2013 NBA Draft: A closer look at the international prospects

The Kings have been hit or miss with International prospects in the draft. Peja Stojakovic and Hedo Turkoglu were two of Geoff Petrie's greatest hits. Omri Casspi, not so much. This year, for the first time in a while, there's a bevy of international prospects, both in the first and second round that the Kings could target.

Below I've compiled a list of statistics and analysis for the top International prospects in the 2013 NBA Draft. Clicking a prospect's name will direct you to their Draft Express page for even more (probably certainly better) analysis.

1. Dennis Schröder, 6'2, 165 lbs, 19 yrs, PG, Germany

Projected: Early-to-Mid First Round

2012-13 Total Stats

Name	GP	MIN	PTS	2PFG	3PFG	FT	OREB	DREB	TREB	AST	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Dennis Schröder (SU Medien)	8	256	188	44-96	19-62	43-49	4	30	34	41	20	1	18	28
Dennis Schröder (NY Phantoms)	31	767	370	82-188	41-102	83-99	21	57	78	101	60	1	28	79
Total:	39	1023	558	126-284	60-164	126-148	25	87	112	142	80	2	46	107

2012-13 Per Game Stats

Name	GP	MPG	PPG	2PFG%	3PFG%	FT%	OREB	DREB	TREB	APG	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Dennis Schröder (SU Medien)	8	32.0	23.5	0.458	0.306	0.878	0.5	3.8	4.3	5.1	2.5	0.1	2.3	3.5
Dennis Schröder (NY Phantoms)	31	24.7	11.9	0.436	0.402	0.838	0.7	1.8	2.5	3.3	1.9	0.0	0.9	2.5
Total	39	26.2	14.3	0.444	0.366	0.851	0.6	2.2	2.9	3.6	2.1	0.1	1.2	2.7

Analysis:

Dennis Schröder is one of the most intriguing prospects, not just internationally, but in the whole draft. Schröder is a prototypical pass first Point Guard with very good athleticism to boot. While his assist numbers don't look overly impressive, keep in mind that assists are awarded far less often in Europe. For example Ricky Rubio only averaged 3.6 assists per game in his last season abroad. Now I'm not saying Schröder is as good of a passer as Rubio (he's not), but he's still quite good in that area, especially out of the Pick and Roll.

Schröder has also shown a lot of improvement on his outside shot as the year progressed. DraftExpress notes in their scouting report that as of April 23rd, he was shooting a ridiculous 53% of his catch and shoot jumpers. He does most of his offensive damage with his jumpers, as he struggles to finish around the rim, something that will need to improve considering how easily he can get to the rim with his quickness and ball-handling.

Along with his basketball skill, Schröder is blessed with excellent athleticism and a solid frame. At 6'2 he's not the tallest Point Guard, but he's got a 6'7 wingspan which helps with pressuring opposing guards.

Schröder is not without his weaknesses. He's a bit turnover prone, and as mentioned earlier struggles around the basket. He'll also need to bulk up a little bit to handle the rigors of the NBA.

2. Sergey Karasev, 6'7, 197 lbs, 19 yrs, SF, Russia

Projected: Mid First Round

2012-13 Total Stats

Name	GP	MIN	PTS	2PFG	3PFG	FT	OREB	DREB	TREB	AST	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Sergey Karasev (Eurocup)	11	349	177	32-78	25-51	38-46	6	27	33	26	32	4	5	15
Sergey Karasev (Russia)	14	466	258	54-110	27-76	69-82	10	64	74	32	42	3	10	26
Sergey Karasev (VTB United League)	20	584	308	61-127	28-92	102-116	17	68	85	38	59	6	17	40
Total:	45	1399	743	147-315	80-219	209-244	33	159	192	96	133	13	32	81

2012-13 Per Game Stats

Name	GP	MPG	PPG	2PFG%	3PFG%	FT%	OREB	DREB	TREB	APG	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Sergey Karasev (Eurocup)	11	31.7	16.1	0.410	0.490	0.826	0.5	2.5	3.0	2.4	2.9	0.4	0.5	1.4
Sergey Karasev (Russia)	14	33.3	18.4	0.491	0.355	0.841	0.7	4.6	5.3	2.3	3.0	0.2	0.7	1.9
Sergey Karasev (VTB United League)	20	29.2	15.4	0.480	0.304	0.879	0.9	3.4	4.3	1.9	3.0	0.3	0.9	2.0
Total	45	31.1	16.5	0.467	0.365	0.857	0.7	3.5	4.3	2.1	3.0	0.3	0.7	1.8

Analysis:

Sergey Karasev reminds me a little bit of another Euro drafted by the Sacramento Kings: Hedo Turkoglu. Like Turkoglu, Karasev possesses both an excellent shooting touch and good court vision and playmaking ability for a forward.

