Updates from our European basketball correspondent: Euroleague Preview
Fred Cervantez is a linguistics student at Cal State Long Beach who loves basketball and Pau Gasol. He’s also our European basketball correspondent. Every few months he’ll be giving us updates on the draft-and-stash prospects playing ball across the sea. You can follow him on Twitter dot com at @FMCervantez.
Over the summer, seven players have made the jump from Spain’s ACB to the NBA. Kristaps Porzingis, Mario Hezonja, Walter “Edy” Tavares, Tibor Pleiss, Marcelo Huertas, Raul Neto, and Salah Mejri. Players from other leagues around Europe, such as Nikola Jokić who spent last season in Serbia, have made the jump as well. While we must wait until rosters are finalized to give exact numbers, one thing is certain: NBA talent is increasingly coming from all corners of the globe.
In the 2013-14 season, the NBA broke a record by having 92 international players on opening day rosters. During the 2014-15 season, that record was broken once again with 101, more than doubling the total of 45 in 2000-01. This growth does not seem to be slowing down, with four international players taken in the top 10 of the 2015 draft, and up to eight in the top 20 of 2016 mock drafts. If you really want a glimpse at the future of the NBA, the NCAA is no longer the only tool you need.
Throughout the year, I will be giving periodic updates on the European season, with a main focus on draft-and-stash players that have a shot in the NBA, as well as future first round picks. But how does this all work? What is the difference between the Spanish league and Euroleague? What teams are worth watching? How can I even watch it?
League Structure
First and foremost, teams take part in their countries domestic league. Spain has the ACB, Germany the BBL, Lithuania the LKL, etc.
In addition to domestic leagues, there are pan-European competitions. The highest tier being Euroleague. This league is comprised of last year’s domestic league champions, as well as other top teams from around Europe. This runs parallel to the domestic leagues.
As an example, Brose Baskets Bamberg won the German championship last year. So during a typical week this year, they’ll play one game in the German league and one game in Euroleague.
How To Watch
How can you even watch this? For domestic leagues, it varies. Euroleague, however, has launched a new streaming service which also includes on-demand replays.
Who to Watch
Now that we know the structure and how to watch, who should we be watching?
Anadolu Efes of the Turkish BSL and Euroleague is a must-watch, playing three future NBA players.
One of the most intriguing draft-and-stash players in Europe is Dario Šarić from Croatia (Rights: Philadelphia 76ers). While not an amazing athlete, he shows a very high amount of skill and creativity on the court. He can grab a rebound, run the break, and finish with a no-look pass to a teammate. There are a few big questions to ask this season: can he continue to improve his three point shooting? And can he limit turnovers?
You’ll also see Cedi Osman (Rights: Cleveland Cavaliers) on the court for Anadolu Efes. Osman plays with a lot of energy, running the break and crashing the offensive glass. Ball handling and half-court offense in general will be key areas to watch this season. With that said, one thing will always be certain with Osman: He will have great hair.
Last but not least, is the 18-year-old Furkan Korkmaz (Eligible for the 2016 NBA Draft), a shooting guard with a combination of shooting, size, and athleticism. Not only does Furkan already have a year of Euroleague under his belt at such a young age, but he also has a great first name that will assist in many Twitter jokes over the next 14 years.
Bogdan Bogdanović (Rights: Phoenix Suns) will be playing for Fenerbahçe, also part of the BSL and Euroleague. Bogdanović will be surrounded by former NBA players Pero Antić, Jan Veselý, Luigi Datome, and Ekpe Udoh of Twitter book club fame. Plus there’s 2017 NBA lottery pick Ömer Yurtseven as well. Bogdanović is coming off a disappointing EuroBasket performance, which saw him shoot less than 40 percent from the field, and less than 30 percent from three.
Rivaling Furkan Korkmaz for my favorite name in Europe, Dragan Bender will suit up for Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israeli Basketball Premier League and Euroleague). Dragan Bender is currently the most intriguing prospect in Europe. Virtually a lock to be a top 10 pick in 2016, he could go as high as three. Bender has great fluidity, a nice shooting stroke, and a fantastic feel for the game. Did I forget to mention that he’s 7’1”?
Two other names may take a while longer to be read by Adam Silver, but Luka Dončić and Džanan Musa are two to keep in mind. Dončić is a Slovenian guard playing for Real Madrid of the Spanish ACB and Euroleague. Musa is a Bosnian playing for KK Cedevita of the ABA and Euroleague. Both of these players are going to get minutes in Euroleague at sixteen years old. Along with being depressing for anyone over 20 trying to figure out their life, it’s also incredibly impressive. They may not get too many minutes at the Euroleague level, but look out for them in their respective domestic leagues.
Some other interesting players and where they are:
Nikola Milutinov (Rights: San Antonio Spurs). Olympiacos of the Greek League and Euroleague.
Guillermo Hernangómez (Rights: New York Knicks). Real Madrid of the Spanish ACB and Euroleague.
Marcus Eriksson (Rights: Atlanta Hawks). Barcelona of the Spanish ACB and Euroleague.
Daniel Díez (Rights: Portland Trail Blazers). Unicaja of the Spanish ACB and Euroleague
Alessandro Gentile (Rights: Houston Rockets). EA7 Emporio Armani Milano of the Italian Serie A and Euroleague