In B/R’s mock draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder selected guard/wing Leandro Bolmaro out of Barcelona.
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A lengthy ball handler who can play multiple positions. Does this sound like the Oklahoma City Thunder’s type?
Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft has them adding such a player, mocking them to select guard/wing Leandro Bolmaro out of Barcelona with the No. 25 pick.
Bolmaro has very limited time in EuroLeague play, averaging just nine minutes in six games this year, but his 6-foot-6 height in a ball handler role is intriguing for NBA teams.
B/R writer Jonathan Wasserman writes:
Teams received another chance to look at Bolmaro, who recently got minutes with Barcelona in the Spanish ACB SuperCup. It’s worth questioning his skill set for scoring, but at 6’6″, he offers unique ball-handling and passing, as well as high energy and effort defending around the perimeter.
Over the three Barcelona leagues Bolmaro played in during the 2019-20 season, he averaged eight points, 2.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 17 minutes per game, according to Real GM,
If the Thunder are confident in his potential as a creator — and confident in their own ability to help him develop — he’d be a player that could be solid that late in the first round.
With the No. 53 pick, Wasserman has the Thunder drafting Mason Jones, a shooting guard out of Arkansas.
Wasserman writes:
Jones deserves looks after leading the SEC in scoring with his improved isolation game and transition offense. He’ll have to adjust to a new off-ball role, but for a 6’5″ guard, his creation, shot-making and strong finishing are worth betting on.
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound player averaged 22 points per game and shot almost 54% from inside the arc. From 3-point range, he shot 35%.
The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Leandro Bolmaro in SB Nation’s post-NBA lottery mock draft.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are in a nice position in terms of their current roster and future assets that can allow them to take a big swing with the No. 25 draft pick without risking upsetting the team’s current balance.
Oklahoma City took Barcelona guard Leandro Bolmaro in this mock draft.
O’Donnell writes:
“Bolmaro is intriguing as a 6’7 ball handler who played de facto point guard for Barcelona this season while splitting time between their senior team and lower divisions. He does a good job playing with pace with the ball in hands and has the vision and size to find shooters on the perimeter.”
That height and 6-foot-8 is certainly intriguing, particularly next to similarly large Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan.
While Bolmaro played a lead ball handler role, he is listed on the NBA site as a small forward. His range of positions and ability to be a facilitator is ideal.
He doesn’t have a lot of proven experience, though. He averaged eight points, 2.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 17 minutes per game over the three Barcelona leagues he played in, according to Real GM,
Additionally, his 3-point shot was not good.
“He was a sub-30 percent three-point shooter, which will have to a point of emphasis for his development moving forward.”
Bolmaro has shown he’s a good passer and creator, but will need to prove he’s ready to compete at the NBA. SB Nation thinks it’s worth it for the Thunder to take a look at the guard.
In a new mock draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select Barcelona guard Leandro Bolmaro while considering draft trades.
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The Philadelphia 76ers were lucky enough to pick themselves up an asset when the Oklahoma City Thunder won enough games in the regular season in order to have the pick convey to Philadelphia at 21 overall.
There are a lot of ways general manager Elton Brand and the Sixers could go with their selection. They could attach the pick to a contract such as Tobias Harris or Al Horford in order to move a big contract off their books. They could also keep the pick and select a prospect with a lot of potential.
In a mock draft done by Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo, he has the Sixers looking at a ball-handler with length in Leandro Bolmaro of Barcelona. However, he also suggests the Sixers could trade this pick too:
Although he hasn’t always been the easiest player for decision-makers to see live, Bolmaro won a lot of people over this season with his playmaking chops and competitiveness. As a tall ball-handling guard with some real creativity to his game, and a player who can be stashed overseas for another year, he has first-round appeal. Noting that Philadelphia also has two picks in the 30s, it would make some sense to consider moving this selection in the interest of adding to the roster via trade, then grabbing a potential role player or two in the second round.
