#OnesToWatch

DOB: 05-02-2005 Nationality: Senegalese Position: Center Height: 6'10.5 with shoes Wingspan: 7'5.5 Weight: Unknown Team: Pallacanestro Reggiana Pro Comp: Clint Capela as a prospect / James Nnaji Draft range: Late second-round pick / 2025 NBA Draft Strengths: -High-activity player who makes himself available to be found in the paint -Outstanding physical tools that are used with intelligence -Elite PnR defender on blitz coverage -Great touch to score at the rim Weaknesses: -A very poor free-throw shooter -Difficult to project him developing any type of jumper to his skillset -Senseless fouls put him in foul trouble sometimes.  Question marks: -Can his interior game be that dominant at the next level? -Will he be able to defend bigger and more skilled players? The Adidas Next Generation Tournament should be considered the biggest showcase for underlooked international prospects to get into the radar of NBA scouts. Mouhamed Faye, who played for the Next Generation teams in 2023, c...

DOB: 02-11-2005 Nationality: Latvian Position: Shooting guard Height: 6'2 Wingspan: Unknown Weight: 190 lbs Team: VEF Riga Pro Comp: lite and smaller Bogdan Bogdanovic / Kyle Guy Draft range: Late second round pick / 2025 NBA Draft Strengths: -Advanced guard play and IQ at a very young age -Gifted three-point shooter -Willing defender, he shows great activity on that end of the floor -Great touch in floaters. Weaknesses: -Undersized to be a shooting guard, unexpected to develop as a lead guard. -Lowers his center of gravity most of the time, unabling himself to contest perimeter shots -Avoids to finish at the rim. Reluctant to expose himself to that situation Question marks: -Can his shooting talent outweigh his size? -Will his defensive IQ be enough to not be a negative defender? Latvian basketball has Kristaps Porzingis and Davis Bertans as the two most successful NBA careers and the country might have an excellent chance to add a third player to the mix in Roberts Blums, son of ...

DOB: 16-10-2002 Nationality: Dutch Position: Forward Height: 6'8 Wingspan: 7'2.5 Weight: Unknown Team: Joventut Badalona Pro Comp: Trey Murphy III in his early college years / Josh Minott Draft range: Late second round / Undrafted Strengths: -NBA-level athleticism and size -Covers a lot of space in defense -Improved shooting mechanics -Familiarity with his projected NBA role Weaknesses: -Lack of measurable impact and aggressivity in offense -Needs to build up his body -Inability to defend heavier players in the post Question marks: -Rebounding ability (has posted a solid 18% DREB in ACB so far) -Halfcourt offense impact Development level in Spanish basketball for NBA prospects has been a point of emphasis from a couple of scouts I speak to, and not especially for good reasons. ACB teams have the blessing of being in one of the most competitive basketball leagues in the world. The success Spanish teams have had in the past few years, makes teams financially incentivized to try t...

DOB: 02-10-2005 Nationality: Spanish Position: Wing Height: 6'5 Wingspan: Unknown Weight: 200 lbs Team: Valancia Basket / CB L'Horta Godella Pro Comp: Lite Alex Caruso / Ricky Council IV with less athleticism Draft range: Late second round / 2025 NBA Draft  Strengths: -Pushing the basketball in transition -Advanced perimeter defense skills -Powerful driver to the rim -High energy and senseless-mistakes-free player Weaknesses: -Inconsistent shooting mechanics (projected to be a plus shooter at younger ages) -Predictable game all around -Not a switchable defender into big forwards or centers Question marks: -Interest in pursuing an NBA career -Translatability of his game  One of the most frustrating things going into a scouting process for a player might be not understanding the path that some teams are laying out for players with a bright future. Valencia Basket has had a disappointing season from a results point of view, and the null minutes to two of the best players that the...