NBA Draft 2012: 5 International Prospects Destined to Be Steals

International prospects are often the most difficult players to scout, but that doesn't mean that teams won't overlook selecting them at the 2012 NBA draft.

International players may dominate their respective leagues, but things change in the NBA. While there are many other respectable international leagues, there's nothing quite like the NBA. The players are bigger, faster and stronger.

Fans are often left scratching their heads on draft night when they hear an international player's name called, as many of them are not very well known.

These five players should be well known, and have the potential to be five of the biggest steals of the NBA draft.

Evan Fournier, France

Evan Fournier has been the most hyped of all international prospects and many mock drafts have him going in the late first round. Even at that point in the draft he'll be considered a steal.

Fournier is a 6'7" wing player that played exceptionally well at the 2011 Nike Hoop Summit. At the summit, Fournier displayed great body control, athleticism and skill at attacking the rim, scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds in the process.

He was just 2-of-8 from the field in the game, though, and consistency with his jumper is one of the main things that he needs to work on before we can call him an NBA star. He has all the potential to be just that, however. In fact, he has the potential to be even more.

If he can latch on with the right team, Fournier could receive significant playing time. If he plays around 20-25 minutes per night, he could be given the chance he needs to prove that he belongs.

Should Fournier come in and average 12 or so points per game, he would already be considered one of the steals of Round 1.

Ognjen Kuzmic, Bosnia

Ognjen Kuzmic, a 7'1" center out of Bosnia, has the potential to be a solid center in the NBA. He has not been playing basketball for very long, but he already displays strong post moves with the ability to improve.

He is an effective scorer in the low post; mid-range jumpers are not his specialty, on the other hand. To take that next step to becoming a solid center, he'll have to learn how to hit the jumper with some regularity.

Last season, he played with the Clinicas Rincon in the Spanish LEB-Gold league, averaging 10.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

While any team that drafts him may have to allow him to play in Europe for a few more seasons to hone his skills, he could be a solid choice somewhere in the second round.

If he pans out like his skills suggest that he will, there will be teams wishing that they had taken him with their first-round selections. 

Kostas Papanikolaou, Greece

Kostas Papanikolaou is a 6'8", 225-pound lefty that can score from both in the post and the perimeter from the forward position. He's very athletic and is also capable of playing multiple positions because of his size and skill set.

While creating space off the dribble is not one of his strong suits, that is something that he can work on. That, coupled with his inconsistent jumper, must be fixed before he can be a steady player at the next level.

He scored just 7.4 points per game last season with the Olympiacos of the Euroleague, but his 18-point performance in the championship game against CSKA Moscow proved he has great potential.

Papanikolaou is likely no more than a late second-round pick at this point, and there's even a decent chance that he doesn't get drafted.

If given the shot, he could turn some heads with his surprising athleticism at 6'8". With an improved jumper, he could become a solid role player in the NBA, and one of the steals of the 2012 draft.

Furkan Aldemir, Turkey

At 6'9" and 220 pounds, Turkish power forward Furkan Aldemir has the size necessary to be an athletic big man in the NBA.

Scoring is not his forte—he averaged just 8.5 points per game last season—but he is a monster on the glass. Last season with Galatasaray MP Instanbul, he grabbed 6.6 rebounds per game.

That was nothing compared to his performance in the U-20 European Championships, a tournament where he averaged 15.8 rebounds per game. Rebounds, not points.

Many of his scoring opportunities come on offensive rebounds, so he'll have to work on his offensive game if he wants to succeed at the next level. There will likely be teams willing to take a flier on him, though, as it's not often that rebounders like him come along.

With a decent mid-range jumper, Aldemir could turn himself into a double-double machine and a steal late in Round 2. If he doesn't, he'll just be your everyday rebounder off the bench.

Nihad Djedovic, Turkey

Call it a stretch, but Demetrius Laffitte of NetScouts.com has compared Nihad Djedovic to a right-handed Manu Ginobili. That's quite the comparison for a guy who has yet to ever step foot on an NBA court.

The scouting report fits the comparison, however. Djedovic can create his own shot, shoot well off of screens and play lockdown defense along the perimeter. He started last season off playing for Lottomatica Roma, but finished it with Galatasaray MP. He finished with double-doubles for both teams.

It's hard to expect anybody to become the next Ginobili, even if Djedovic does display some striking similarities to the San Antonio Spurs' star.

Regardless, if Djedovic can turn into half of the star that Ginobili is, his team will be happy with the selection. He's another guy that will likely go late in the second round, but his potential makes him a potential steal candidate.

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