Mitnick: 2014 International Draft Prospects Below the Lottery

Who are this year’s international men of mystery whose names will be called at the 2014 NBA draft?

We already have looked at Dante Exum, who is a near lock for the top five, as well as Dario Saric and Jusuf Nurkic, a pair of bigs playing in Croatia who could be in the lottery.

However, this international class goes a bit deeper, with a few established players who can play right away, plus the usual draft-and-stash candidates who could come to the league after a few years of seasoning like are seeing in the conference finals with Serge Ibaka, Manu Ginobili, Tiago Splitter and Luis Scola all having been in that boat at some point.

Let’s take a look at 11 of the more intriguing players. 

Clint Capela, 6-10, PF-C, 1994, Élan Chalon (France)/Swiss

At first glance, Capela seems like a blue chip prospect, possessing incredible athleticism and raw finishing ability. His quick legs, strong frame and good hands make him a natural finisher around the rim; he shot 62.5 percent inside the arc in the French League and 71.8% in the Eurocup, mostly on dunks. He has great instincts as a rebounder and shot blocker and has stretches of games where he seems like he is all over the place.

The being said, Capela still has a ways to go before he can be an impact player in the NBA. Playing mostly as a center in France, Capela will need to bulk up significantly to be a full time pivot in the NBA. However, with his build at just 20 years old, he likely will fill out over the next year or two.

Nothing about his game currently suggests Capela could be a power forward, as he doesn’t really excel at anything other than finishing around the rim. While his instincts around the ball are good, he frequently has mental lapses, forgetting to rotate on switches, or ruining the spacing on offensive sets.

In 2013, this guy would have been a surefire lottery pick, as his upside suggests he could be a good NBA starter. But he likely needs one or two more years in Europe before he will be ready to make the jump. It is possible a team in the late lottery will give him a hard look due to his potential, but it’s more likely he will be in the 15-20 range.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, 6-6, SG, 1992, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)/Serbian

The 2014 Euroleague Rising Star award winner, Boganovic emerged as the go-to guy for the Euroleague Top 16 club Partizan Belgrade. With point guard Leo Westerman suffering a season-ending injury early on, Bogdanovic was forced to be the main ballhandler in halfcourt sets and rose to the challenge. Not to be confused with former Nets draft pick Bojan Bogdanovic, Bogdan showed that not only is he a great spot-up jump shooter, but also can make plays with the ball in his hands, using his size and court vision to see above the defense.

While he has a strong frame and good size, Bogdanovic is not and never will be an above-average athlete by NBA standards. That being said, he can fill a Marco Bellineli type role as a dangerous shooter capable of making plays with the ball in his hands.

With Partizan failing to qualify for the Euroleague next season after losing to Cedevit Zagreb in the semifinals of the Adriatic League, we will very likely see Bogdanovic head to the NBA. Partizan has openly expressed desire to shed salary and would likely jump at the opportunity to make a little cash on Bogdanovic (while avoiding paying him). Look for him to be a late first-round pick, where many of the playoff teams such as the Miami Heat will be looking for additional floor spacers.

Kristaps Porzingis, 7-0, PF, 1995, Cajasol Sevilla (Spain)/Latvian

A lanky 7-footer, Porzingis managed to crack the rotation of a playoff team in the Spanish ACB league before his 19th birthday. Playing 14.5 minutes per game this season – partially due to the injury to Latavious Williams – Porzingis has shown a lot of fluidity for a big. He doesn’t run as awkwardly as his lanky build would suggest, and taking 1.5 3-pointers (at a break-even 33.3 percent) as  an 18-year-old takes some  mojo.

Frankly, this kid is not strong or tough enough to play in the NBA at the moment. While Porzingis is most likely a stretch-4 prospect, he doesn’t show signs of any of the aggressiveness on the glass or in the paint on either side of the ball that should be expected from a big man prospect.

Porzingis is a classic example of what a crapshoot the draft can be. On one hand, he has a lot of potential and could turn out to be a huge steal. But currently he is just not an NBA player. A team looking to stash a player for three years may take a look at him at the end of the first round, but once the second round starts, anyone whose height starts with a 7 and age starts with a 1 is a lock to be drafted.

Walter Tavares, 7-3, C, 1992, Gran Canaria 2014 (Spain)/ Cape Verde/Spanish

One of the more intriguing prospects in the draft, Tavares is big guy, listed at 7-3 and 265 pounds. The big fella has only played organized basketball since he was 17, when he was brought from the Republic of Cabo Verde, a Western African Island.

With only four years of organized basketball under his belt, Tavares averaged 6.0 points, on 59 percent 2-point shooting with 6.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 20.4 minutes in the Spanish League. While not the fastest guy, he moves decently in the halfcourt and is not afraid to use his massive body to his advantage.

While it is impressive how effective he has been with such little experience, Tavares still doesn’t bring much offensively outside of finishing and setting screens, as his ballhandling, passing and decision-making are pretty far behind. He plays very hard, and word out of Spain is he has a very strong work ethic and a desire to improve.

In today’s NBA, where far fewer teams have a traditional center, it may be a bit risky to use a first-round pick on a player who is very far behind in overall ability. However, his work ethic and high ceiling could make a convincing case for a team to take him in the late first round. More likely, he will be one of the first names called in the second round.

Alessandro Gentile, 6-7, G-F, 1992, EA7 Armani Milano (Italy)/Italian

Probably the best player at the European level among international draft candidates, Gentile is the captain of a very strong Milan team that is one of the eight biggest clubs in Europe.