Karasev is most deadly in catch and shoot scenarios, although he's got a good pull-up jumper, and while he's not the best at creating shots for himself, he's good at finding his teammates when the defense concentrates on him. At just 19 years old, Karasev is already one of the top scorers in Europe. It's his defense that's more of an unknown. He plays with effort on that end, but is a little smaller than most NBA SFs, and needs to add weight.

Karasev is probably the most NBA ready of the international prospects in the draft, as his skills will allow him to contribute immediately, even if it's in a much smaller role than he was used to in Europe, at least until he develops more.

3. Rudy Gobert, 7'2, 236 lbs, 21 yrs, C, France

Projected: Early-to-Mid First Round

2012-13 Total Stats

Name	GP	MIN	PTS	2PFG	3PFG	FT	OREB	DREB	TREB	AST	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Rudy Gobert (Eurocup)	3	31	15	6-7	0-0	3-5	0	6	6	0	5	3	2	0
Rudy Gobert (France)	27	612	228	89-121	0-3	50-71	57	88	145	11	58	50	18	41
Total:	30	643	243	95-128	0-3	53-76	57	94	151	11	63	53	20	41

2012-13 Per Game Stats

Name	GP	MPG	PPG	2PFG%	3PFG%	FT%	OREB	DREB	TREB	APG	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Rudy Gobert (Eurocup)	3	10.3	5.0	0.857	0.000	0.600	0.0	2.0	2.0	0.0	1.7	1.0	0.7	0.0
Rudy Gobert (France)	27	22.7	8.4	0.736	0.000	0.704	2.1	3.3	5.4	0.4	2.1	1.9	0.7	1.5
Total	30	21.4	8.1	0.742	0.000	0.697	1.9	3.1	5.0	0.4	2.1	1.7	0.7	1.4

Analysis:

Rudy Gobert is an intriguing prospect simply because of his ridiculous physical attributes. Gobert measured at a legit 7'2 with a 7'8.5 wingpsan and a 9'7 standing reach. He can almost touch the rim without jumping.

As you can see from the stats above, Gobert is ridiculously efficient from the field. There's a reason for that, as almost all of his offense comes from dunks and/or putbacks. He doesn' t have a low post game to speak of and isn't strong enough to be a bully in the paint. One bright spot is that he does shoot his free throws at a decent clip for a big man, which could bode well for perhaps adding a short jumper in the future.

Defense is where Gobert's potential really lies. When you have that long of a reach, you can affect the game even if you don't block a bunch of shots. By all accounts he has good instincts on that end, although he doesn't face nearly the same competition in France as he would in the NBA, where the players are much bigger, stronger, and talented.

Gobert isn't much of a rebounder despite his length. That's likely from his lack of strength, as he can get pushed around easily. That will only get worse in the NBA. It also doesn't help that aside from his height and wingspan, Gobert measured poorly in other athletic tests.

Every year there is a player(s) in the draft like Gobert where you can't help but feel they could be one of the best players in the draft if they could just fulfill their potential. Sometimes that happens. A lot of the time it doesn't. That's why to me, Gobert is the riskiest bet in the draft, and would likely have the best chance of success by going to a team that could afford to develop him for a few years (I think Oklahoma City at 12 would be a great spot for him to land).

4. Dario Saric, 6'10 223 lbs, 19 yrs, SF, Croatia

Projected: Mid-to-Late 1st Round

2012-13 Total Stats

Name	GP	MIN	PTS	2PFG	3PFG	FT	OREB	DREB	TREB	AST	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Dario Saric (Eurocup)	1	17	4	2-5	0-1	0-0	1	3	4	2	4	0	0	3
Dario Saric (Adriatic League)	15	353	116	33-84	10-33	20-40	34	58	92	32	47	11	15	34
Dario Saric (Croatia)	15	443	223	73-105	10-36	47-66	38	84	122	36	43	15	29	51
Total:	31	813	343	106-189	20-69	67-106	73	142	214	68	90	26	44	88