At 19-years old, Bolmaro would be an absolute project for the Sixers so this seems like a pick that would not make much sense to them. In a perfect world, Philadelphia trades this pick either to move up or they attach the pick in a Horford trade. [lawrence-related id=37464,37458,37453]
Which prospects in the 2020 NBA Draft should the Boston Celtics avoid? We asked a panel of expert their thoughts, and the results might surprise you!
Usually, most articles about an upcoming NBA draft try and figure out the best possible prospects the Boston Celtics or other teams in the league should be looking to select with their precious draft assets, and for good reason.
Perhaps the most valuable team-building tools in a cap-restricted league, draft picks are only as helpful as they players they are used to land, so maximizing your knowledge in making that decision is a normal first step in the process of making the right decision.
But knowing who not to take can be almost as important as the data guiding the player a franchise ultimately settles on, and it is that end that this article will focus on.
The Celtics Wire surveyed a cross-section of respected draft experts, beat writers and analysts around the NBA media sphere, with a solid balance of non-Boston writers and fans to offset green-tinted lenses.
The results we received highlighted some strong feelings about some players we expected, as well as a few we didn’t — and we think the analysis of all the prospects brought up as must-avoids an intriguing window into our collective idea about what it is the Celtics want, and should want.
We’ll start with the prospects mentioned by only one respondent, and move our way towards those with the most concern around them, saving the biggest red-flag prospects for last.
So without further ado, let’s look at the results.
The Boston Celtics brought on seven rookies in 2019-20, and have as many as four incoming 2020 picks; here’s five players already overseas who might be draft-and-stash candidates.
The Boston Celtics have a lot of rookies this season — seven, in fact — and have as many as four draft picks in the 2020 NBA Draft.
You don’t need to be a general manager or math expert to realize a 15-man roster with 11 players with a season or less experience isn’t exactly an optimally constructed team, which is a roundabout way of saying the Celtics are going to have to make some moves to avoid wasting draft assets.
Some players aren’t likely to come back. Others may choose to leave. Trades may be made — to consolidate players, draft assets, or both. But there’s one other possibility in team president Danny Ainge’s toolkit that he may dust off despite it not working out so well last time around.
That time of course would be when he drafted French big man Guerschon Yabusele, who, while an interesting prospect, failed to develop into the prospect hoped for once he arrived stateside.
But this time, the bulk of the Celtics draft assets are in the late first round, with a second rounder likely still in range for a quality prospect, with some luck.
Who might be a good option to spend a season or two overseas while the team takes some more time sorting out who’ll stick from it’s current, colossal class of rookies?
While college basketball players may capture more fame domestically, international prospects are fundamentally essential to the NBA Draft.
While college basketball players may capture more fame domestically, international prospects are fundamentally essential to the NBA draft.
Based on research conducted by HoopsHype, the average NBA draft over the past four years has featured 9.3 players who played basketball overseas the season prior to their selection. As such, we looked at the top international prospects (plus others worth considering) most likely to hear their names called in the 2020 NBA Draft.
For the sake of consistency in evaluation, American-born prospects who participated in the Australian NBL’s Next Stars program (e.g. LaMelo Ball, RJ Hampton and Terry Armstrong) were not included in this exercise.
Especially with so much uncertainty surrounding the 2020 NBA draft due to the coronavirus, the international class will be fascinating to watch. While it may be harder to evaluate them without a traditional NBA draft combine, some teams may prefer to “punt” on this year and opt for more of a “draft-and-stash” route.
Especially for teams (e.g. New Orleans Pelicans and Philadelphia 76ers) with surplus picks, it would make sense to select a player to own their draft rights with the intention of them playing abroad and continuing to develop.
