NBA Draft is in the books so let’s get a quick analysis on the European crop drafted this year.
Evan Fournier: Only European drafted in the first round, #20 by the Denver Nuggets, that means a rookie contract with guaranteed money. The Nuggets could stash him for another year in Europe, which is maybe the best solution for all parties involved, because Fournier needs refining in some details in his arsenal before making the leap. From an athletic standpoint Fournier is average at best for NBA standards, so this is an area he needs to work on, also because the Nuggets play at the fastest pace among all NBA teams. If we take into account also the ridicolous depth assembled by the Nuggets, Fournier is surely best suited to play another year in Europe, possibly in a team which plays in the Euroleague.
Tomas Satoransky (#32, Washington Wizards): Various sources close to the Wizards have said that Satoransky will be stashed for another year in Europe. My guess is that this is a transition year for Washington, so they think this isn’t the best solution to develop another prospect in addition to those they already have. Satoransky has a good work ethic by all accounts, so another year of seasoning in Europe doesn’t seem a bad thing for him, maybe he could join another team since he isn’t a goof fit in his actual team, Sevilla, where they haven’t made progresses over the years as team. I think that Satoransky will be a good NBA player down the road if he will be able to mantain his actual focus to improve, because he is a good athlete and a good defender. His country-man Vesely is waiting in Washington, it’s a matter of time and he will rejoin with Tomas.
Kostas Papanikolau (#48, New York Knicks): it seems that Papanikolau will play with Oympiacos next season, but when he will go to the Big Apple, Knicks’s fans will be rewarded with a real good role-player, a good fit around Anthony, Stoudemire and company. Kostas is an all rounded player who has a good shot and is an adept slasher on offense, while in defense he could develop in a lock down type down the road thanks to his physical abilities.
Among the other players selected my guess is that Tornike Shengelia (#54, Brooklyn Nets) is the most NBA ready, thanks to his physical approach to the game coupled with a constant great effort. Izzet Turkyilmaz (#50, Denver Nuggets), Ognjen Kuzmic (#52, Golden state Warriors), Furkan Aldemir (#53, Los Angeles Clippers) and Tomislav Zubcic (#56, Toronto Raptors) have a long way to go before becoming legit NBA players.