2012-13 Per Game Stats

Name	GP	MPG	PPG	2PFG%	3PFG%	FT%	OREB	DREB	TREB	APG	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Dario Saric (Eurocup)	1	17.0	4.0	0.400	0.000	0.000	1.0	3.0	4.0	2.0	4.0	0.0	0.0	3.0
Dario Saric (Adriatic League)	15	23.5	7.7	0.393	0.303	0.500	2.3	3.9	6.1	2.1	3.1	0.7	1.0	2.3
Dario Saric (Croatia)	15	29.5	14.9	0.695	0.278	0.712	2.5	5.6	8.1	2.4	2.9	1.0	1.9	3.4
Total	31	26.2	11.1	0.561	0.290	0.632	2.4	4.6	6.9	2.2	2.9	0.8	1.4	2.8

Analysis:

Saric is an interesting prospect, one that I don't believe is quite ready for the NBA, but definitely see why some are so intrigued. A legit 6'10, Saric moves and handles the ball like a guard and can make plays for teammates like one too. He excels at getting into the lane and scoring there, although against tougher competition he hasn't had as much success.

Saric is a very streaky shooter right now, with inconsistent shot mechanics. If he could hit the outside jumper consistently, he'd be much higher on everyone's draft board but he hasn't shown the ability to do that yet. He's also pretty inconsistent at the Free Throw line as well.

Saric is an excellent rebounder for his size and position, and in that regard, I wonder if he couldn't end up playing PF in the NBA rather than SF, especially if his outside shot doesn't improve. He'd need to add some bulk but I think it'd be doable, maybe only in stretches.

Defensively, Saric needs a lot of work, as he gets beat off the dribble and relies too often on his length to try to contest shots from behind. He'll get eaten alive in the NBA trying to do that.

I've seen some Mock Drafts put Saric in the lottery, but I wouldn't consider him for Sacramento unless he fell to the second round. He'll probably need to stay in Europe a couple more years for seasoning too.

5. Lucas Nogueira, 6'11, 215 lbs, 20 yrs, C, Brazil

Projected: Mid-to-Late First Round

2012-13 Total Stats

Name	GP	MIN	PTS	2PFG	3PFG	FT	OREB	DREB	TREB	AST	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Lucas Nogueira (Spain)	34	446	184	76-115	0-0	32-48	57	60	117	9	62	38	16	19
Lucas Nogueira (World University Games)	6	72	26	12-19	0-0	2-4	14	14	28	2	12	9	4	8
Total:	40	518	210	88-134	0-0	34-52	71	74	145	11	74	47	20	27

2012-13 Per Game Stats

Name	GP	MPG	PPG	2PFG%	3PFG%	FT%	OREB	DREB	TREB	APG	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Lucas Nogueira (Spain)	34	13.1	5.4	0.661	0.000	0.667	1.7	1.8	3.4	0.3	1.8	1.1	0.5	0.6
Lucas Nogueira (World University Games)	6	12.0	4.3	0.632	0.000	0.500	2.3	2.3	4.7	0.3	2.0	1.5	0.7	1.3
Total	40	13.0	5.3	0.657	0.000	0.654	1.8	1.9	3.6	0.3	1.9	1.2	0.5	0.7

Analysis:

Nogueira has been tentatively testing the draft waters for a couple years now, and it looks like he'll finally make the jump this year.

Nogueira is an excellent shot blocker and offensive rebounder, but struggles in most other areas. His offensive game is relatively nonexistent and he's still on the light side for a big man. This also hurts him defensively, where despite his great instincts and ability to stay in front of his man, he still gets pushed around. He does play in probably the second best professional basketball league in the world (Spanish ACB) so the fact that he's one of the best shotblockers over there bodes well for the translation to the NBA.

The question is, will he be able to contribute anything else besides the occasional blocked shot?

6. Giannis Adetokunbo, 6'9, 196 lbs, 18 yrs, SF, Greece

Projected: Late First Round

2012-13 Total Stats

Name	GP	MIN	PTS	2PFG	3PFG	FT	OREB	DREB	TREB	AST	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Giannis Adetokunbo (Greece)	26	585	247	59-95	31-99	36-50	?	?	130	36	83	26	18	42

2012-13 Per Game Stats

Name	GP	MPG	PPG	2PFG%	3PFG%	FT%	OREB	DREB	TREB	APG	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Giannis Adetokunbo (Greece)	26	22.5	9.5	0.621	0.313	0.720	?	?	5.0	1.4	3.2	1.0	0.7	1.6

Analysis:

Like Gobert, Adetokunbo is all about the "what if". His physical measurements are off the charts, with monster hands and great size. Adetokunbo recently grew several inches to his current height, so he's spent most of his time playing as a guard. He's got good ballhandling and passing skills, and a high basketball IQ. He's not an explosive leaper, but he's got good body control and finishes around the basket at a high rate. His outside shot is a work in progress.