1. KILLIAN HAYES, RATIOPHARM ULM (GERMANY)
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Killian Hayes is a 6-foot-5 guard who can play on or off the ball and has made a legitimate case for himself as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. The French prospect led the German League in transition scoring (3.3 points per game) at just 18 years old, connecting on more than 84 percent of these attempts. Hayes ranked fifth-best for isolation scoring (2.3 ppg) in the EuroCup, shooting well off the dribble. Meanwhile, his distribution (5.1 assists per game) finished as the third-best during those games. The guard won MVP at the U16 Euro Championship in 2017 and All-Tournament Team at the 2018 U17 World Cup in 2018.
Prediction: Lottery
2. DENI AVDIJA, MACCABI TEL AVIV (ISRAEL)
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Deni Avdija is a 6-foot-8 forward who can be a secondary ball-handler and cutter for an NBA team. His draft stock has been up and down as his minutes were limited in Euroleague and his jump shot was fairly ineffective. But he scored 21 points with eight rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal while also shooting 3-for-6 from beyond the arc at the 2020 Eurobasket qualifiers. The prospect took home MVP honors at the U20 European Championship in 2019.
Prediction: Lottery / First round
3. ABDOULAYE N’DOYE, CHOLET BASKET (FRANCE)
Abdoulaye N’Doye is a 6-foot-7 guard who also boasts an enormous 7-foot-2 wingspan. He has a similar physical profile as NBA forwards like Robert Covington and Trevor Ariza, except he has experience playing on-ball for Cholet. N’Doye shot 44.1 percent from three-point range in the French League last season and 40.0 percent from long distance during the U20 Euro Championships in 2018. N’Doye, who previously tested the waters for the NBA last summer, is a bit older than other prospects on this list as he was automatically eligible this year rather than early entry.
Prediction: Late first / Early second
4. ALEKSEJ POKUSEVSKI, OLYMPIACOS (GREECE)
Aleksej Pokusevski is a 7-foot playmaker who has a similar physical profile to Thon Maker, Kostas Antetokounmpo and Bol Bol. There is less film to study for Pokusevski than other top international prospects because he plays in a low-level Greek league, though he has proven himself to be a solid transition finisher. The prospect put up splits of 14.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 5.8 blocks and two three-pointers per 36 minutes at the U18 European Championships in 2019. His wiry frame is the biggest concern on his way to the NBA, but if he adds size, he is someone who has the potential to be the ultimate sleeper of this class.
Prediction: Late first / Early second
5. LEANDRO BOLMARO, FC BARCELONA (SPAIN)
(Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
Leandro Bolmaro is a 6-foot-7 forward who has been skyrocketing on draft boards lately. With a unique blend of size and court vision, he is capable of serving as a secondary playmaker with experience as the ball handler in pick-and-roll sets or occasionally when pushing the break in transition. He has played well when the ball is not in his hands, too, shooting efficiently when coming off screens.
Prediction: Late first / Early second
6. THEO MALEDON, ASVEL (FRANCE)
(LUCAS BARIOULET/AFP via Getty Images)
Theo Maledon is a long, skinny point guard who was very solid in the pick-and-roll for ASVEL. The 6-foot-4 prospect has been accurate when shooting jumpers off the dribble, showing that he is able to create his own offense. His most notable accolade thus far was averaging 14.6 points and 3.1 assists per game in the U16 Euro Championships in 2017, leading France to gold.
Prediction: First round
Prediction: Late first / Early second
7. MARKO SIMONOVIC, MEGA (SERBIA)
Marko Simonovic is a 6-foot-10 prospect who was one of the top scorers in the Adriatic League, averaging 16.8 points per game. The 20-year-old prospect added 8.0 rebounds with 1.2 blocks per game in 2019-20. He also averaged 17.3 points while shooting 41.7 percent from three-point range, also adding 3.0 rebounds per game at the U20 European Championship in 2019. He has been especially productive when operating as the roll man out of pick-and-roll sets.
