2018 NBA Draft: The Top 10 International Prospects3. Dzanan Musa (Bosnia and Herzegovina, SG/SF, 1999)
Draft range: Middle of the first to second round
Dzanan Musa has built a reputation as a bucket-getter during FIBA play, having averaged 25 points in 31 games since 2014. He just averaged 22.8 points during the EuroBasket pre-qualifiers and now figures to play big minutes for Cedevita in the Adriatic League.
Musa isn't a great athlete by NBA standards, but it's tough to ignore all the production from a 6'8" wing. He creates his own shot using pull-ups and floaters, and with seven threes through five games this season, he could be making strides as a long-range shooter.
His defensive outlook isn't too exciting, but for an 18-year-old, Musa's success putting the ball in the hole could be too enticing.
2. Rodions Kurucs (Latvia, SF, 1998)
Draft range: Middle of the first to early second round
Rodions Kurucs emerged as a potential first-round draft-and-stash option last year, but he chose to delay his declaration. He'll have a better chance to build a case for himself this season, assuming he sees time with Barcelona's senior team in the Spanish ACB and Euroleague.
Kurucs' physical tools and athleticism stand out for a wing. Though mostly a line-drive player, he's a strong slasher with a developing jumper out to the arc and shows flashes of perimeter defense and toughness inside.
Enough positive flashes against high-quality competition should help restore Kurucs' stock. Using a pick in the 20s to see if his ball skills and shooting continue improving will sound like a gamble worth taking.
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1. Luka Doncic (Slovenia, PG/SG, 1999)
Draft range: Top 5
The hype doesn't get much louder for an international prospect. But it's also deserved, given his unprecedented production and obvious impact as a teenager among pros.
From Euroleague to EuroBasket, where he recently helped Slovenia run the table, Doncic has been a constant, making winning plays and demonstrating the toughness and intensity coaches love.
He's the Lonzo Ball of this year's draft, with his intangibles and shooting more prominent than his athleticism and scoring. He'll use the 2017-18 season to strengthen his case to tankers like the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks—teams who could desperately use a winner like Doncic to build with in the backcourt.