Operation Draft-and-Stash: What it would look like if the Celtics drafted 8 international players.
As you all know, we'll have an impressive 8 picks in this years upcoming draft. Due to limitations with roster space, stashing players overseas is a viable option that Danny can make use of to own and develop a surplus of players. I don't profess to know a lot about international draft prospects, but I put a little time into looking at a few possibilities with our picks. I know Ainge doesn't have a great history of scouting and drafting international players, but after missing out on Giannis, and the surplus of picks we have, it's time he takes a step forward in considering overseas players. Here's a look at a handful of international players we could consider stashing.
Brooklyn Pick [Range 1-7; most likely: 5]
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Dragan Bender [Croatia]: With the most recent news that Bender plans on opting out of his contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv and head straight into the NBA, it’s looking like he may not be a stash candidate. But things could change, and if Danny believes in Bender, they could make an arrangement for him to play overseas for a couple years to develop, so long as Bender agrees.
Mocked #3 on Ford, #3 on DX, and #7 on nbadraft.net. Most casual fans might think he's a center, but really he's a long small forward. Lacks any verticality, but has quick feet. Can step out and guard quicker plays, but is weak and can’t stay with bigs. Average rim protector. Has potential with his length, but his jumping ability limits him. Improving shooting stroke, but not elite by any means. Average post player, prefers to play face up. Not a big time scorer for his team. Good character and basketball IQ. Great distributor and team player. Would be a nice versatile player for Danny, but doesn’t really scream all-star. Highlights.
2.Mavericks Pick [Range 12-20; most likely: 16]
- Timothy Luwawu [France]: Ranked #20 on Fords Big Board, #20 on nbadraft.net, #12 on DX. 6’7” SF. Will be 21 this year. Improved a lot this past year as a shooter, but still fairly average. Big potential as an elite 3-and-D player. Long wingspan. Athletic. Quick feet. excellent defender. Gets steals. Can guard 1-3. Good distributor. Sees the floor well. Average ball handling. Struggles finishing. Fairly safe pick for Danny. Two way players translate very well to the NBA. Highlights.
or..
- Furkan Korkmaz [Turkey]: Ranked #13 for Ford, #18 on DX, #15 on nbadraft.net. 18 year old, 6’6” SG. Good kid and hard worker. Good bball IQ. Natural born scorer. Can handle, and create his own shot. Just watch him here. He can create space and get quality shots off. Explosive vertically, slightly slow laterally (maybe due to his defensive stance). Average defender, but has potential with his length and athleticism.
I haven’t really decided who I’d take between the two. Luwawu has a higher floor, but Korkmaz has a higher ceiling if he can become an elite scorer at the NBA level and learn to use his length and athleticism on the defensive end.
3.Celtics Pick [Range 21-24; Most likely: 24]
- Jonathan Jeanne [France]: #25 on DX, #27 on Ford. Raw, Raw, Raw, but LONG LONG LONG. 18 years old. 7’3” with a 7’7” wingspan. Excellent shot blocker. Fluid. Runs the floor well. Shows potential as a ball handler and shooter. Has been stepping out to 3-point range. Inconsistent, but promising. Very Skinny. Gets pushed around. Average rebounder at best. Poor hips and lower body. Highlights
Other Possibilities:
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Ante Zizic [Croatia]: #22 on Ford, #27 on DX, #34 on nbadraft.net. 19 YRS. 6’11” center. Average athlete and rim protector. Not overly skilled. Working on a jump shot. Not much of a passer. Black hole on offense, but good p&r player. High motor. Plays very hard and physical. Competes on every play. Elite rebounder.
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Ivica Zubac [Bosnia]: #29 on nbadraft.net, #26 on DX, #67 on Ford. 19 year old, 7’1” center. 265 lbs. Very productive player. Average defender and lacks fundamentals on D, but he’s long enough to be a capable rim protector. Great offensive rebounder, but underwhelming defensive rebounding. Great touch and footwork. Very good post moves. Good p&r player. Runs the floor well despite not having great athleticism. Injury prone, had a stress fracture in foot in 2014.
4.Sixers Pick [#31]
- Isaia Cordinier [France]: #30 on DX, #50 on nbadraft.net, #44 on Fords. 6’5” SG. 19 years old. Unselfish. Makes the extra pass. Explosive first step and athletic. Competes hard. Russ Westbrook type motor. Reminds me of Kent Bazemore. Average IQ. Undersized. Handle isn’t great, straight line drives. Unorthodox shot, but improved as a shooter. Made 33 out of 70 3PA this season (47%). Big time 3-and-D potential. Highlights.
Other Possibilities:
- Juan Hernangomez [Spain]: #31 on DX, #38 on nbadraft.net, #66 on Ford. 20 years old. 6’9” PF. Fluid. Runs the floor well. Plays face up, not much post game. Runs the floor well. Improved shooter. Turnover prone. Has the tools to be a good defender, but doesn’t have great instincts. Probably doesn’t project as much of a 2 way player.