Prediction: Second round / Undrafted
8. YAM MADAR, HAPOEL TEL AVIV (ISRAEL)
Yam Madar is a 6-foot-3 point guard who averaged 13.7 points and 5.3 assists per 36 minutes in the Israeli BSL. He played extraordinarily well for Israel in the U20 European Championship in 2019, securing a gold medal behind 15.9 points and 7.7 assists per game. He looked especially comfortable running a fast-paced offense when pushing the break, recording the most transition assists per game among all participants at the tournament.
Prediction: Second round / Undrafted
9. GEORGIOS KALAITZAKIS, NEVEZIS (LITHUANIA)
Georgios Kalaitzakis was the overall leading scorer at the U20 European Championship in 2019. The 6-foot-8 prospect finished most of his opportunities as the ball-handler in pick-and-roll possessions, ranking among the leaders for assists in a set offense during the tournament.
Prediction: Second round / Undrafted
10. ROKAS JOKUBAITIS, ZALGIRIS (LITHUANIA)
Rokas Jokubaitis has thrived on unguarded catch-and-shoot attempts but has also been able to connect fairly well when shooting off the dribble as well. The 6-foot-4 guard was accurate when finishing possessions as the ball-handler in transition. He is most often used in pick-and-roll sets and when looking only at possessions in a set offense, his distribution also ranked near the best among all participants at the U19 World Cup in 2019.
Prediction: Second / Undrafted
HONORABLE MENTIONS
11. Borisa Simanic, Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)
He is a 6-foot-11 prospect with a 7-foot-3 wingspan who has been incredibly effective on unguarded jump shots off the catch. He has not been as sharp off the bounce but with his length and shooting ability, he projects as a potentially viable spot-up option in the NBA.
12. Paul Eboua, Victoria Libertas Pesaro (Italia)
A versatile scorer who can produce on spot-up and transition opportunities and as the roll man in pick-and-roll sets, he has struggled with efficiency. His frame (6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan) makes him a compelling NBA prospect.
13. Arturs Kurucs, Vig Riga (Latvia)
The younger brother of Brooklyn Nets forward Rodions Kurucs is a 6-foot-3 guard who has been accurate when shooting off the dribble. He ranked among the leaders in total scoring during the U19 World Cup in 2019, averaging 15.6 points per game.
14. Aleksa Radanov, FMP Belgrade (Serbia)
Aleksa Radanov is a 6-foot-7 forward who has operated as the ball-handler in pick-and-roll sets. He has impressed when finishing possessions as the ball handler in a transition offense as well. Radanov is 22 years old and automatically eligible for the 2020 NBA draft.
15) Gytis Masiulis, Neptunas Klaipeda (Lithuania)
A 6-foot-9 forward from Lithuania who has produced well in pick-and-roll actions as the roll man and on pick-and-pop opportunities. He was one of the most efficient high-volume scorers when he competed in the U20 Euro Championship in 2018, averaging 18.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
NCAA prospects have until April 26 to declare early entry for 2020 NBA Draft. There are several notable prospects who could join this class.
NCAA prospects have until next week to declare early entry for 2020 NBA Draft. There are several notable prospects who could join this class.
Two freshmen (Precious Achiuwa and Jahmi’us Ramsey) are widely projected as first-round prospects. Meanwhile, three sophomores (Isaiah Joe, Aaron Henry and Joel Ayayi) typically appear on mock drafts.
Others who are likely Top-100 prospects: Romeo Weems, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Filip Petrusev, Joe Wieskamp, Corey Kispert, Terrence Shannon Omer Yurtseven, Yves Pons, AJ Lawson, Charles Bassey, Anton Watson and Miles McBride.
Below is a list reviewing all of the key players in college basketball who have yet to make a public decision about their NBA futures, even if it is simply just to test the waters so long as they already applied to receive feedback from the Undergraduate Advisory Committee before April 16.