A lights-out shooter with great size for the wing, he plays with a maturity well beyond his age and has already established himself as both a top Euroleague player and a strong contributor for the Italian national team. He is a very creative and effective scorer and can find ways to get his points and contribute at any level.

Gentile has slipped in some minds after sitting out six weeks with a leg injury, causing him to miss the quarterfinal series against Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Milano’s struggles against Maccabi in his absence should have solidified his draft status as it showed just how valuable he is to a big club at such a young age.

Teams are wary about who Gentile can guard in the NBA, and they should be. He does not and never will possess the lateral quickness needed to excel defensively. But players with his shooting ability, leadership and overall winning attributes are not easy to find. He won’t be  a star in the NBA by any means, but in the second round he is a huge steal because he is ready to play rotation minutes immediately.

Damien Inglis, 6-8, F, 1995, Chorale de Roanne (France)/French

A strong forward, Ingles was one of the lone bright spots on a Roanne team facing relegation to the second division. At first glance, Inglis clearly has an NBA body with a 7-3 wingspan and has a very strong build for a forward. He struggled finding minutes for a team that was fighting for survival all season, but the bright spots were plentiful in the 15 minutes per game he scraped out. While his mechanics aren’t perfect, he shot an impressive 38.7 percent from downtown.

While most players his age would probably be better off sticking around Europe for a couple of years, Inglis has a game highly suited to the NBA and probably would benefit more by learning the game stateside with frequent trips to the D-League. He has the body, talent and aggressiveness of an NBA player. His initial goal should be learning how to make an impact in the NBA game.

Ojars Silins, 6-7, F, 1994, Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia (Italy)/Latvian

A shooting forward in the mold of Mirza Teletovic, Silins has come on strong for Eurochallenge winner Reggio, which currently has Montepaschi Siena sweating heading into Game 5 of their best-of-five quarterfinal in the Italian League. In a league where spacing has been increasingly valued, a player with Silins’ size who will shoot above 35 percent from the arc in the NBA certainly warrants a look in the draft.

Silins is too skinny to play in the NBA right now, but after becoming a contributor on a winning team, he certainly deserves a look. With Reggio set to play in the Eurocup next season after winning the Eurochallenge, he will certainly be a player on the rise the next year or two in Europe. This is a player to buy low on in the second round before his stock takes off as he proves himself at a higher level of European competition.

Vasilije Micic, 6-4, PG, 1994, Mega Vizura (Serbia)/Serbian

A true point guard, Micic was third in assists in the Adriatic League, averaging 5.8 per game. At only 20, he has four years of pro experience under his belt and excellent command of running an offense. His court vision, composure and decision-making help his teams play smart basketball. In an age where most guards are trying to be scorers, Micic is more of a traditional point. The NBA is an opportunity league, and Micic is the type of player who can flourish if paired with a scoring athletic guard like Monta Ellis.

Micic’s outside shot is inconsistent (27.8 percent threes), and without elite quickness or explosiveness, he will need to drastically improve his jumper to take his game to the next level. Although a super competitor, he lacks the lateral quickness to consistently stay in front of penetrating guards. His IQ and effort help mask his subpar defensive ability, but currently he would be a defensive liability in the NBA.

In such a strong draft, it will be a bit of a longshot for Micic to sneak into the first round. Look for him to be one of the first names called in Round 2.

Nikola Jokic, 6-10, C, 1995, Mega Vizura (Serbia)/Serbian

No lock to stay in the draft, Jokic has some upside to him. While not a 7-footer, he is long and understands how to position himself underneath the basket. He is a natural offensive rebounder, and for a 19-year-old he has good command of establishing position in the paint.

While Jokic could be a prime draft-and-stash candidate, he could prove to be a first-rounder if he withdrew his name and tried again in a year or two.

Artem Klimenko, 7-0, C, 1994, Avtodor Saratov (Russian D2)/Russian

Klimenko is one of the great unknowns of this draft. He plays in the Russian Superleague, which is essentially the second division in Russia since all the top teams play exclusively in the VTB League. He also never has played for any of the junior national teams. To be completely honest, he is the only player on this list I have never seen play.

I’m not a big fan of players entering the draft after playing in the second division, since teams are essentially guessing how good he can be without seeing him play at a very high level.

That being said, the Russian Superleague is one of the top minor leagues in Europe, and Klimenko has the size and agility that suggest he could be a player one day.

Maybe someone knows something I don’t and will take a flyer on him, but I think Klimenko is best off going to a bigger team and giving it another shot next year.

Rasmus Larsen, 7-0, C, 1994, Manresa (Spain)/Danish

After seeing heavy minutes in May, Lasmus failed to live up to the impressive 21 points and 13 rebounds he had against Joventut in October. He is very mobile for a 7-footer and shows the kind of versatility teams are looking for in a modern big man.

However, Larsen still is figuring out how to put it all together, shooting less than 50 percent inside the arc and under 30 percent outside it on the season. He has a chance to be drafted because of his size and mobility, but if he removes his name and puts together a better season in a year or two, he could be a potential first-rounder down the road.

(RELATED: Latest Mock Draft from Joe Kotoch)

AJ Mitnick is an American living in Israel and working as an assistant coach for Maccabi Rishon Lezion of the Israeli Basketball Super League. A graduate of IDC Herzliya, Mitnick is in his third season with Maccabi Rishon, where they have made the Israeli League Final Four, and have twice made the Final Four of the Israeli State Cup . Follow him on Twitter.