Masai Spotted Scouting In Belgrade

[Spates]

Which player is currently projected to go 14th? That's who we're picking guaranteed

https://www.nbadraft.net/nba-mock-drafts/

Not afraid to have Maluach at #21.

#14 is JT Toppin
#18 Rasheer Fleming
#19 Walter Clayton

Disregard. They have CMB at 33

[Dalek]

Two reasons for scouting in Belgrade is for the Adriatic league teams which has two high level but very different prospects.

Bogoljub Markovic, the 6'11 PF who has been shooting at a high level all year. I see him projecting a bit like Tristan Vucevic or Filip Petrusev, but I think he might defend a bit better. He is probably my favorite stretch big in this class. Putting 14 points on Partizan is special.

Watch on YouTube

On the other end of the spectrum is defensive specialist and rim runner Joan Beringer, the 6'11 C (although height estimates can be as low as 6'9). Lower minutes and counting stats, but he is a game changer on defense with a high blk% and he is surreally fast running up and down the court with great hands. He has reportedly a lot of NBA fans and I think if you can project Maluach, Beringer could be in the same conversation.

Watch on YouTube

[Dalek]

For those who like a closer look Beringer and Markovic faced off around the time Masai was visiting. Full game where Markovic and 14 and Beringer 6 and 9 and a few blocks.

Watch on YouTube

[Kevin Willis]

For those who like a closer look Beringer and Markovic faced off around the time Masai was visiting. Full game where Markovic and 14 and Beringer 6 and 9 and a few blocks.

Watch on YouTube

Thanks Dalek - I don't see any late high risers in Europe this year. Do you?

[Dalek]

For those who like a closer look Beringer and Markovic faced off around the time Masai was visiting. Full game where Markovic and 14 and Beringer 6 and 9 and a few blocks.

Watch on YouTube

Thanks Dalek - I don't see any late high risers in Europe this year. Do you?

I think Noa Essengue is the most likely to be a high riser in the draft. When I look at his stats versus Zach Risachere and potential at the next level he has to be in consideration for high lotto in the 7-12 range. He is tall, mobile and has moments where his outside shot looks good. To me he is zero creation skill, but he can shoot it a bit and can finish at the rim.

Beringer and Markovic are potentially in the first round but typically these types are draft and stash.

Noah Penda is probably my favorite European who can play NBA minutes now. I would not be surprised if someone like the Knicks liked him. His defense is great and he can have hot stretches shooting. He looks like a quality role player.

Sergio De Larrea is a guy that is hard to gage. He was out for about 8 weeks with a shoulder issue and he is just playing again, but he is pretty productive as a bigger PG who has shot it better than Saraf or even Demin. He might sneak into the first, but likely he is a second rounder.

[Tripod]

For those who like a closer look Beringer and Markovic faced off around the time Masai was visiting. Full game where Markovic and 14 and Beringer 6 and 9 and a few blocks.

Watch on YouTube

Thanks Dalek - I don't see any late high risers in Europe this year. Do you?

I think Noa Essengue is the most likely to be a high riser in the draft. When I look at his stats versus Zach Risachere and potential at the next level he has to be in consideration for high lotto in the 7-12 range. He is tall, mobile and has moments where his outside shot looks good. To me he is zero creation skill, but he can shoot it a bit and can finish at the rim.

Beringer and Markovic are potentially in the first round but typically these types are draft and stash.

Noah Penda is probably my favorite European who can play NBA minutes now. I would not be surprised if someone like the Knicks liked him. His defense is great and he can have hot stretches shooting. He looks like a quality role player.

Sergio De Larrea is a guy that is hard to gage. He was out for about 8 weeks with a shoulder issue and he is just playing again, but he is pretty productive as a bigger PG who has shot it better than Saraf or even Demin. He might sneak into the first, but likely he is a second rounder.

With our rooks this year that emerged, maybe the draft n stash is a plan for Port 2nd we have. Less of a need for them for depth purposes but it adds to it in the future to possibly replace someone.

[KP730]

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[Thaddy]

For those who like a closer look Beringer and Markovic faced off around the time Masai was visiting. Full game where Markovic and 14 and Beringer 6 and 9 and a few blocks.

Watch on YouTube

Thanks Dalek - I don't see any late high risers in Europe this year. Do you?

I think Noa Essengue is the most likely to be a high riser in the draft. When I look at his stats versus Zach Risachere and potential at the next level he has to be in consideration for high lotto in the 7-12 range. He is tall, mobile and has moments where his outside shot looks good. To me he is zero creation skill, but he can shoot it a bit and can finish at the rim.

Beringer and Markovic are potentially in the first round but typically these types are draft and stash.

Noah Penda is probably my favorite European who can play NBA minutes now. I would not be surprised if someone like the Knicks liked him. His defense is great and he can have hot stretches shooting. He looks like a quality role player.