Adetokunbo has a lot of potential on the defensive side of the ball. He isn't a shut-down defender yet, but he has the tools to one day be, and good instincts on that end. He's also an excellent rebounder.

The competition Adetokunbo went up against in Greece's 2nd Division wasn't that great (Fran Fraschilla compared it to upper-tier American High School play), and he's also the youngest player in the draft. Expecting him to contribute in a meaningful way in the next year or two isn't realistic. He'll probably stay in Europe a while longer and hopefully move up to the much more competitive 1st Divisions in Greece, Spain, Italy or Germany.

7. Mouhammadou Jaiteh, 6'11, 250 lbs, 18 yrs, C, France

Projected: Early Second Round

2012-13 Total Stats

Name	GP	MIN	PTS	2PFG	3PFG	FT	OREB	DREB	TREB	AST	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Mouhammadou Jaiteh (France)	30	833	486	193-302	0-2	100-148	105	186	291	26	54	27	27	64

2012-13 Per Game Stats

Name	GP	MPG	PPG	2PFG%	3PFG%	FT%	OREB	DREB	TREB	APG	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Mouhammadou Jaiteh (France)	30	27.8	16.2	0.639	0.000	0.676	3.5	6.2	9.7	0.9	1.8	0.9	0.9	2.1

Analysis:

Jaiteh is a big dude. At just 18 years old, he's already got legitimate NBA Center size and strength. He's a phenomenal rebounder on both ends, which is his primary strength. His offensive game is still developing, but he's shown he can hit a mid-range jumper.

Defensively he's not much of a presence yet despite his size. He's definitely a project pick.

8. Livio Jean-Charles, 6'9, 217 lbs, 19 yrs, F, France

Projected: Early Second Round

2012-13 Total Stats

Name	GP	MIN	PTS	2PFG	3PFG	FT	OREB	DREB	TREB	AST	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Livio Jean-Charles (France)	29	401	96	34-60	6-14	10-17	30	48	78	15	32	6	14	18

2012-13 Per Game Stats

Name	GP	MPG	PPG	2PFG%	3PFG%	FT%	OREB	DREB	TREB	APG	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Livio Jean-Charles (France)	29	13.8	3.3	0.567	0.429	0.588	1.0	1.7	2.7	0.5	1.1	0.2	0.5	0.6

Analysis:

Jean-Charles doesn't get much burn in France, but he's impressed during the times where he did see extended playing time. Last month, he torched the US Junior National Select Team to the tune of 27 points and 13 rebounds.

Jean-Charles doesn't do any one thing superbly, but he does a lot of things well. He's a good rebounder, good defender, decent shooter (small-sample size to be fair). He is a bit of a tweener forward right now and might end up being that in the NBA.

9. Nemanja Nedovic, 6'4, 195 lbs, 21 yrs, SG, Serbia

Projected: Mid Second Round

2012-13 Total Stats

Name	GP	MIN	PTS	2PFG	3PFG	FT	OREB	DREB	TREB	AST	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Nemanja Nedovic (Euroleague)	10	228	98	24-63	12-35	14-20	7	18	25	21	19	2	8	25
Nemanja Nedovic (VTB United League)	17	360	176	40-90	25-59	21-27	10	31	41	42	37	4	21	33
Nemanja Nedovic (Lithuania)	18	375	200	47-82	23-59	37-47	5	38	43	69	34	4	21	31
Total:	45	963	474	111-235	60-153	72-94	22	87	109	132	90	10	50	89

2012-13 Per Game Stats

Name	GP	MPG	PPG	2PFG%	3PFG%	FT%	OREB	DREB	TREB	APG	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Nemanja Nedovic (Euroleague)	10	22.8	9.8	0.381	0.343	0.700	0.7	1.8	2.5	2.1	1.9	0.2	0.8	2.5
Nemanja Nedovic (VTB United League)	17	21.2	10.4	0.444	0.424	0.778	0.6	1.8	2.1	2.5	2.2	0.2	1.2	1.9
Nemanja Nedovic (Lithuania)	18	20.8	11.1	0.573	0.390	0.787	0.3	2.1	2.1	3.8	1.9	0.2	1.2	1.7
Total	45	21.4	10.5	0.472	0.392	0.766	0.5	1.9	2.4	2.9	2.0	0.2	1.1	2.0

Analysis:

Nedovic is an athletic scoring guard who also possesses good playmaking abilities. He reminds me of a smaller Rudy Fernandez. He could be a decent roleplayer off the bench.

