36 BASKETBALL TIMES Canada’s Bennett leads a draft without borders Carl Berman International Game Since NetScouts but he’ll be more than that. Minnesota. Dieng can rebound and block shots and has Basketball has been Olynyk runs the floor hard, shown improvement out to 15 feet. While he is an older covering international has a consistent jumper to selection (23), he can be a rotation player quickly if he basketball, it has become 20 feet and can drive from continues to improve his offensive game and add strength. apparent to us that although the key. Big Frenchman Rudy Gobert, who’s 7-2, was taken the USA is the deepest Nogueira, of Brazil, at No. 27 by Denver and was subsequently traded to Utah. country for basketball first impressed us at the Gobert, boasting a 7-9 wingspan and a 9-7 standing reach, talent, other countries FIBA Americas tournament will at the very least be a rim protector. He can score around are starting to produce in 2010. He’s skinny and the basket and shows the capability of developing a decent individual talent that likely will not fill out step-out game. However, he’s not a jumper nor is he very compares favorably with much. However, he can athletic, so it will be interesting to see how he develops. the best that America has to block shots and has shown San Antonio picked up another international with the offer. That was never more improvement this past selection of Nike Hoop Summit MVP, 6-9 Livio Jean- apparent than in this year’s year with Estudiantes in Charles of France. Jean-Charles wasn’t on the board until NBA draft, when a record Spain. He’s very long (7-6 his 27-point, 13-rebound Hoop Summit effort. He’s long 12 international players wingspan) and runs the (7-2 wingspan), a solid defender and rebounder and scores were taken in the first round court well. He’ll be a center in transition and from the elbow. He’ll likely need another and another seven in the down the line for Dallas year overseas but will fit into the Spurs’ system. second round, for a total of but will likely continue to Phoenix selected the last first-round international, 19 international players out develop overseas the next Serbia’s 6-4 Nemanja Nedovic, and then traded his rights of the 60 draft selections. year or two. to Golden State. Nedovic is different than most Euros in No major scouting Milwaukee selected that he is very athletic with a 41-inch vertical leap. He can service or website rated the mystery man of the play both guard positions and looks like he’ll have the Canadian Anthony Bennett draft in 6-9 Greek Giannis opportunity to make the Warriors’ roster this season. Anthony Bennett was NetScouts’ and Cavs’ No. 1 guy. No. 1 except NetScouts Antetokounmpo, who Carl Berman is a Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. Cleveland picked the 6-foot-8, 245-pounder came into the mix so quickly that there were at least Basketball. Information on NetScouts Basketball and their with the draft’s top pick. We were worried that Bennett’s six different spellings of his last name out there. He has International Recruiting Service can be found at www. asthma and recent shoulder surgery might have moved shown the potential to play all positions except center netscoutsbasketball.com. him lower in the first round. Several major outlets had him but is very raw and has not played against dropping as low as No. 8, but it was not to be. Cleveland solid competition, playing in the Greek “B” was taken by Bennett’s physical profile and his ability to league this past season. He’ll likely develop play inside and out, similar to a recent ex-Cavalier who did into a point forward, but it will take several quite well there before taking off to Miami. While Bennett years to know if he will be a star or a bust. has a ways to go to get close to LeBron James’ ability, the Germany’s Dennis Schroeder Cavaliers probably saw someone with a similar physical impressed us greatly at the Nike Hoop profile and will work to get Bennett to gradually improve. Summit. The 6-2 point guard dominated his We also had Alex Len in our top five, and as high as No. highly ranked American opponents with his 2 until he suffered his foot injury. While the 7-1 Ukranian speed, quick first step and excellent handle is raw, he showed much more offensive capability than and maturity. An ex-skateboarder, he started Nerlens Noel. Len is very athletic for his size, and while he playing basketball late and the quickness of needs to get stronger, his upside is unlimited. He might not his improvement has been off the charts. produce much next season, but give him two or three years After the Hoop Summit, it was apparent and Phoenix can have a solid center for the next decade. that Schroeder would be a first-round pick, The next international player came in at No. 12. and he was shut down at the combine after Seven-foot Steven Adams from Pitt by way of New his agent received a first-round guarantee. Zealand. Adams didn’t have a great freshman season (7.2 Taken by Atlanta at No. 17, Schroeder will ppg, 6.3 rpg) and seemed mechanical on offense and was get significant minutes with the Hawks, fairly inconsistent. While we thought he’d be better off even with the re-signing of Jeff Teague. with another year in college, Adams declared and then Sergey Karasev of Russia, a 6-7 showed very well at the combine, displaying a nice touch southpaw, was next, picked by Cleveland from 15 to 18 feet. While there’s no denying Adams’ at No. 19. Karasev has the purest shot of upside, he’s likely two to three years away from making a anyone on the board. He has a quick release solid contribution. with NBA range and seems crafty enough Seven-foot Kelly Olynyk was next up at No. 13. to get his shot off. Our only question is his The second Canadian taken in the draft, he was selected athleticism, but someone with his shooting by Dallas and then traded to the Celtics for fellow ability will be valuable for the Cavaliers at international 7-footer Lucas Nogueira. Olynyk ran up the either the two or three position. draft board after being college basketball’s most efficient Gorgui Dieng, the 6-11 Louisville offensive player. With just a 6-10 wingspan, his future will center from Senegal who improved so be at power forward rather than center. He can be a stretch much over the last two years, was picked four, as he has the ability to hit the NBA 3-pointer in time, at No. 21 by Utah, with his rights traded to .