With the 2018 draft inching closer, ESPN's Mike Schmitz went to Europe to evaluate the top international prospects in this class while also zeroing in on younger players with considerable NBA potential.
This scouting swing spanned five different countries in nine days and allowed us to evaluate and gather intel on everyone from Luka Doncic to potential second-rounders to future lottery picks.
Doncic reminds scouts of potential No. 1 status
Luka Doncic | 6-foot-8 playmaker | Real Madrid
Walk-off game-winner from Luka Doncic, who finished with 24 PTS (7-for-12 FGs), 9 REBS, 4 AST and 7 TOV in 31 MIN. Not many 19-year-olds in the world comfortable taking and making that shot on the road in an atmosphere like Pionir. Looked every bit of a potential #1 pick tonight. pic.twitter.com/VyFAeuUL0S
- Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) March 30, 2018
The basketball rock star reminded NBA scouts exactly why he spent the majority of the season ranked No. 1 in ESPN's Top 100 with his late-game heroics against Red Star. He calmly buried a game-winning, pull-up 3 just before the buzzer sounded to cap off an impressive performance. Following the game, Doncic was mobbed by Serbian fans, taking what appeared to be hundreds of selfies, signing autographs and answering questions from a zoo of reporters.
Although he's arguably the most proven European prospect ever, his flashes of brilliance helped jog the memory of NBA scouts, as it had been a fairly uninspiring couple of months. In his past 10 games, Doncic shot only 19.6 percent from 3, mixing in two games with fewer than five points. Having played close to 1,500 minutes between the ACB/EuroLeague seasons and Eurobasket, Doncic opted to address a couple of nagging injuries and get his body right prior to Real Madrid's stretch run, missing a few weeks of action to recover. (Mikal Bridges is the only player in our top 10 to play more than 1,200 minutes in his respective collegiate season).
In just his third game back in the lineup, Doncic torched Red Star with fallaway jumpers out of the post, savvy up-and-unders, transition jaunts to the rim and unselfish feeds in the open court. He did have his usual struggles handling ball pressure, leading to seven turnovers, but overall Doncic played with a bounce in his step that we hadn't seen in weeks.
Scouts will keep a watchful eye on how Doncic fares during Real Madrid's playoff run, especially with the news that Spanish star Sergio Llull might soon return to the lineup after tearing his ACL. Can Doncic help lead Real Madrid to the EuroLeague Final 4? Regardless, he has proven exactly why he's the most skilled and NBA-ready player in this draft. Watching most NBA prospects in Europe struggle to crack their respective rotations as teenagers makes you truly appreciate how special Doncic's production has been.
Chasing Rodions Kurucs, scouting Germany
Rodions Kurucs | 6-10 SF/PF | Barcelona
Kurucs is facing an uphill battle with FC Barcelona, struggling to find consistent playing time after his camp opted against signing a long-term extension in the offseason. Barcelona, known for its in-house politics, has worked hard to keep Kurucs from being seen by NBA scouts, with a handful of European-based talent evaluators failing to catch him playing in meaningful games. Scouts also aren't allowed into Barcelona practices. One NBA team in particular has assigned an international scout to follow Kurucs around to every game, hoping to catch a glimpse of the 20-year-old forward.
After missing Kurucs on our last scouting swing, we caught wind that the versatile combo forward would be playing for Barcelona's second team and booked a last-minute flight. Kurucs scored 16 first-half points, making shots from the perimeter and attacking the rim while also showing his shortcomings as a decision-maker and defender. He's in a tough situation when he takes the floor in LEB Gold, as he often tries to do too much, anxious to prove himself. Kurucs is starting to get more consistent playing time with Barcelona II, though, seeing action in five of the last six games and averaging 23.4 points per 40 minutes on 63.6 percent from 2 and 35.3 percent from 3. Even so, the fact that Kurucs only practices with the first team and comes down with a score-first mentality has caused internal strife among his coaches and teammates.
Kurucs, who is a free agent after next season, has a hefty buyout and figures to be in a similar situation with the club in his final year unless management increases his role or lets him out of his contract. Kurucs was said to have a late-first-round promise in the 2017 draft but eventually pulled out at the last minute, partially with the influence of Barcelona's higher-ups. The storied futbol club has a big name, but with mishandlings of prospects such as Kurucs and Mario Hezonja, agents are becoming more weary of signing with the Spanish power. Potential 2019 lottery pick Luka Samanic isn't expected to return to Barcelona after this season.
