RealGM

So I thought it would be a good time to start looking at players likely to be available to select in the 2013 draft for Brooklyn this year.

I'm looking at it from the point of view of us having a mid-late 1st round pick, with $3m to spend in the 2nd round for picks like we did with Taylor, Karaman & Toko. Who do you think would be a good 1st round pick? and also name a couple of fliers from the 2nd round that could work for us also.

My choices are only going to be from players I have seen play and as I haven't seen any US college ball my choices are all internationals. So please add as many US college players as possible, just would be interesting to start building up to the draft in case we have our pick still or even just the $3m to spend on 2nd round choices.

There are only two players I see being certs to be drafted from Europe in the 1st round unless they pull out of this draft.

1ST ROUND

SMALL FORWARD / POWER FORWARD

Dario Saric, 6'10, 225, 18 years old, SF/PF, Croatian

Plays a lot of point forward can play from 1-4 position. Great passer of the ball and has been earmarked for stardom from a young age in Europe. I really like Saric's game and think he could be a fantastic value pick in the mid to late round.

I think due to his size he will go two ways. He’ll either focus on building bulk and strength to become a full time power forward who can handle the ball very well and pass amazingly well for his size. Or works on his speed to become a small forward.

He game is definitely more suited to being a small forward because he has a great handle, vision and likes to get a hold of the ball a lot as a point forward.

A really intriguing prospect who has been talked about in Europe for years but which his size, age and ability he’s a sure fire 1st round pick who will be likely stashed a couple of years before he could potentially be a big big big player in Europe. He has said unless he is given a top 10 promise he won’t enter the 2013 draft but some execs believe that’s just a ploy.

Been playing full professional basketball since 16 I believe and a starter since 17. Now plays for Cibona in Croatia after signing a 4 year deal with them but has an NBA out in each season so he could join whoever drafts him straight away or at any stage.

Here’s some clips of him destroying the competition at the European u18 finals where hs led Croatia to victory with some impressive performances. His passing is outstanding for a player of his size.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNqpjnuUvqQ[/youtube]

Here’s an interview off Draft express:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_6oIZQ46jc&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]



CENTER

Rudy Gobert, 7'2, 230, 20 years old, C, French

Huge 7'9 wingspan and someone ive known about since start of last season. A friend of mine was trying to learn about running basketball camps for the Olympics & commonwealth games and therefore has visited the last few Euro camps.

He said he had heard a lot about a huge gangly french kids that people were excited about. He watched Gobert play for France u20's versus Russia u20's at the camp in which Gobert was brilliant. He finished with about 13points but basically completely locked down the paint with his length. On the offensive end he basically is a lob finished ala Jordan of the Clippers. Gobert is just an athletic freak of nature who needs to add a lot of weight but Ive watched him a bit and as limited as he is offensively, he's just such a physical specimen he is worth the look. My friend thought he was fantastic but he's someone that could be a huge steal or a big bust. I still would take him mid-late in the 1st if given a chance. I think he’ll go in the lottery on his sheer size and frame alone.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXSgw_epvDc&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

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2ND ROUND

POINT GUARDS

Leo Westermann, 6'7, 200, 20 years old, PG, French

Seen him a few times in Euro league and he looks good. Took a risk moving to Partizan from France but it’s made a difference because he looks a much improved player now. Looks good running pick and rolls and has a nice shoot. I doubt we draft a PG with Taylor still got a contract next season so potentially he could be a good stash. Has a nice game Westermann’s is a huge PG and could fit our system.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r97Nrdz38I&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]


Nemanja Nedovic, 6'4, 195, 21 years old, PG, Serbian

One of my favourite young players in Europe. Has NBA type athleticism which gives him a big advantage in Europe. Has been a poor shooter but is improving it slowly with a nice stroke so he’s obviously working on his game. Exciting player to watch play in Euroleague for Valanciunas’s old team and someone I really really really like.

Plays PG like Westbrook where he is basically all out attack and just love that he wants to dunk on absolutely everyone. A lot of room to go but he's man favourite guard international wise in the draft.

Could be one to keep an eye on.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLiCyhDpjzs&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]



Raul Neto, 6'1, 20 years old, PG, Brazilian

Plays in San Sebastian in the ACB in Spain, another very quick guard which gives him an advantage that he seems to be using. Developing well but is a very slender guard like Curry in the NBA almost in size. Haven’t seen enough of him to make a real call on him but didn’t really impress me any time I’ve seen him in the ACB


SMALL FORWARDS

Sergey Karasev, 6'7, 205, 19 years old, SF, Russian

Made the Russian Olympic roster in the summer and is the go to player for his Russian league team. Looks a great prospect with a fantastic stroke. His father was a basketball player which explains why he plays like an experienced pro. Athletic with good size, he attacks the basket well but his defense is really poor.

