SCOUTING THE TOP FOREIGN PROSPECTS


While there are no Gasols in this year's draft -- even Yao is considered a two-to three-year project -- there is a plethora of talent.

The top European prospect is Nikoloz Tskitishvili, who plays for Benetton Treviso in Italy. Tskitishvili is a two guard in a 7-foot frame. Think Nowitzki with a cross-over. According to NBA scouts, Tskitishvili is the most athletic big man they've ever scouted in Europe. He's got a terrific first step, loves to take the ball the basket, has a lethal outside jumper and great handles. He's also extremely raw.

At 19, he barely gets playing time on his European club. He's very thin and doesn't have the low-post game that Nowitzki or Gasol does. Tskitishvili's agent, Marc Fleisher, told ESPN Insider that he will put the 7-footer's name in the draft. If Tskitishvili is guaranteed to go in the top 10, he'll stay in the draft. According to Fleisher, Tskitishvili's contract with Benneton doesn't have a buyout until next season, but he may be able to make his way to the NBA sooner if Tskitishvili is able to pay off his team the way Gasol did last year.

The other top foreign player, Hilario Maybiner, plays for Vasco de Gama in Brazil. Maybiner, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound man child has already left Brazil and is reportedly working out in Cleveland in preparation for the NBA draft.

Maybiner is an incredible athlete, who runs the floor, blocks shots, rebounds and already has a polished low-post game. Scouts love his aggressiveness, especially on the offensive boards. While he lacks the face-the-basket skills that teams like to see, he's considered a top prospect in the draft IF he can prove to teams that his team in Brazil will let him play in the NBA. If he's eligible, he could move all the way up into the lottery. If he isn't, he'll slip to the late first round.

Several teams told Insider that they were getting mixed messages on Maybiner from his team. Vasco de Gama claims it has Maybiner signed to a long-term deal and the team would require a significant buyout to let him go.

Several other Europeans should also slip into the late first round this season.

Tskitishvili's teammate, Bostjan Nachbar, a 6-foot-9 swingman from Slovenia, is a run-and-gun type player. He loves to play on the break, has excellent ball-handing skills and a killer outside jumper. Scouts say that he reminds them of a bigger version of Hidayet Turkoglu. In the Euro League, Nachbar is averaging 12.1 ppg in 25 mpg for Benneton.

Turkish big man Faith Solak, a 7-foot, 280 pound center has also had his share of suitors. Solak is a strong low post defender with emerging offensive skills. While he's a lot closer to Vitaly Potapenko than Gasol, with the lack of true centers in this draft, he could easily slip into the first round.

A few more combo guards -- Jiri Welsch, Sani Becirovic and Juan Carlos Navarro -- have also caught scouts' eyes. The 6-foot-5 Welsch, who plays for Olimpija Ljubljana, is a tough scorer and defender. Welsch is a penetrator who likes to take the ball to the basket or dish on the dribble drive. He's got a sweet outside jumper, and is a solid decision maker and leader. He averaged 17.1 ppg on 56.8 percent shooting during the Euro league Top 16. Scouts project his as a late first round, early second round pick.

The 6-foot-4 Becirovic, of Kinder Bologna in Italy, has been compared to Drazen Petrovic because of his shooting and the ability to take his man off the dribble. However, a late-season injury may keep Becirovic out of the draft this year.

Navarro, a 6-foot-3 combo guard, is very quick and an explosive scorer. However, scouts believe Navarro might not be able to play point guard in the pros -- he's really a two guard in a point guard's body. His lack of a consistent outside shot also hurts his chances of getting drafted.

Another player on teams' radar screens is 6-foot-10 power forward David Andersen. Andersen, originally from Australia, is playing for Kinder Bologna this year. Andersen has a soft touch around the basket, has the ability to put the ball on the floor, and plays strong in the post. He's a project, he only averaged about 8 ppg this season, but he's been mentioned as a late first round, early second pick by several scouts.

There's a lot of buzz over 18-year-old Christos Tapoutos of AEK Athens. The sweet shooting 6-foot-8 small forward is already being touted as the next Toni Kukoc. He only averaged 8 mpg in Europe this season, but teams typically don't play their younger players for a few years. Several scouts told Insider that there's a possibility he could be in the draft. If he is, he'll slip into the first round on potential alone.

Finally, Europe even has its own version of LeBron James. His name is Darko Milicic, a 16-year-old, 6-foot-11 phenom from Yugoslavia who has everyone in Europe buzzing. Milicic has the ball-handling skills of a guard, the shot-blocking skills of a center and the athleticism of Kevin Garnett. He won't be in the draft this year, but he'll be making a buzz in the NBA sooner than you think.

Other players who will get a look in the late first round/second round include Luis Scola, PF, Tau Ceramica Baskonia; Carlos Delfino, SG, Reggio Calabria; Lazaros Papadopoulos, Greece; Mario Stojic, Italy; Viktor Khyrpa, Russia; and Andreas Glyniadakis, Greece.

Insider will give you a more in depth scouting report on all the top European prospects next week when we head to Bologna, Italy to scout the European Final Four.

The other top foreign player, Hilario Maybiner, plays for Vasco de Gama in Brazil. Maybiner, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound man child has already left Brazil and is reportedly working out in Cleveland in preparation for the NBA draft.

Maybiner is an incredible athlete, who runs the floor, blocks shots, rebounds and already has a polished low-post game. Scouts love his aggressiveness, especially on the offensive boards. While he lacks the face-the-basket skills that teams like to see, he's considered a top prospect in the draft IF he can prove to teams that his team in Brazil will let him play in the NBA. If he's eligible, he could move all the way up into the lottery. If he isn't, he'll slip to the late first round.

Several teams told Insider that they were getting mixed messages on Maybiner from his team. Vasco de Gama claims it has Maybiner signed to a long-term deal and the team would require a significant buyout to let him go.

I like Hilario more and more as i hear more about him. The difference between him and most of these other power forwards and centers coming into the nba is they are all very raw offensively while his offensive game is already fairly developed. Not only that, but he has those natural tools(size, strength, quickness) that make him a very promising player with loads of potential. My only question is which name comes first Maybyner or Hilario because this is really beginning to confuse me.