Kurucs' camp remains on the fence about entering -- and staying in -- this year's draft, as he's clearly in an inopportune situation but is arguably the second-best international prospect in an underwhelming crop. Kurucs has talent and a modern fit, but NBA teams may be hard-pressed to use a first-round pick on him given his murky situation and lack of consistent productivity.
Isaac Bonga | 6-9 SF | Frankfurt
While most 18-year-old prospects are buried on the bench, Bonga is in an ideal situation in Frankfurt, playing 22.3 MPG, with a fair share of his time coming at PG. With posters all over the Fraport Arena, he's the clear face of Frankfurt basketball, and the opportunity he's been given is a key factor in his lofty, sometimes unwarranted draft hype. While playing more minutes in Pro B -- Germany's third division -- to develop his scoring attack and improving his confidence could be beneficial, and the fact that he has had a sizeable role on a competitive team is a plus both for him and talent evaluators.
Player type: Playmaking forward
Bonga is intriguing thanks to his combination of physical tools (7-0 wingspan), basketball instincts, intangibles and age as one of the younger prospects in the 2018 NBA draft. He plays almost exclusively on the ball, which is likely his best position long-term given his limitations as a shooter and scorer. Bonga is comfortable playing out of pick-and-roll, changing speeds and using both sides of the floor to facilitate. He also has some switch ability defensively.
Still, he plays a tense game, rarely getting downhill to attack the rim and consistently turning down open jumpers. He really struggled with multiple NBA scouts in attendance on April 2 and is scoring only 11.0 points per 40 minutes with a sub-50 true shooting percentage over his past 10 games. On the season, he holds a 29.5 turnover percentage in Bundesliga (BBL) play, largely due to indecisiveness.
Bonga has considerably improved his shooting mechanics, which shows in his stellar 94.0 free throw percentage this season. He shot the ball well in pregame warmups and practice but it's yet to translate to game play. He still sports a slow release with a deep crouch and will have to become a threat off the dribble to warrant playing on the ball at the highest levels.
There's a level of reverse hype attached to Bonga given early, unrealistic expectations, and it's important to remember that he's the age of some high school seniors. Those who have studied him as closely as we have over the last few years aren't quite sold on the first-round potential that some American-based scouts see. Despite his underwhelming production, Bonga's camp is said to be heavily considering keeping him in the 2018 draft, where he's likely to get early second-round looks given his excellent stash situation.
Karim Jallow | 6-7 SF | Bayern Munich
Jallow has struggled to see the floor with German powerhouse Bayern Munich, playing only 84 BBL minutes over the last two seasons while spending most of his time in a volume-based role in Pro B. He and his camp signed an extension with Bayern during the summer, but Jallow never carved out the role he was expecting this year, playing 90 percent of his minutes in third division at almost 21 years old. In the midst of a tremendous 40-8 season in both the BBL and EuroCup, Bayern Munich recently fired its coach, in part due to his preference to play veterans over young prospects like Jallow. The switch should make Jallow a more attractive stash prospect as June approaches, although he and his agent could still look into loan options.
While some scouts want to see Jallow produce at a legitimate level before drafting him, teams have a solid feel for his game at this point.
Player type: Energetic wing defender
Jallow has NBA tools and athleticism at 6-7 with high shoulders, a strong frame and big hands. Despite an oddly hunched over stance, he defends up to four positions at the Pro B level while making an impact offensively by sprinting the floor, moving off the ball and crashing the offensive glass relentlessly. He has improved as a standstill shooter but lacks a degree of natural touch and talent. He has a mediocre feel for the game, rigid ball skills and a fairly unnatural shooting stroke (27.5 career 3-point percentage), but his physical profile and energy should help him get looks in the mid- to late-second round. NBA teams are starving for defensive-minded wings, and despite his shortcomings, Jallow has the tools and motor to at least disrupt the game defensively for short stretches.
Issuf Sanon | 6-4 combo guard | Petrol Olimpija
Sanon has considerable momentum as one of the lesser-known prospects in the draft. We traveled to Ljubljana for an exclusive interview and private workout. Read more here.