Could be a late 1st rounder but more likely a 2nd rounder but someone you know Brooklyn’s ownership know about being Russian and so young while playing on the national team already.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOEhmklaiQ4&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]


Oleksandr Lypovyy, 6'8, 195, 21 years old, SF, Ukrainian

Plays for Donetsk in his native Ukraine. First started reading and seeing him at Eurocamp where he played as a SG due to being around 6’5 at the time while playing quite a bit with Toko.

Athletic, good size, good handle and passing with a decent shot. Looks decent but no idea how good he is because I’ve never watching him play proper 5 vs 5 games. He’s had quite the growth spurt which has led to him changing position to SF now. Was MVP of 2012 Eurocamp ahead of Toko and Fournier of Denver. You can see him playing with Toko in this video:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQDE6H0AU-w[/youtube]

POWER FORWARDS / CENTER

Bojan Dubljevic, 6'10, 242, 21 years old, PF/C, Montenegrin

Plays for Valencia in Spain, reminds me of Sullinger below the basket big man but the one big difference is Dublijevic is a good 3 point shooter so has real range. Works in the post a lot and is a good player. He just looks slow and unathletic but I really like him. He plays in a very good Spanish team and is their main big man. Could be a Kevin Love type PF without the monster rebound numbers.

13.4ppg, 3.4rpg in 21.4mins shooting at 55.3% FG.

He’s a bull of a man who has good basketball iq and a game which either could work in the NBA like Pekovic type of PF with range or he would be exposed by his lack athleticism.

Jumped into the Valencia team after injuries to key men and has played really well. I read he is the 4th highest scoring in the ACB per minute while doing so on 55% FG so he is efficient.

Played with the Montenegro national team in the summer at Eurobasket (same tournament Teletovic and Toko played in) where he averaged 12 points (65% on 2pointers, 42% on 3 pointers) 6.5 rebounds in 21 minutes in 10 games.

Definitely one to watch in the 2nd round.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqj8bU8X7Uk[/youtube]

Here he is showing his range

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnBvCnnc4X8&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]


Augusto Lima, 6'10, 225, 21 years old, PF, Brazilian

Watched him a few times in the ACB where he starts. Interesting prospect who is good on the defensive end with quick feet and lateral movement but poor offensive moves. Good hands and strong as an ox.

Personally I don’t like him that much but maybe he could develop his game a bit but im not sure. Won MVP of Eurocamp in 2011.


CENTER

Lucas Nogueira, 7'0, 215, 20 years old, C, Brazilian

Watch him recently in a Estudiantes 20 point win over Barcelona, scored 10 points looked good but he is raw. Could very well be a steal in the 2nd round. He has the size but needs to add muscle to his frame but is someone I would target if he doesn’t go late in the 1st round. Would be a great stash.

Great length so he’s good at protecting the paint with big block shots included but hasn’t added bulk to his frame so can be pushed around in the paint. He would be a real development project that you would probably leave in Europe to develop.

Maybe if he was drafted he would come play summer league like Toko to see how he performs before we would make a decision but he’s one I would love to draft in the 2nd round. His biggest down side seems to be that he’s a bit of a prima donna and he would need that slapped out of him to really become a decent NBA player.

Here’s some highlights of a game he played in September but he looks likes he’s developing.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZdOECt9czg[/youtube]

Here’s the highlights from his teams 20 point win versus Barcelona where you can see his length causing Barcelona serious problems:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVwabQACozY[/youtube]

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So to add it all together there are some very interesting players available this year international wise and when the 2013 draft is seen as a generally poor draft, why not take a chance on a few more international stash players.

So the picks I would make would be:

mid-late 1st round pick: Dario Saric
high in 2nd round: Lucas Nogueira
Mid 2nd round: Bojan Dubljevic
Late 2nd round: Nemanja Nedovic

Bojan Dubljevic is the best player right now but not sure of his ceiling. Nogueira has all the tools to be a good center but it's pulling it all together. Nedovic is bulldog with great speed and hops who could develop into an interesting guard. Saric is the golden boy of Euro ball and seems to be destined to join the NBA at some stage sooner rather than later but it's hard to lock down what position exactly he is, you'd be drafting him on pure talent.

Please add whatever players you believe Brooklyn would be interested in the draft. I'd say your 1st round pick should be anywhere from 20th to 26th pick roughly for arguments sake with 3 2nd round choices, one high, middle and low 2nd rounder, cheers.

Good thread. I'll get some prospects up over the next few days. There are a few that would be good if they come out, but it doesn't look like they'll be coming out this season.

