Names like Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell have become synonymous with the 2015 NBA draft, but there're a handful of talented International players flying under the radar who're expected to be top 10 picks. ESPN analyst Chad Ford weighed in on the top three prospects overseas, including the Derrick Rose-like Emmanuel Mudiay and the Pau Gasol-like Kristaps Porzingis.
OK, so you have probably heard of Mudiay. He's the mysterious 19-year-old Congo native who decided to play overseas in China rather than play a year of unpaid college ball in the United States. An ankle injury limited him to less than 20 games in China, but despite the lack of tape on him, at least two NBA analysts have compared him to Rose.
Ford, one of the analysts to make the comparison, ranked Mudiay as the No. 1 International prospect based on what scouts and general managers told him after watching Mudiay - and the other two prospects - play at the Nike Hoop Summit over the weekend.
"Mudiay's appeal is based around a terrific combination of size, athleticism and power at the point guard position," Ford wrote Monday. "He can get anywhere he wants on the floor, finishes at the rim, and plays with a terrific motor. His jump shot still needs more work and he can still polish his point guard skills, but he's likely to be the first international player to hear his name called on draft night. Look for him to go in the No. 2 to No. 5 range."
Most mock drafts have Mudiay being a top five pick.
Porzingis, a power forward from Latvia who played in Spain, followed. Ford said Porzingis "isn't far behind Mudiay - if he's behind him at all," with one general manager comparing the 19-year-old to Gasol.
"He's an athletic, super-skilled 7-footer who can do everything well," the general manager told Ford. "I was watching him warm up and had flashbacks to when I saw Pau Gasol take the floor for the first time in Spain, only this kid is much more athletic than Gasol but plays with that same fluidity. I've been asking my team since then: Are you sure he's not the No. 1 guy? Are these guys in college really better than him?"
Another long-time international scout told Ford: "He's my favorite player in this draft. I keep telling my staff: This one is not like other international players. He's the real deal. He's special in all the ways a player can be special. He just needs to get stronger. That's it. He's going to be a big-time pro."
Ford listed Porzingis as the top power forward in the draft, due to his size (6-foot-11), skill, athleticism and perimeter game. He also compared Porzingis to a Dirk Nowitzki or a more athletic Nikola Mirotic. Although Porzingis needs to get stronger, Ford has him going in the No. 4 to No. 6 range.
Mario Hezonja, a Croatian swingman who played this past season in Spain, came in at No. 3. Ford admitted the Croatian was "right in the mix with Porzingis and Mudiay, and on one or two boards, higher than both of them." According to one NBA scout, Hezonja is the best wing player available in the 2015 draft.
"I really love him," the scout told ESPN. "I love Winslow, too, but I really think if this kid was in college we'd all be going crazy for him. He's tough, he's athletic, he shoots the s--- out of it. And the kid just knows how to play. He's going to be really, really good in the NBA. He's the first wing on my board."
For comparison, Ford said Hezonja was like Duke freshman Justise Winslow but with a bigger body and a better shot. Ford projects Hezonja to go in the No. 6 to No. 10 range.