Louis Olinde | 6-10 Forward | Bamberg
Louis Olinde's father, Wilbert Olinde, played for John Wooden at UCLA and won a 1975 NCAA National Championship with the Bruins. I enjoyed chatting with the 20-year-old 6-10 German forward about Wooden and his own development with Bamberg. pic.twitter.com/45CsdxtYgh
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) March 31, 2018
Olinde is in an excellent development situation with Bamberg, which is quickly gaining steam as one of the top destinations for youth prospects. He earns occasional minutes in the EuroLeague and BBL while also being able to come down and play freely in Pro A, similar to an NBA player on a G League assignment. Although he likely has an eye toward the 2019 draft, NBA teams are attracted to prospects developing in the Bamberg system, as they practice against EuroLeague talent every day and can play through mistakes in Pro A as well.
Player type: Modern forward
With a 9-0 standing reach and impressive fluidity, Olinde fits the NBA prototype. He's a modern forward who can get up and down in transition, attack the rim in a straight line and, in theory, defend multiple positions. He's an improved shooter with his feet set (42.1 percent in Pro A), plays with great activity as a cutter and has some physical talent to work with.
He remains rail thin and lacks a degree of physical toughness. His flat-footed shooting stroke and sometimes erratic decision-making can also stand to improve. With good feet and sound instincts, the late-bloomer has decent positional length but will go only as far as his skinny frame takes him on defense.
Olinde has no shortage of fans in Europe and could continue to improve his stock with a strong pre-draft heading into next season since he plays a position of need.
William McDowell White | 6-5 PG | Bamberg
The former 2015 under-19 World Championship standout is leading Pro A in assists per game (7.0) while impressing scouts with his positional size and feel. McDowell-White told ESPN he will enter the 2018 NBA draft in hopes of finding a strong situation in the second round, and at least five NBA teams attended his final game of the season, with one high-ranking American executive even flying in for it.
Regardless of whether he finds what he's looking for in this draft, McDowell-White has set himself up for success next season, as he's poised to either earn minutes with Bamberg or potentially see heavy burn on loan with a smaller club.
Player type: feel-based point guard
McDowell-White is a highly instinctual floor general with an outstanding feel for the game. Although not an overly dynamic scorer, he plays with great pace and unselfishness and possesses a level of poise you don't always see from PGs his age.
He uses his quick hands and sharp anticipation to hold his own on the defensive end, despite mediocre length and average athleticism. Shooting is his clear swing skill, as he has a fairly flat-footed 3-ball with a backward lean and doesn't appear to have much confidence from the perimeter. While easy to project as a future EuroLeague player, whether or not McDowell-White can make enough shots to keep defenses honest will go a long way in dictating his NBA future.
Potential unicorn developing in France
Victor Wembanyama | 6-10, 7-7 wingspan | PF/C
The 2004-born French big man is gaining steam as one of the top long-term prospects in all of Europe. Most American prospects don't surface in scouting circles until age 15 or 16, but with the number of clubs and agents in Europe, the top players are generally identified much earlier with many turning pro as teenagers. Competing with his home club of Nanterre in the under-15 Lions Cup, Wembanyama showed his incredible physical upside and talent level for his age.
Wembanyama has massive hands, size 19.5 shoes, toothpick thighs and an incredible reach. For reference, Rudy Gobert was 6 inches shorter and playing on the wing when he was Wembanyama's age. While there have been plenty of young prospects with freakish measurements, it's Wembanyama skill level combined with his unique physical profile that makes him so intriguing. He shoots an easy 3-ball with soft touch, steps into midrange jumpers or floaters off the dribble, has a fairly advanced handle for his size and can pass with either hand, playing unselfishly. Despite his lack of lower-body strength, he's coordinated and competitive, protecting the rim impressively with sharp timing when fully engaged. Wembanyama's long-term success will depend on staying healthy and maintaining a strong physical regimen, as he's nowhere near his peak athletically. His development can shoot in a variety of directions, as he's skilled enough to trend toward a stretch big, long enough to become a lob-catcher/shot-blocker and talented enough with the ball to become a point-center type.
Highly touted, young prospects fail to live up to lofty expectations every year, but Wembanyama's background and support system makes us more comfortable even discussing him as a prospect at this age. His mother was described as the "Kendrick Perkins of women's basketball in France" for her tough mentality as a 6-3 big. Wembanyama's father was an accomplished long jumper, and his sister a champion basketball player on France's under-16 national team. His family is said to have a great grasp of the importance of developing him slowly.