5.Timberwolves Pick [#35]
- Zhou Qi [China]: #29 on DX, #44 on nbadraft.net, #63 on Ford. 20 Years old. 7’2” with a 7’7” wingspan. Very long. Elite shot blocker (averaging 3.2 BPG this season). Very mobile for his size. Good rebounder. Can shoot the ball. 9 for 15 on 3 pointers this season. Spreads the floor. Good passer. Scouts say he’s passive and not passionate, but this isn’t accurate. Very frail. Needs to put on a lot of weight. Gets pushed around. Chinese players tend to not translate well to NBA. English is poor. I think he’s worth the risk in the second round. 7 footers that can protect the rim and spread the floor are rare. Highlights.
Other Possibilities:
- Petr Cornelie [France]: #30 on DX, #47 on nbadraft.net, #75 on Ford. Turns 22 this year. 6’11” PF. Good athlete. Smooth and explosive. Good instincts. Good 3 point shooter. Poor FT shooter. Mostly gets his points face up or in transition. No post game. Rarely distributes. Still raw. Plays with energy but lacks fundamentals and decision making. Could develop into a stretch 4, but has a long way to go.
6.Memphis Pick [Range: 43-49; Most likely: #49]
- Paul Zipser [Germany]: #39 on DX. 22 year old 6’8” SF. Good length. Moves well without the ball. Good slasher. Great shot blocker for his position. Smart and effective defender. Good basketball IQ. Good FT shooter, but streaky shooter overall. Can’t create his own shot. High dribble, but can get to the rim with above average athleticism. Injury prone. Highlights.
7.Heat Pick [Projected pick #53]
- Guerschon Yabusele [France]: #78 on DX, but #22 on nbadraft.net. I think they may be on to something with this kid. 20 Year old, undersized, 6’7” PF with a good wingspan. 240 lbs. Powerful strength and built like an ox. Competes. Quick feet. Shooting shows promise. 19 of 43 from deep this season (44%). 76% FT. Good rebounder. His build and style of play is similar to Draymond Green (without the distributing ablity, but he shows potential in that front). A project for sure, but shows potential. Highlights.
8.Caveliers Pick [#58]
- Andrey Desyatnikov [Russia]: #55 on DX, #77 on Ford. Turns 22 this year. Long. 7’3”. Playing only 7 MPG, but averages over 3.5 blocks per 40. Unimpressive stats besides that. Streaky shooter. I know very little about this guy, but he’s long and he put Rudy Gobert on a poster.
Players mocked as going undrafted that will probably not enter the draft:
Rade Zagorac [Serbia]: #74 on DX. 6’8” SF. Shooting 28% from 3PT and 86% at the line to go along with 6 RBS, 2.3 ASTS, and 1.7 STLS per game in only 27 MPG.
Alpha Kaba [France]: #82 on Ford. 20 YRS. 6’10” PF with an impressive 7’5” wingspan. Athletic and long, but raw.
Aleksander Vezenkov [Cyprus]: #70 on DX. #94 on Ford. Not all that athletic, but has excellent scoring instincts.
Nik Slavica [Croatia]: #75 on nbadraft.net top 100. 6’8” SF. Good defender. Good in transition. Not a great scorer.
Nedim Buza [Bosnia]: #87 on DX. SF. Good size. for position. 21 this year. Inconsistent shooter but shows potential.
Danilo Fuzaro [Brazil]: #89 on nbadraft.net top 100. 6’4” combo guard. Good vision, explosive, and aggressive. Poor mans Manu Ginobli.
Egemen Guven [Turkey]: #96 nbdadraft.net top 100. 6’11” center. Good footwork. Good length. Mobile. Poor shooter. Tweener. Somewhat soft.
Marko Arapovic [Croatia]: #96 on Ford, #99 on DX. 6’9” PF. Good passer. Crafty. Good feel for the game. Lacks athleticism. Slow.
Moussa Diagne [Argentina]: #100 on DX. 6’10” center with a 9’3” standing reach. Good size and athleticism. Extremely raw.
TLDR: Draft and stash 8 international players. Result could be:
- Dragan Bender SF/PF: I don't agree with this pick, but ho-hum
- Furkan Korkmaz SG/SF: Our future go-to-scorer? Really difficult choice, but I have him over Luwawu at the moment.
- Jonathan Jeanne C: Rim protector anybody? Also with potential to spread the floor? Sign me up.
- Isaia Cordinier SG: elite 3-and-D potential. Would be a perfect fit for our team culture.
- Zhou Qi C: Rudy Gobert with a jump shot? Yes please.
- Paul Zipser SF: Smart, versatile player. Great defender. Would fit right in.
- Guerschon Yabusele PF: Why not take a flyer here? Very unique blend of strength and quickness.
- Andrey Desyatnikov C: He's 7'3". Draft 3 7'3" rim protectors, gotta hit on atleast one of them right?
8 players we could draft that won't conflict with our limited roster space. Could be valuable assets as trade pieces as well. This is purely hypothetic obviously, but just something to remember going into the draft as a possibility if we don't trade or consolidate our picks.
edit: word
Submitted April 07, 2016 at 04:45PM by endubs