Jersey Generals wrote:Good thread. I'll get some prospects up over the next few days. There are a few that would be good if they come out, but it doesn't look like they'll be coming out this season.

I'd love to hear about the prospects you have in mind. Like I said I have no clue on college prospects so I want to hear all about different players even if they might not be in the 2013 draft in the end, as long as they are in college and could declare this year.

For instance Saric could be in the 2013 draft but I think he'll skip it because he says he won't declare unless he gets a top 10 promise which just shouldn't and won't happen.

Could be 2015 before we see him even because 2014 could be a top draft class which knocks him down the rankings, i don't know really lol.

Looking forward to you guys showing me some college talent we might be interested in drafting.

Great thread man, lot of work went into this. I'm embarrassed to say I know nothing about the NCAA's this year.

Wrong thread. Oops.

I really want us to draft Lucas Nogueira, he's starting to show a real presence in the paint.

He scored the put back bucket to beat Lagun Aro in the ACB last night. Here's a short highlights of the game, you can see Nogueira contesting a few shots, having a big block and the basket to win the game.

http://acbtv.acb.com/video/5643-lacb-20 ... mo_segundo

His nickname is Bebe, so Bebe for Brooklyn

man, what happened to tony mitchell. 6'8, chiseled, freak athlete in every respect, huge wingspan, solid skill set, and yet he's having an awful year vs **** competition. anyone have a strong opinion on him? i mean i wanna say we might be able to take a chance on a big time talent slipping, but in the end i guess were talking about a player who went to north texas in the most watered down college bball landscape since forever... and he isn't even dominating his conference.

N Ireland Nets wrote:

Jersey Generals wrote:Good thread. I'll get some prospects up over the next few days. There are a few that would be good if they come out, but it doesn't look like they'll be coming out this season.

I'd love to hear about the prospects you have in mind. Like I said I have no clue on college prospects so I want to hear all about different players even if they might not be in the 2013 draft in the end, as long as they are in college and could declare this year.

For instance Saric could be in the 2013 draft but I think he'll skip it because he says he won't declare unless he gets a top 10 promise which just shouldn't and won't happen.

Could be 2015 before we see him even because 2014 could be a top draft class which knocks him down the rankings, i don't know really lol.

Looking forward to you guys showing me some college talent we might be interested in drafting.

Saric i think will enter the draft as he wants to be in the NBA. Best description of Saric is a right handed Toni Kukoc. Biggest problem with Saric is his greedy father who is ruining his career. Kid has hardly played any basketball for the last 2 years. Saric has now seperated himself from his father and now is finally playing for Cibona. Problem is hardly playing in the last 2 years has hurt his development. Yes he has dominated these junior tournaments which is why he probably still will be a mid to late first round pick. Saric as you said is an excellent passer and has a good dribble but he needs to work on his jumper and his descision making as he turns the ball over alot. Kid has built up and gotten stronge but he is not that quick so he might be better off playing at a lighter weight and playing small forward as his passing dribble and court vision are his greatest stregnths.

Petrofor3 wrote:

N Ireland Nets wrote:

Jersey Generals wrote:Good thread. I'll get some prospects up over the next few days. There are a few that would be good if they come out, but it doesn't look like they'll be coming out this season.

I'd love to hear about the prospects you have in mind. Like I said I have no clue on college prospects so I want to hear all about different players even if they might not be in the 2013 draft in the end, as long as they are in college and could declare this year.

For instance Saric could be in the 2013 draft but I think he'll skip it because he says he won't declare unless he gets a top 10 promise which just shouldn't and won't happen.

Could be 2015 before we see him even because 2014 could be a top draft class which knocks him down the rankings, i don't know really lol.

Looking forward to you guys showing me some college talent we might be interested in drafting.

Saric i think will enter the draft as he wants to be in the NBA. Best description of Saric is a right handed Toni Kukoc. Biggest problem with Saric is his greedy father who is ruining his career. Kid has hardly played any basketball for the last 2 years. Saric has now seperated himself from his father and now is finally playing for Cibona. Problem is hardly playing in the last 2 years has hurt his development. Yes he has dominated these junior tournaments which is why he probably still will be a mid to late first round pick. Saric as you said is an excellent passer and has a good dribble but he needs to work on his jumper and his descision making as he turns the ball over alot. Kid has built up and gotten stronge but he is not that quick so he might be better off playing at a lighter weight and playing small forward as his passing dribble and court vision are his greatest stregnths.

Thanks really appreciate your input here. I watched some of the under age tournaments and wondered why he wasn't playing any top level pro ball at all so that clears that up.