Wembanyama played with Barcelona on loan at the 2018 Minicopa in Spain but long-term will stay with Nanterre. Next season he'll play in the France under-18 league while practicing with the under-21 team.
Prospects at Albert Schweitzer
Deny Avdija | 6-8 point forward | Israel
Avdija stood out as the clear-cut top NBA prospect to take the floor in Mannheim. He dazzled with his transition passing, deep range on his jumper and overall instinctual game on both ends of the floor. The 17-year-old is a perfect fit in the modern NBA with his shoot-dribble-pass skill set and position-less style of play.
Avdija can still improve his shooting consistency, left hand and defense, as he's not the most explosive athlete. While the level of talent was a bit down at this year's event, it's easy to pencil Avdija in as the unquestioned future NBA player of the group.
Bryce Wills | 6-6 combo guard | USA
Wills is an intriguing long-term prospect thanks to his tremendous physical profile and unique athleticism. With a 7-1 wingspan and an excellent frame, the 17-year-old changes speeds and directions with long strides and side-to-side wiggle in transition, mixing in eurosteps and wrong-foot finishes. He needs to improve as a perimeter shooter and decision-maker to best maximize his long-term potential at Stanford next season.
Andre Jackson | 6-6 small forward | USA
The 16-year-old, explosive athlete stood out as USA's best long-term prospect. Jackson is a pogo-stick leaper with a relentless motor and an excellent feel for the game despite severe limitations as a shooter. Despite a wiry frame and average length, Jackson dominated the glass playing while putting constant pressure on the rim in transition, pushing tempo with a strong first step and providing a handful of highlight dunks. The class of 2020 prospect should see his recruitment explode this spring.
Nikita Mikhailovskii | 6-6 scoring wing | Russia
Mikhaylovskii shined as Russia's top prospect. Even with a thin frame, the 17-year-old is aggressive to the rim with a strong first step and the ability to play at different speeds with the ball, rarely shying away from contact and even dropping in floaters on occasion. He can get going from the perimeter off the bounce and the catch, giving him three-level scoring potential, but still leaves much to be desired as a defender, finisher versus length and decision-maker.
Karlton Dimanche | 6-5 PG | France
France's clear-cut leader on the perimeter, Dimanche impressed with his combination of physical tools (6-8½ wingspan), penetrating ability and defensive toughness. The 18-year-old is a slippery lead guard who uses slight changes of speeds and long strides to sneak through tight crevices on the floor, finishing with length and finesse. While not the most advanced pick-and-roll player, he's a capable drive-and-kick PG. He's a competitive defender, regularly pressuring the ball and making winning plays. Shooting is his clear swing skill, as he sports a low and slow release.
Kenny Baptiste | 6-7 forward | France
A tantalizing physical prospect with a 7-1 wingspan, Baptise wowed NBA scouts with his defensive versatility, picking up point guards the length of the floor and rotating for blocks off the ball. The 18-year-old is a late bloomer who has a long way to go with his skill set, particularly his jumper. His motor and toughness come and go on both ends of the floor, as he's too willing to blend in rather than using his impressive tools.
Josh Obiesie | 6-5 combo guard | Germany
The 17-year-old had a breakout season in the under-19 league with IBA and carried that success over to the Adidas Next Generation Tournament, where he shined on loan with Bamberg. Obiesie turns 18 in late May and is rumored to be fielding offers from a host of high-level European clubs, including Real Madrid. He glides to the rim with the ball, pulls up off the bounce and shows athleticism in space while also displaying some competitiveness on the defensive end. Developing into more of a lead guard and speeding up his release will better his NBA outlook.
Franz Wagner | 6-8 combo forward | Germany
Although he wasn't overly productive, Wagner remains one of the top young prospects in all of Germany given his combination of tools, shooting, feel and potential. The younger brother of Michigan star Moritz Wagner, Franz stands 6-7 barefoot with huge feet, long arms and big hands. The 16-year-old has a bright future as a stretch forward who is also comfortable attacking in a straight line and making reads as a playmaker. When Wagner reaches his physical peak, he figures to be one of Germany's most sought-after prospects in the 2001 class.