of the NBA once he gets on a weight program.


At just 19, his skills are far ahead of most American big men. 

"I love him," one scout told Insider. "He's very mature for his age. He's
got all the fundamentals that make European players so special. They're just
better trained. He's not going to come in and make a huge impact right away,
but a team in need of a center would be crazy to pass on him late in the mid
first round. He's got the potential to be very, very good." 

Malick Badiane, PF/C, 6-11, 225, TV Lagen (Germany) 

Badiane has been on NBA radar screens for a while. But questions about his
true size and age may have stunted his draft status a bit. 

Badiane, a native of Senegal, has long arms (7-foot-4 wing span) and a solid
NBA body. He already has the shot blocking and rebounding down, but scouts
say he's very raw (think Olumide Oyedeji) on the offensive end. 

But unlike Oyedeji, he's bigger, stronger, more athletic and has decent pro
instincts. 

As for the rumors that Badiane is closer to 22 than his listed 19, his
agent, Frank Catapano, laughed them off. 

"We have his birth certificate," Catapano told Insider. "He was born on
January 1st, 1984. Ask any of the African scouts who have been around him
and they'll tell you how old he really is." 

We did and they all seemed to concur that Badiane is 19. Badiane impressed
NBA scouts with a strong outing at the 2002 ABCD camp. Catapano told Insider
that he will put Badiane's name in the draft and expects him to go in the
first round. 

NBA scouts concurred that he'd likely be a late first-rounder if he
declared. "He's going to have a big time NBA body and his shot isn't that
bad. He just needs a lot of work and he's got to get tougher. But when
you're working with those raw materials, he's worth a shot."