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          NBA draft international scouting notebook, Part 1

          Courtesy of FIBA
          • Jonathan GivonyJan 16, 2019, 09:07 AM ET
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              NBA draft analyst and writer
              Joined ESPN.com in July 2017
              Founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams
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          Jonathan Givony spent two weeks in Europe crisscrossing the continent evaluating many of the top international prospects in the 2019 NBA draft, as well as some notable young players for future drafts.

          Here are the highlights of what he learned on his trip, while having his passport stamped in 10 countries.

          Go here for Part 2, including analysis on Goga Bitadze, Theo Maledon and Luka Samanic

          Lithuania

          The trip started in Lithuania, one of the world's great basketball hotspots. You feel it upon landing, as seemingly every person you encounter -- taxi drivers, hotel front desk, waiters -- wants to talk hoops.

          This leg of the trip mostly revolved around 18-year-old Deividas Sirvydis, who has surprised many by blossoming into one of the most productive teenagers in European basketball. He has already earned a starting role for a EuroCup Top 16 club with Lietuvos Rytas, and he's making the most of his minutes by shooting 45 percent from 3. It was a good opportunity to see him against another prospect in Serbian Vanja Marinkovic, who is three-and-a-half years older and arguably the most productive draft-eligible player in Europe, averaging 13 PPG.

          Sirvydis didn't disappoint, looking like he has grown a bit (he told ESPN he is a little over 6-foot-8 without shoes) and appearing very comfortable in his 14 minutes on the court. He finished with nine points on five shots. He probably could have handled more extensive playing time, but he told us after the game that he's happy with his role and understands he needs to earn every minute. He is on a team with a deep rotation and high expectations that has cycled through quite a few coaches and imports over the years and traditionally doesn't give many opportunities to players his age.

          Nevertheless, it was easy to understand why Sirvydis is earning buzz as a first-round prospect in the upcoming draft. To go with his size, he has a very high basketball IQ and a fairly polished skill level. He barely grazed the net on makes throughout his extensive pregame workout routine and looked extremely confident stepping into 3-pointers in the game, even attempting a Harden-esqe step-back.

          He was asked to defend the opposing team's point guard and didn't look overmatched. His positioning off the ball was outstanding, and he clearly has good instincts. The biggest questions he'll have to answer revolve around his body, as he's extremely thin and has a lot of work to do on filling out his frame. NBA scouts wonder if his body type will allow him to defend some power forwards as he begins to approach his physical prime in his 20s, something that isn't out of the question, despite his lack of length.

          Marinkovic played a lot more (28 minutes) and finished with 13 points, but he didn't separate himself as a prospect by showing any exceptional aspects of his huge role that will translate to the NBA. His jumper has been streaky throughout his career (shooting 33 percent from 3 this season), and this game was no exception. His funky mechanics aren't the most conventional. His boxy frame and average athleticism make it difficult to see him finding the success he has had in Europe as an iso-heavy player who overpowers opponents with aggressiveness but doesn't create much for teammates. His defense has also long been a concern, as he's likely a one-position player due to his lack of length.

          His terrific scoring instincts and undeniable productivity will earn him some stash looks at the end of the second round, but from an upside standpoint, it's tough to see what differentiates Marinkovic from the plethora of American prospects he'll be competing with for draft positioning.

          Barcelona

          Next, it was off to Spain for the prestigious L'Hospitalet tournament. Unfortunately, the NBA Academy Africa was once again unable to attend a Spanish tournament -- they also missed the Global Jam in the Canary Islands in November -- due to persistent visa issues that have plagued the Academy and cost its players valuable opportunities against strong competition.

          Although the earliest any player at this tournament will become draft-eligible isn't until 2020, it was still an invaluable opportunity to get eyes on such a large group of talents in their most natural club setting. The tournament was heavily attended by mostly international scouts from virtually every team in the NBA.