10. Alex Abrines, 6'5, 190 lbs, 20 yrs, SG, Spain

Projected: Late Second Round

2012-13 Total Stats

Name	GP	MIN	PTS	2PFG	3PFG	FT	OREB	DREB	TREB	AST	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Alex Abrines (Euroleague)	15	163	77	14-22	11-34	16-16	4	12	16	5	20	1	6	8
Alex Abrines (Spain)	32	332	110	22-42	17-59	15-22	7	26	33	7	41	8	10	18
Total:	47	495	187	36-64	28-93	31-38	11	38	49	12	61	9	16	26

2012-13 Per Game Stats

Name	GP	MPG	PPG	2PFG%	3PFG%	FT%	OREB	DREB	TREB	APG	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Alex Abrines (Euroleague)	15	10.9	5.1	0.636	0.324	1.000	0.3	0.8	1.1	0.3	1.3	0.1	0.4	0.5
Alex Abrines (Spain)	32	10.4	3.4	0.524	0.288	0.682	0.2	0.8	1.0	0.2	1.3	0.3	0.3	0.6
Total	47	10.5	4.0	0.563	0.301	0.816	0.2	0.8	1.0	0.3	1.3	0.2	0.3	0.6

Analysis:

He's a SG who can't really shoot or pass. No thanks.

11. Bojan Dubljevic, 6'10, 242 lbs, 21 yrs, PF, Montenegro

Projected: Early-to-Late Second Round

2012-13 Total Stats

Name	GP	MIN	PTS	2PFG	3PFG	FT	OREB	DREB	TREB	AST	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Bojan Dubljevic (Eurocup)	16	329	213	61-111	14-36	49-60	26	50	76	11	39	6	10	22
Bojan Dubljevic (Spain)	36	714	437	121-217	36-76	87-104	50	82	132	19	95	10	23	77
Total:	52	1043	650	162-328	50-112	136-164	76	132	208	30	134	16	33	99

2012-13 Per Game Stats

Name	GP	MPG	PPG	2PFG%	3PFG%	FT%	OREB	DREB	TREB	APG	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Bojan Dubljevic (Eurocup)	16	20.6	13.3	0.550	0.389	0.817	1.6	3.1	4.8	0.7	2.4	0.4	0.6	1.4
Bojan Dubljevic (Spain)	36	19.8	12.1	0.558	0.474	0.837	1.4	2.3	3.7	0.5	2.6	0.3	0.6	2.1
Total	52	20.1	12.5	0.494	0.446	0.829	1.5	2.5	4.0	0.6	2.6	0.3	0.6	1.9

Analysis:

Here's a potential sleeper. Dubljevic is a stretch 4, and one of the best shooters in the draft, although he does most of his damage around the basket. He's not the most athletic guy (and might be one of the least athletic in the draft). He also doesn't do much other than score. He's got an excellent motor though, and I could foresee him being a roleplayer on a good team one day, much like a Matt Bonner.

12. Marko Todorovic, 6'11, 240 lbs, 21 yrs, PF/C, Montenegro

Projected: Late Second Round to Undrafted

2012-13 Total Stats

Name	GP	MIN	PTS	2PFG	3PFG	FT	OREB	DREB	TREB	AST	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Marko Todorovic (Euroleague)	18	133	44	14-25	1-5	13-22	18	21	39	7	17	10	5	13
Marko Todorovic (Spain)	24	162	69	25-40	2-9	13-26	22	28	50	6	25	7	5	16
Total:	42	295	113	39-65	3-14	26-48	40	49	89	13	42	17	10	29

2012-13 Per Game Stats

Name	GP	MPG	PPG	2PFG%	3PFG%	FT%	OREB	DREB	TREB	APG	PF	BLK	STL	TOV
Marko Todorovic (Euroleague)	18	7.4	2.4	0.560	0.200	0.591	1.0	1.2	2.2	0.4	0.9	0.6	0.3	0.7
Marko Todorovic (Spain)	24	6.8	2.9	0.625	0.222	0.500	0.9	1.2	2.1	0.3	1.0	0.3	0.2	0.7
Total	42	7.0	2.7	0.600	0.214	0.542	1.0	1.2	2.1	0.3	1.0	0.4	0.2	0.7

Analysis:

He's big, he's young, he might be something one day. Classic draft and stash in the late 2nd round.