If you were an NBA team where would you feel comfortable taking Saric in the 1st round?

deepblueday wrote:man, what happened to tony mitchell. 6'8, chiseled, freak athlete in every respect, huge wingspan, solid skill set, and yet he's having an awful year vs **** competition. anyone have a strong opinion on him? i mean i wanna say we might be able to take a chance on a big time talent slipping, but in the end i guess were talking about a player who went to north texas in the most watered down college bball landscape since forever... and he isn't even dominating his conference.

Like I said in the post, I don't get to watch any college games so I have no clue about this guy. What position does he play?

Do you rate him?

Would he be a potential 2nd round pick or is he 1st round talent?

I think we'll end up dealing our 1st rounder this year, or we take a Euro-stash.

Toko will need minutes next year, same with Mirza. Then you still have Bojan waiting his turn. Even Karaman is getting good reviews.

SpeedyG wrote:I think we'll end up dealing our 1st rounder this year, or we take a Euro-stash.

Toko will need minutes next year, same with Mirza. Then you still have Bojan waiting his turn. Even Karaman is getting good reviews.

The way I see it is we are after Millsap, so long as Houston don't make a move for him there is a chance we can pick him up. If not unless there is a specific college player the Nets think is a steal I'd look to get a player like Saric in the draft.

I believe Gobert will be gone in the lottery or id be all for him, purely because he is a freak 7footer that you could potentially develop. Someone OKC might look at with they Raptors pick they have got.

So if we have our picks and money for me it's just about building up our assets again, even if we take a college player that fills a need in the 1st and spend our money on euro stashes, its all about building assets to make a move in the future while praying a stash turns into something special.

I really want us to draft Bebe though, I think he could really turn into at leas a solid backup big man down the road.

N Ireland Nets wrote:Like I said in the post, I don't get to watch any college games so I have no clue about this guy. What position does he play?

Do you rate him?

Would he be a potential 2nd round pick or is he 1st round talent?

He's a sf. Limited offensive skills, but a beast of an athlete. Except...he's been benched throughout the year. And hasn't been playing very well.

Jersey Generals wrote:

N Ireland Nets wrote:Like I said in the post, I don't get to watch any college games so I have no clue about this guy. What position does he play?

Do you rate him?

Would he be a potential 2nd round pick or is he 1st round talent?

He's a sf. Limited offensive skills, but a beast of an athlete. Except...he's been benched throughout the year. And hasn't been playing very well.

Looking forward to seeing your post as who I need to keep an eye out for at the draft that is realistic for us to take.

It's hard for me to really judge if a euro is worthwhile to draft in regards I have no basis to compare to the college players in the USA if that makes sense. Due to people saying this draft is weak I thought we might look again to Europe for some picks but I have no clue.

I honestly wouldn't even look at wing prospects unless they are strictly to stash in Europe because Bojan is going to come in, who will hopefully take over the backup wing spot. As such, most of the college prospects I've kept an eye on and looked at and watched have been power forwards/mobile centers and some tweeners.

N Ireland Nets wrote:

deepblueday wrote:man, what happened to tony mitchell. 6'8, chiseled, freak athlete in every respect, huge wingspan, solid skill set, and yet he's having an awful year vs **** competition. anyone have a strong opinion on him? i mean i wanna say we might be able to take a chance on a big time talent slipping, but in the end i guess were talking about a player who went to north texas in the most watered down college bball landscape since forever... and he isn't even dominating his conference.

Like I said in the post, I don't get to watch any college games so I have no clue about this guy. What position does he play?

Do you rate him?

Would he be a potential 2nd round pick or is he 1st round talent?

dunno man, i just remember the guy was rated as a top fiver last year around draft time, and he sounded like exactly what we needed at the four. moves his feet effortlessly, great shotblocker, sprinter's speed, he posted monster rebounding and shotblocking numbers his freshman year, which generally seem to translate well, and his highlight reels were stunning. now nbadraft.net has him at 20.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6tNGmh3ieE

but now hes a sophomore, his team is bad, and he seems to have regressed across the board. should be a 20 10 player vs this level of comp, instead it looks like hes jacking threes, shooting worse, and rebounding less. i mean what would toko do to the sun belt. his skill level, body, athleticism, and length are very intriguing for a player that seems to be projected in the late first tho. could still thrive with solid nba coaching and a strict, defined role

Sophomore there is subjective, because he's 23 and will be 24 before playing a single NBA game. So don't think that he still has room to grow and become a better player...he's old.

he's 20.

I haven't clicked the link, are we talking Alabama's Tony Mitchell?

He's had some pretty bad off court issues. Not necessarily in the he's an awful person sense IIRC, but as in related to his team and the game of basketball.

No, I was talking about Alabama's Tony Mitchell, he was talking about North Texas Tony Mitchell. Hence the mistake on the ages. My bad.