          Gran Canaria's Khalifa Diop stood out immediately as the best long-term prospect. The Senegalese-born center won't be draft-eligible until 2021 at the earliest, but he was able to dominate every big man matchup due to his outstanding combination of physical tools, toughness, intensity and budding skill. A hair under 7-feet in shoes, he has a 7-foot-2½ wingspan and weighs 247 pounds. He averaged 16 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in just 26 MPG en route to winning the championship and MVP honors.

          Diop told us he comes from a soccer family and arrived in Spain (by way of SEED Academy) just two years ago. He wasn't considered a particularly intriguing prospect back then due to his average size, frame and raw skill level, having picked up the game of basketball just a year prior. Thanks to his reportedly elite work ethic and rock-solid intangibles, Diop quickly began to move up the ranks and was snatched up by Gran Canaria. Concerned about the inordinate amount of time he spends in the weight room, they describe having to post pictures of him at the local fitness center to notify staff not to allow him to work out more than the hours allocated to him, which he proceeded to ignore in a series of playfully deceptive ways.

          Diop is a physical marvel, with a huge frame, long wingspan and impressive mobility and coordination. The most impressive thing about him currently is his conditioning. He rarely comes off the court yet operates with incredible intensity on both ends. Diop's skill level is a work in progress, but he has clearly been well-coached and shows enough flashes as a lob catcher, passer, shooter and ball handler to indicate that he has a solid framework to build off long-term. His bread and butter at the moment lies in beasting weaker opponents around the basket and drawing fouls, but his feel for the game is good. He has solid hands, shows soft touch from the free throw line and even stepped out and knocked down a 3-pointer.

          Gran Canaria has a number of older and more highly touted big men ahead of Diop, but the word among scouts in Barcelona is that he might end up earning a spot on the team's senior roster next season as the third-string center. It is not clear that the still 16-year-old is ready to see minutes in the Euroleague and ACB, but the fact that the club is so high on him and is willing to invest minutes to continue to develop him is notable.

          After Diop, the most interesting prospect was likely Barcelona guard Tom Digbeu. As is seemingly often the case with Barcelona prospects, there is no shortage of drama surrounding his situation. Despite being the clear-cut best guard at the event, he came off the bench, saw limited playing time and surprisingly received only 13 minutes in the semifinal after an extraordinary showing in the previous game, in which he posted 20 points, nine assists, five rebounds and seven turnovers in 23 minutes.

          The 17-year-old Digbeu has intriguing physical tools, with good size at 6-foot-6 and impressive athleticism. He is a menace picking up opposing guards in the backcourt and regularly gets in the passing lanes to ignite fast breaks. Very natural with the ball in his hands, he's dynamic in the open floor, capable of changing speeds and accelerating powerfully with long strides and a strong first step while slithering through defenders with excellent body control for nifty finishes. His passing ability has taken a step forward, as he uses both sides of the floor and does a nice job dishing on the move unselfishly. The next step in his development will have to come from the perimeter, where he's far too streaky of a shooter.

          Digbeu was criticized in the past for his lack of maturity and overall off-court approach, but he appears to be making strides in this area. This is likely part of the reason Barcelona is keeping him on a short leash, as his contract expires at the end of this season, and it wouldn't be surprising to see both sides elect to part ways.

          The final player worth mentioning: Brazilian 7-footer Vinicius Da Silva, whose Joventut Badalona team lost in the final. Da Silva has improved his skill level and filled out his frame, and he has impressive length and reach that allow him to dunk the ball after barely jumping. That's important since he isn't the most athletic big, as he struggles to cover ground defensively on the perimeter. His motor tends to fluctuate, and his feel for the game is just average at this stage. Even though he isn't a great fit in the modern game, some NBA scouts feel he's in an excellent situation developmentally and will continue to improve.

          Tel Aviv

          The third stop of the trip brought us to Israel, where Maccabi Tel Aviv played and practiced over the course of the weekend, providing an opportunity to check in on the development of Israeli prospects Deni Avdija (a projected lottery pick in 2020) and Yovel Zoosman, who is gaining steam as a potential second-rounder as early as this year.

