International flavour spices up NBA Draft 2006

By Nebojsa Petrovacki Jun 29, 2006, 15:30 GMT

Los Angeles - In one of the most fluid NBA Drafts in recent memory, during which only Portland Trail Blazers made six different trades, there was no consensus number-one overall pick before league commissioner David Stern read Andrea Bargnani's name at the beginning of one of the more exciting nights from the theatre at New York's famed Madison Square Garden.

However, the choice of 20-year-old Italian by the Toronto Raptors as the first-ever European player to be drafted number one overall in the NBA Draft is hardly a surprise.

Even though Raptors' general manager Bryan Colangelo declared himself indecisive on the eve of the draft, he recently hired Bargnani's former coach, Maurizio Gherardini at the Italian powerhouse Benetton Treviso to hint the direction where the only Canadian NBA team is going to go with the highest pick of this year's draft.

And there are plenty of reasons why Bargnani, though unable to participate in any of the NBA teams' pre-draft workouts or camps since Italian league's play-offs finished just six days before the draft, made history Wednesday night in Manhattan.

Coming to the NBA as one of the leaders of one of the best European teams in the last decade or so, Bargnani is ready to play and contribute for his new club, which is still desperately finding its voice in the NBA.

Playing a significant role in Euroleague - the champion of which, Maccabi Tel Aviv, actually beat his new team in the friendly match-up last summer - the 2.11-metre (6-foot-11), 111-kilogram (245-pound) man exhibited a special sort of touch for basketball, outside shot and abilities to penetrate the basket.

At this stage of his career, he can be favourably compared to Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks' superstar and the NBA Most Valuable Player candidate this year.

Namely, while Nowitzki was a poor rebounder coming to the league (he averaged only one rebound per game in his NBA rookie season), Bargnani does not have any problems leaping on top of his opponents, since he took down 5.5 boards last season in Italian league alone.

As was the case last year, this NBA Draft also had five international players taken in the first round.

The other top-ten draft picks from abroad were Mouhamed Saer Sene from Senegal, the fourth seven-footer (2.13 metres tall) the Seattle Supersonics picked in the first round in the last seven years.

Only an intriguing prospect at this point of his career, the 20- year-old African played for a weak Belgian league in Europe and is still too raw to contribute in the NBA in the next couple of seasons.

Thabo Sevolosha, a 22-year-old Swiss player with South African roots taken at number 13 by the Philadelphia 76ers and swiftly traded to Chicago, is probably the best parameter defender taken in this year's draft.

Being 1.98 metres (6-foot-6) tall and only 90 kilograms (198 pounds), he actually dominated the boards against Bargnani, picking 15 rebounds this season when their two teams met in the Italian league play.

Oleksiy Pecherov, the 21-year-old seven-footer (2.13 metres tall) from Ukraine, was the first ever international player drafted by the Washington Wizards in the first round.

Picked at number 18, Pecherov will probably stay with his current French team until he improves his overall athleticism, even though he can hit long-range shots and crash the boards almost at the NBA level right now.

Sergio Rodriguez, generously listed at 1.91 metres (6 foot 3), is probably one of the most creative Spanish point guards in years.

He was taken 27th overall by Phoenix Suns, which comes as somewhat of a surprise, since he is years away from playing the level of reigning two-time MVP Steve Nash and Brazilian backup Leandro Barbosa.

Unfortunately, he is similar to these Phoenix guards in the way that he didn't play much defence for his team from Madrid.

The Suns, however, dealt his rights to the trade-happy Trail Blazers for cash considerations.

One of the rare Englishmen to make it through the NBA Draft is Joel Freeland, the last pick in the first round taken by Portland Trail Blazers.

Already designated by Portland's brass as a player they will leave with his current club in Spain for the next several years to develop his slender 19-year-old 2.08-metre (6-foot-10), 102-kilogram (225- ponud) frame, he is not going to contribute in the league for at least half a decade from now.

The second round of this year's NBA Draft has seen a plethora of international prospects picked by the teams that are hoping for the best with their choices.

Kosta Perovic, a 2.18-metre (7-foot-2) centre from Serbia, went 38th to the Golden State Warriors, and Lior Eliyahu was the first Israeli-born player ever drafted at 44th by Orlando.

Explosive 2.11-metre (6-foot-11) Belarusian Vladimir Veremeenko went 48th to the Washington Wizards, and the Los Angeles Lakers picked Senegal centre Cheick Samb, at number 51.

Yotam Halperin, another Israeli, went 53rd to Seattle, Nigerian power-forward Ejike Ugboaja went 55th to Cleveland, Bosnian centre Edin Bavcic went 56th to Toronto, and another seven-footer, Loukas Mavrokefalidis went to Minnesota at 57th. The San Antonio Spurs are hoping for another great international second round find in 2.11- metre Croatian power forward Damir Markota.