Scouting and preparing for the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft is incredibly challenging due to circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
Scouting and preparing for the upcoming 2020 NBA draft is incredibly challenging due to circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
As always, we examine the mock drafts from the most trusted analysts to give us the best idea of a consensus for what the upcoming class will look like in June. The latest 2020 NBA mock drafts from experts at ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com, Bleacher Report, NBADraft.net, The Athletic, SB Nation, Sporting News and USA Today Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire were used for these rankings.
Currently, the first three players expected to be selected (Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman) have remained in the exact same order for the third aggregate mock draft in a row.
After dropping from No. 5 all the way to No. 11 between December and January, Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Deni Avdija has jumped back to No. 4 for this version.
He played well recently at the 2020 Eurobasket Qualifiers, scoring 21 points with eight rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal while also shooting 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. This was a welcome change of pace for scouts hoping to learn as much as possible about Avdija as he had averaged just 4.0 points in 14.3 minutes in Euroleague games earlier this season.
Several other prospects playing overseas have seen their stock increase as well. This makes some sense considering many in the NCAA rely on their performance in March Madness to solidify their draft position whereas the international players gain momentum in other ways.
Killian Hayes, who was ranked No. 18 overall on our last aggregate mock draft, jumped up to No. 8 for this edition. The 6-foot-5 guard was 14-for-61 (39 percent) from 3-point range while also connecting on 90.9 percent of his free-throw attempts during Eurocup action. Several outlets are currently projecting him as a Top 5 pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
Another prospect playing outside of the United States but currently making waves is Leandro Bolmaro. He debuted on our aggregate mock draft in the most recent edition before this one but has jumped all the way to No. 29 this time around.
Meanwhile, in the NCAA, some college basketball players managed to make some serious momentum for themselves before the season was unexpectedly cut short. Some of those players are seniors Killian Tillie (Gonzaga), Grant Riller (Charleston), Udoka Azubuike (Kansas) and Desmond Bane (TCU).
As mentioned here, it makes sense for upperclassmen to be more appealing in this class than in previous years. Seniors have far more game film to draw film which may be necessary considering individual team workouts and even the 2020 NBA Draft Combine may be canceled. Plus, older players are likely more ready to contribute immediately.
I wrote about the top 25 NCAA basketball seniors based on their draft stock:
On the flip side, there are freshmen around the country who have seen their draft stock drastically decline in recent months.
Oregon’s N’Faly Dante has fallen off our boards completely after playing just twelve games and making no appearances in the starting lineup. Kahlil Whitney, who was considered a lottery pick when we did this exercise in October 2019, also dropped off after withdrawing from Kentucky.
Some other freshmen who saw their draft stock fall: Duke’s Matthew Hurt was ranked No. 16 overall back in October but is now at No. 76 overall. LSU’s Trendon Watford was ranked No. 14 in October but has fallen to No. 63. Florida’s Scottie Lewis was No. 9 in July and is currently No. 53 overall.
Matthew Hurt came into this year looking to fill @DukeMBB’s shooting void and, although the Minnesota native shot well, his inconsistency plagued him at times:https://t.co/OJnH743xDe
Less drastic but still valid: Arizona’s Nico Mannion has fallen from No. 6 back in January 2020 all the way to No. 16 now in April. Likewise, UNC’s Cole Anthony dropped from No. 2 back in July 2019 to No. 10 in our new study.
But some encouraging news for prospects who were considered Top-25 recruits coming out of high school but had a disappointing freshman year (e.g. Duke’s Wendell Moore as well as the aforementioned Dante, Whitney, Watford, Hurt and Lewis) can be found in Kentucky’s Immanuel Quickley.
The 6-foot-3 guard was the No. 13 overall recruit in the nation coming into Kentucky as a freshman. But after averaging just 5.2 points as a freshman, he returned for his sophomore campaign.
Fortunately, the SEC Player of the Year dramatically improved his draft stock in 2019-20. His season was highlighted by 21.3 points per game in February and a free throw percentage (92.3%) that ranked as the sixth-best among all underclassmen. This month, he debuted on our aggregate mock draft at No. 42 overall.
HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.