          Zoosman was impressive in the Israeli league game on Sunday, making big plays on both ends of the floor in the fourth quarter to help Maccabi take down red-hot Hapoel Eilat. The 20-year-old has excellent size for the wing and has made strides with his frame. He has impressive length, with a 7-foot-1½ wingspan, according to the coaching staff. Zoosman started the game passively, turning the ball over on consecutive post-entry passes after ignoring open 3s, which drew the ire of the coaches who have been urging him all season to be more aggressive. Zoosman shot the ball extremely well pregame and seems to have excellent potential with his feet set, but he's a little passive at times, which might be partially due to his youth and lack of experience in senior basketball.

          He came up with three steals in this game, demonstrating excellent awareness and instincts. His feel for the game is perhaps his best trait, as he moves off the ball exceptionally well, has strong court vision and is always looking to make the extra pass (sometimes to a fault). His ballhandling skills are average, but he's capable of changing speeds some to create in a straight line, and he made some nice plays drawing fouls or driving and dishing to open teammates. It was impressive to see him rotate from defending point guards to wings and even power forwards. He has very attractive versatility on this end of the floor.

          Zoosman is in one of the better development situations of European prospects in this draft, as he's seeing consistent minutes in the Euroleague while being given a featured role in the competitive Israeli league, already having 30 official games under his belt not even midway through the season. NBA teams looking to draft-and-stash an international prospect will be attracted to the situation he's in, as well as his fit in the modern game as an intelligent and versatile 3-and-D wing who can slide up to the power forward spot in a pinch. He recently had the best game of his pro career in a win at CSKA Moscow in the Euroleague and moved into the second round of the ESPN 2019 mock draft.

          Avdija, considered one of the most promising prospects in all of Europe, did not see any action in the Israeli league game we attended. Thankfully, we were invited to attend an extensive workout he conducted the following day with highly regarded assistant coach Veljko Perovic. This allowed us to take a peek at the progress he has made.

          Avdija's combination of height, skill and basketball IQ are exactly what many teams are looking for in today's NBA, as he has real guard skills at 6-foot-9 and one of the better shooting strokes you'll find from a player this size at his age. Maccabi's staff raves about his competitiveness and confidence.

          "He has all the ingredients of a big-time player," Maccabi director of scouting Avi Even told ESPN. "Size, skill, intelligence, and incredible chutzpah. Go watch what he did in the preseason for us against Khimki or AEK Athens. It's only a matter of time. Our whole organization is behind this kid."

          In a sit-down following his workout, Avdija didn't express frustration with the sporadic playing time, saying he understands the situation this pressure-packed club is in and is happy to wait for his opportunity.

          "I'm getting so much better here day after day," Avdija told ESPN. "I'm doing things now that I couldn't even dream of a month ago. I think next year I am going to explode."

          Unlike some clubs in Europe that do not want to be seen as a pit stop for the NBA, Maccabi say they are heavily invested in getting Avdija ready to make the jump to the U.S. They've granted him the right to leave the club for a week in February to attend NBA All-Star weekend at the prestigious Basketball Without Borders Global Camp, where Avdija will be able to show NBA GMs how he stacks up against players in his age group. Maccabi also recently decided to allow him to partake in the Adidas Next Generation Tournament at the end of January in Munich, where he'll compete for their U18 team.

          Avdija's versatility as a big, high-IQ, sweet-shooting guard with a flair for the dramatic has inevitably drawn comparisons to Luka Doncic, which likely isn't fair or realistic, considering what Doncic was doing in the Euroleague at the same age and how easily he has transitioned to the NBA.

          "I don't idolize Luka, but I definitely admire him," Avdija said. "I watch as many NBA games as I can, especially his. I don't think it's fair to compare the two of us. Everyone develops at their own pace. I am not surprised by what he's doing in the NBA because Euroleague defenses are tougher than NBA ones, in my opinion. He's in a great situation, but he would have been successful anywhere. I am just trying to do things at my own pace, stay ready and, when the time comes, show people what kind of player I am."

          Go here for Part 2, including analysis on Goga Bitadze, Theo Maledon and Luka Samanic