Sergio De Larrea is a guy that is hard to gage. He was out for about 8 weeks with a shoulder issue and he is just playing again, but he is pretty productive as a bigger PG who has shot it better than Saraf or even Demin. He might sneak into the first, but likely he is a second rounder.

Sergio De Larrea could be a steal. I don't see why Kasp is rated so high and he isn't...

What do you think about Hugo? He didn't get a lot of run and it makes him kind of a mystery box.

[Dalek]

Thanks Dalek - I don't see any late high risers in Europe this year. Do you?

I think Noa Essengue is the most likely to be a high riser in the draft. When I look at his stats versus Zach Risachere and potential at the next level he has to be in consideration for high lotto in the 7-12 range. He is tall, mobile and has moments where his outside shot looks good. To me he is zero creation skill, but he can shoot it a bit and can finish at the rim.

Beringer and Markovic are potentially in the first round but typically these types are draft and stash.

Noah Penda is probably my favorite European who can play NBA minutes now. I would not be surprised if someone like the Knicks liked him. His defense is great and he can have hot stretches shooting. He looks like a quality role player.

Sergio De Larrea is a guy that is hard to gage. He was out for about 8 weeks with a shoulder issue and he is just playing again, but he is pretty productive as a bigger PG who has shot it better than Saraf or even Demin. He might sneak into the first, but likely he is a second rounder.

Sergio De Larrea could be a steal. I don't see why Kasp is rated so high and he isn't...

What do you think about Hugo? He didn't get a lot of run and it makes him kind of a mystery box.

I want to get excited about Hugo because Spain hasn't had a high level prospect in a while, mostly just good role players like Santi Aldama. The issue with Hugo is he has been a bit stagnant shooting it. I love him on drives and he is a high level athlete who can make defensive plays, but how long before he develops a shot? I see a good outcome for him as being like Ochai Agbaji which might be a best case scenario, although he might still be growing. Spain's best wings like Navarro or Rudy Fernandez always could shoot it, and Hugo hasn't been close to their levels of shot creation. He'd be a huge risk in the lottery, but at 39 I would buy in for sure.

[Raps in 4]

Now we know why Masai was in Belgrade. He wasn't there to scout some Euro scrubs. He was meeting with the Jokic brothers on their horse farm to negotiate the trade for Nikola in the off-season.

[6ixpessant]

I think Noa Essengue is the most likely to be a high riser in the draft. When I look at his stats versus Zach Risachere and potential at the next level he has to be in consideration for high lotto in the 7-12 range. He is tall, mobile and has moments where his outside shot looks good. To me he is zero creation skill, but he can shoot it a bit and can finish at the rim.

Beringer and Markovic are potentially in the first round but typically these types are draft and stash.

Noah Penda is probably my favorite European who can play NBA minutes now. I would not be surprised if someone like the Knicks liked him. His defense is great and he can have hot stretches shooting. He looks like a quality role player.

Sergio De Larrea is a guy that is hard to gage. He was out for about 8 weeks with a shoulder issue and he is just playing again, but he is pretty productive as a bigger PG who has shot it better than Saraf or even Demin. He might sneak into the first, but likely he is a second rounder.

Sergio De Larrea could be a steal. I don't see why Kasp is rated so high and he isn't...

What do you think about Hugo? He didn't get a lot of run and it makes him kind of a mystery box.

I want to get excited about Hugo because Spain hasn't had a high level prospect in a while, mostly just good role players like Santi Aldama. The issue with Hugo is he has been a bit stagnant shooting it. I love him on drives and he is a high level athlete who can make defensive plays, but how long before he develops a shot? I see a good outcome for him as being like Ochai Agbaji which might be a best case scenario, although he might still be growing. Spain's best wings like Navarro or Rudy Fernandez always could shoot it, and Hugo hasn't been close to their levels of shot creation. He'd be a huge risk in the lottery, but at 39 I would buy in for sure.

I wish he played more, I have season tickets to Real. I live a 10 minute walk from the training grounds for soccer and basketball, and my son plays there sometimes. He's practiced with Hugo a couple of times and he's apparently a super kid with smarts to burn.

I don't understand the development choice made by the powers that be or Hugo's people. He really should be playing 30 minutes a night. Developing a shot does require actually having the opportunity to do so. I think he should have left Spain to play pro somewhere else.

Spain Basketball is pretty controlling though and he could have been contractually stuck in Spain by the national body or Real themselves.

[Dennis 37]

I'm not saying it's 100% impossible that the Raptors draft an international prospect with the FRP, but just keep in mind everyone, that Masai hasn't drafted outside of the NCAA with a FRP since the Bruno mistake in 2014. We're talking about a sample size since then, of 7 actual FRPs, and 2 very early SRPs (pick 31 Mogbo and pick 33 Koloko), all being NCAA prospects.

