Every June, American fans who focused on college basketball for most of the year will tune into the NBA Draft and see a slew of unfamiliar names selected from the middle of the first round through the end of the second. The international basketball world has expanded and legitimized over the years, yet despite the number of successful NBA players from Europe and elsewhere, those leagues simply don't receive much interest until draft season.
Austin Green is an American who covers basketball's other highest levels, scouting and reporting in Europe and Australia for his website LosCrossovers.com and other sites. Here, for CBS Sports, he ranks and evaluates the 12 non-college prospects most likely to be selected in Thursday's 2018 NBA Draft after the international field was hammered by withdrawals last week at the early entry deadline.
1. Luka Doncic
SG | Slovenia | 6-8 | 228 lbs.
Reid Forgrave's overall prospect ranking: No. 4
Doncic, the most decorated teenager in European basketball history, has incredible vision, skill and poise, plus an acute understanding of timing and angles. He is a great pick-and-roll creator who sees plays before they happen and punishes defenses in a variety of ways. His passing is aided by his height and strength, which allow him to find and execute difficult assists. He is a good 3-point shooter, but his scoring leans more on an impressive array of floaters and mid-range jumpers, and he's athletic enough to finish around the rim. He's developing a dangerous post-up game, and he is elite at grabbing defensive rebounds and attacking in transition. There are flaws, though: He needs to improve his lateral quickness defensively, and he'll struggle to shake some of the league's better defenders off the dribble in half-court situations.
[Green also wrote a full scouting report for Doncic with video breakdowns here.]
2. Elie Okobo
PG | France | 6-3 | 180 lbs.
Reid Forgrave's overall prospect ranking: No. 30
Okobo is a sharp-shooting lefty point guard with a 6-8 wingspan and good athleticism. He loves to shoot pull-up 3s off the dribble, and he can finish in the paint when defenders crowd him. He improved a ton over the course of the year, especially after he was given more freedom and responsibility. He is turnover-prone and still learning the point guard position, but he has good vision and passing ability when he's focused. He probably won't be a lockdown perimeter defender like fellow Frenchman Frank Ntilikina, but his length and athleticism are great starting points to build on.
3. Dzanan Musa
SF | Bosnia | 6-9 | 195 lbs.
Reid Forgrave's overall prospect ranking: No. 26
Musa is an aggressive scoring wing. He is a good outside shooter and loves to attack closeouts off the dribble, although he almost exclusively goes left. When he wants, he can be a good passer and pick-and-roll playmaker. There are some concerns about his body, he's a bad defender and he has a reputation as a selfish gunner, but he has produced at a high level overseas and could be a good scorer off the bench in the NBA.
4. Issuf Sanon
PG | Ukraine | 6-4 | 191 lbs.
Reid Forgrave's overall prospect ranking: No. 56
Sanon is a wild score-first combo guard. He has good size and athleticism, he can shoot off the dribble and he finishes creatively around the rim with both hands. He is a feisty on-ball defender, and he's a perfect draft-and-stash candidate who's in a good development situation with his pro club Olimpija Ljubljana. He's still learning the game, and his aggression can get him into trouble with turnovers and fouls, but he should improve in those areas as he matures.
5. Rodions Kurucs
SF | Latvia | 6-10 | 200 lbs.
Reid Forgrave's overall prospect ranking: No. 45
Kurucs is a long, athletic forward who can shoot 3s and attack off the dribble. He's a bit foul-prone and needs to improve his lateral quickness, but he has shown the ability to defend wings on the perimeter and block shots at the rim. His inconsistency and lack of playing time at Barcelona have hurt his draft stock, but he could be a steal if he gets a change of scenery.
6. Arnoldas Kulboka
SF/PF | Lithuania | 6-10 | 213 lbs.
Reid Forgrave's overall prospect ranking: No. 67
Kulboka might be the best pure shooter in the draft, with an effortless 3-point stroke and high release point. The problem is he doesn't really do anything else. He often plays soft and doesn't contribute much in terms of passing, defending, rebounding or creating off the dribble.
7. Isaac Bonga
PG | Germany | 6-9 | 203 lbs.
Reid Forgrave's overall prospect ranking: No. 50
Once seen as a potential lottery pick, Bonga is secondary playmaker with good length, vision and passing ability who has been allowed to play point guard despite his height. His outside shot and handle need a lot of work, but he's the youngest player in the draft and could improve over the next few seasons. Defensively he should be able to guard multiple positions.
8. Tryggvi Hlinason
C | Iceland | 7-1 | 255 lbs
Reid Forgrave's overall prospect ranking: No. 79
Hlinason is a giant who grew up on a mountain farm in Iceland and only started playing basketball about four years ago. He is a good screener and lob target with a 7-foot-4 wingspan. He has good defensive instincts despite his inexperience, but his mobility could be a problem in the NBA.
9. Cyrille Eliezer-Vanerot
SF | France | 6-8 | 228 lbs.
Reid Forgrave's overall prospect ranking: No. 93
Eliezer-Vanerot has an NBA body (7-2 wingspan) and shot 36.5% from 3 in the French league this season, so he could draw some interest. He is a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions. He is auto-eligible because he was born in 1996.
10. Marc Garcia
SG | Spain | 6-6 | 183 lbs.
Reid Forgrave's overall prospect ranking: No. 105
Garcia is a scoring wing with a nice outside shot and the ability to slash and finish in the lane. He was dominant at the European youth levels and was viewed as a first-round prospect a few years ago. However, he has struggled to translate his game to the pro-level due to his lack of strength, explosiveness and consistency.
11. Aleksandar Lazic
PF | Bosnia | 6-8 | 209 lbs.
Reid Forgrave's overall prospect ranking: No. 111
Lazic is a good rebounder who could be an interesting stretch-4 if his outside shot was more consistent. He is auto-eligible this year, and he might get drafted because he plays for prospect factory Mega Bemax and his agent is Misko Raznatovic, who represents many big-time European players.
12. Aleksa Ilic
PF | Montenegro | 6-9 | 196 lbs.
Reid Forgrave's overall prospect ranking: No. 119
Ilic is another automatically eligible client of European power agent Raznatovic. He is super long, with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, and a good athlete. He could be a decent long-term prospect if he adds some much-needed muscle.
