6. Gal Mekel, Point Guard, Dallas Mavericks (Israel)
Thank goodness this guy is no longer in the Israeli league. After losing five close games to Maccabi Haifa last season, all of which came down to the final two minutes of the game, and in all of which Mekel guided his team to the W, it is a relief to know that Mekel will be more than 6,000 miles away this season. A very strong lead guard with excellent leadership skills, Mekel has twice led Israeli league teams to upset powerhouse Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the championship, first with Galil in 2010, and more recently with Haifa this past season.
While Mekel will start his career playing mostly in garbage time, he fully understands that he is in a position to learn from Jose Calderon, someone who knows a thing or two about adjusting from Europe to the NBA, and he seems prepared to maximize his improvement in this situation. Signing a three-year deal with Dallas, there is little doubt in my mind that he will establish himself as a productive NBA player before he is due for another deal.
7. Nemanja Nedovic, Guard, Golden State Warriors (Serbia)
Nedovic climbed his way up the draft board, sneaking into the first round after being considered a likely second rounder. It seems the Warriors managed to find great value with the 30th pick, snagging a guard with great size, court vision and passing ability. The issue with Nedovic is that he is a poor outside shooter, and he will need to make a big improvement in this area to have a fruitful NBA career.
Emerging as a starter for the Serbian national team at Eurobasket due to the absence of Milos Teodosic, Nedovic proved he can play a vital role at a high level. With the departure of Jarrett Jack, Nedovic has a chance to earn a spot at the end of the guard rotation, for a Warriors team that should be a League Pass favorite this season.
8. Vitor Faverani, Center, Boston Celtics (Brazil)
One of the top centers in Europe’s top domestic league, the Spanish ACB league, this former Valencia stalwart should make a smooth transition playing under Brad Stevens. A monster on the defensive end, any coach will try to find a way to get this guy minutes, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he were to sneak into the starting lineup midway through the year. With the Celtics in the middle of a rebuilding project, these are the type of players you want to bring in to uplift the mood of the team, and keep everybody motivated through a season that can be painfully long if the losses begin to pile up. He may not be the next KG, but it looks like Danny Ainge may have found himself a nice steal here.
9. Miroslav Raduljica, Center, Milwaukee Bucks (Serbia)
A very long true 7-footer, Raduljica has the size that every team covets at the center position. After playing most recently with Azovmash in Ukraine, Raduljica should have no issues adjusting to the lifestyle of the NBA, as it is typically warmer here in the US, and certainly more convenient than traveling around eastern Europe in the winter.
On the court will be the real adjustment, as he will need to get his legs underneath him to adjust to the quicker pace of the NBA game. Right now, he is probably not ready to produce big time, but he should see minutes here and there as a backup to Larry Sanders because he has the size and feel of a classic five man. Raduljica probably won’t become a big shot in the league, but he can carve out a nice career for himself if he comes in with the right mentality.
10. Rudy Gobert, Center, Utah Jazz (France)
Gobert is a nice prospect thanks to his length and raw ability, but he is not prepared to contribute at the NBA level yet. Playing on a Jazz team that has committed to its young frontcourt of Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter in favor of Al Jefferson and Paul Milsap, Gobert may see some more minutes at the end of the season if the playoffs become out of reach.
If Gobert can improve his body, and find it within himself to become consistently more aggressive, he can be an excellent NBA center. For now, unless Gobert made a big improvement over the summer, he likely will see a lot of time in the D-League this season, in the hope that some more seasoning will help the Jazz get some return on their investment further down the road.
11. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Forward, Milwaukee Bucks (Greece)
A freakishly athletic forward, who hasn’t played a game of high level club basketball in his life, it is still to be determined if Antetokounmpo belongs in the NBA. He has all the raw tools athletically one could ask for from a top prospect, but basketball is about more than skills and athleticism. Things like awareness, competitiveness, understanding of the game, experience, and overall gamesmanship are integral factors to a player’s success.
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Can Antetokounmpo be a future 10-time All Star? Quite possibly, although seeing as the highest levels at which he has competed prior to the NBA were either with the U20 Greek National team, or in the second division in Greece, it should be a very tough adjustment. Maybe he will flourish, or maybe he is Yaroslav Korolev 2.0. Only time will tell.