The likelihood of that just being random is very low. NCAA production is by far the easiest to project forward to the the next level, and the Raptors being a front office that incorporates analytics heavily into their draft process, definitely know this too. The risk factor of whiffing on the pick is far lower when selecting prospects from the NCAA.

In saying this though, if Giannis was hypothetically a 2025 draft prospect instead of 2013, Masai would take him 1st overall. So that's why I'm saying it's not 100% impossible. But if it happens that probably means whoever the pick is, the Raptors are extremely high on their potential. Even Bruno, who ended up being a big miss, Masai was very high on his potential, and decided to gamble with that pick.

Bruno was not a mistake. Bruno got us the Raptors 905. That has value.

[Dalek]

Sergio De Larrea could be a steal. I don't see why Kasp is rated so high and he isn't...

What do you think about Hugo? He didn't get a lot of run and it makes him kind of a mystery box.

I want to get excited about Hugo because Spain hasn't had a high level prospect in a while, mostly just good role players like Santi Aldama. The issue with Hugo is he has been a bit stagnant shooting it. I love him on drives and he is a high level athlete who can make defensive plays, but how long before he develops a shot? I see a good outcome for him as being like Ochai Agbaji which might be a best case scenario, although he might still be growing. Spain's best wings like Navarro or Rudy Fernandez always could shoot it, and Hugo hasn't been close to their levels of shot creation. He'd be a huge risk in the lottery, but at 39 I would buy in for sure.

I wish he played more, I have season tickets to Real. I live a 10 minute walk from the training grounds for soccer and basketball, and my son plays there sometimes. He's practiced with Hugo a couple of times and he's apparently a super kid with smarts to burn.

I don't understand the development choice made by the powers that be or Hugo's people. He really should be playing 30 minutes a night. Developing a shot does require actually having the opportunity to do so. I think he should have left Spain to play pro somewhere else.

Spain Basketball is pretty controlling though and he could have been contractually stuck in Spain by the national body or Real themselves.

That would be amazing to go see live games, Real Madrid is always a high level team although I think this year they haven't been as good as expected.

While I can see what you mean about getting playing time, but the Real Madrid system is good at developing well-rounded players. I remember Tristan Vucevic being a young player there and while he got only limited minutes with the big club he was well-developed coming into the NBA. He can really read the floor and make plays - sadly he just plays on a terrible team. Usman Garuba learned how to pass and become an elite defender. It didn't quite translate to the NBA, but Madrid prepped him for pro ball.

Egor Demin took the interesting approach and left Real Madrid for BYU and I am sure it gave him more exposure but also it exposed some flaws in his game, but no doubt he reads the floor on a different level. I do think that with NIL deals and exposure opportunity, more Europeans will come to US college ball.

[Dalek]

I'm not saying it's 100% impossible that the Raptors draft an international prospect with the FRP, but just keep in mind everyone, that Masai hasn't drafted outside of the NCAA with a FRP since the Bruno mistake in 2014. We're talking about a sample size since then, of 7 actual FRPs, and 2 very early SRPs (pick 31 Mogbo and pick 33 Koloko), all being NCAA prospects.

The likelihood of that just being random is very low. NCAA production is by far the easiest to project forward to the the next level, and the Raptors being a front office that incorporates analytics heavily into their draft process, definitely know this too. The risk factor of whiffing on the pick is far lower when selecting prospects from the NCAA.

In saying this though, if Giannis was hypothetically a 2025 draft prospect instead of 2013, Masai would take him 1st overall. So that's why I'm saying it's not 100% impossible. But if it happens that probably means whoever the pick is, the Raptors are extremely high on their potential. Even Bruno, who ended up being a big miss, Masai was very high on his potential, and decided to gamble with that pick.

Toronto puts a lot of equity into thinking differently. Yes, analytics plays a part, but they are invested in Africa and Europe on the developmental level with different camps they organize and support.

Also, they have Darko who grew up with European coaching approaches, and they have Ivo Simovic another European whose primary role was to recruit European stars to UCLA. I think this is the first true year of full-on Darko ball and we see the outline of what will work: players with defensive activity, unselfish and can read the floor, and hopefully can shoot it although they believe they can teach players to shoot like Mogbo and Shead.

I think at some point we have to tap into Europe, especially French or Serbian players as there are so many skilled players that could translate to the NBA. I think we probably would have drafted Bilal Coulibaly but I think people were a bit surpised he went that high. But that athletic, long-armed defender type has to be a fit here. It's why I think productive guys like Essengue and Beringer will be on our radar.

Markovic fits with our playmaking big man. I see how Darko likes his inverted pick and rolls and having a skilled big seems to keep popping up in guys we test out including Olynyk, Jontay Porter and Colin Castleton.

[ontnut]

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I like the thicc legs but doesn't he look a bit slow out there (compared to NBA speed)?