2011 NBA Draft: Top 15 Foreign Prospects You Need To Know About

As the NBA Draft approaches, many are hearing the names of the March Madness players. Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette are getting national attention and experts all over the country are trying to determine their slotting and their effectiveness in the NBA.

However, there is a whole other sector of players bound for the NBA and they aren't anywhere near the NCAA tournament. The list of foreign players looking to enter this year's draft is growing. With such rich talent overseas, they could be moving themselves ahead of many of the American players.

Here is a look at the top 15 NBA prospects on foreign soil today. We'll assess their strengths, weaknesses and anything else deemed relevant to their prospects as NBA players. 

15. Jeremy Tyler, PF/C

Jeremy Tyler is a USA man, but he's been playing abroad for the past year. He's been playing with the Tokyo Apache. The word is that he could go in the late first round. He has size and strength, but he might lack discipline. 

In addition to being suspended for head-butting an opponent, he's also been rather inactive and he hasn't done much to up his NBA Draft status. Still, he has size and the raw skill and that should get him a shot at the next level. 

14. Daniel Clark, PF/C, England

Daniel Clark has hopes of making it to the next level but he's going to have to work very hard on his game if he hopes to translate it to the NBA.

He doesn't have quite the athleticism you think he does. Upon first inspection, he seems to be quite the physical specimen. However, he's clunky and he has trouble scoring. 

He might sneak in as a late pick in the draft, but it's not likely he'll settle for that. 

13. Pablo Aguilar, SF/PF, Spain

Pablo Aguilar has an interesting, and sometimes frustrating, skill set for the NBA. He's only 6'9" and 200 lbs, which makes him undersized for the power forward position. But his lack of speed makes him a difficult guy to play at the small forward position. 

His game is rebounding and jump shooting. He likes to shoot from outside, but he likes to play defense down low. The problem with that in the NBA is that if he's playing the power forward position (where he's going to be in the paint a lot), he could get eaten up by bigger guys. 

If he plays the small forward position, he could have trouble against guys with speed and find himself in a defensive no-man's land coming off of screens. 

12. Robin Benzing, SF, Germany

It's inevitable that Robin Benzing is going to get comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki. However, to say that he is anything like Dirk is not giving Dirk enough credit. On skill they are not in the same class, but on style they do tend to be very similar. 

Benzing is a face-up player who handles the ball incredibly well and who can score from anywhere on the floor. He' has a very good first step and he's actually a better defender than Dirk is. 

However, he doesn't have the frame Dirk has and that hurts him. He's a kid who has the potential but will need a lot of development if he hopes to become the caliber of player his fellow countryman is. 

11. Andrew Albicy, PG, France

If Albicy were just a few inches taller, there is no way he wouldn't be in the conversation for one of the best foreign players in the upcoming draft. He has tremendous speed and his ability to handle the ball in both the half and full-court sets puts him ahead of other point guards in the draft. 

Albicy also is one of the best defenders at his position. He's relentless and ends up with lots of steals because of it. 

While some of the point guards in the NBA aren't particularly tall, they are bigger than Albicy, and those few inches make a huge difference. Because of his height, he'll struggle in the NBA to see over defenders several inches taller than him. He's also got to spend some time fine-tuning his jump shot, which is inconsistent to say the least. 

If he declares, there is no reason he won't find his way onto the end of someone's bench, especially for second-unit defensive purposes. 

10. Evan Fournier, SG, France

Fournier has a lot of upside to his game, even if you don't catch on to it at first. As a shooting guard, he has the innate ability needed to create his own shot. He can do so from both the half and the open-court offense. He's able to go to both sides of his body and he's one of the smoother players in the international leagues. 

One place where he lacks skill is on the defensive end. The knock on Fournier is that he doesn't have the effort in him to give it everything he has. Still, he's a raw talent. With the right amount of work, he could find himself becoming a surprisingly good player on the next level. 

9. Dejan Musli, C, Serbia

It seems as if the two things that Musli does well are things that can't be taught. He has a great work ethic that included developing a hook shot and dropping 20 pounds to play at a sleeker frame. The other thing he has is touch. It's a difficult skill to acquire and it's a thing that will certainly help him at the next level where finesse, to some degree, counts. 

However, where Musli lacks is where most big men fail when they fail: athleticism. He doesn't have great footwork. Though his shots have touch, he lacks a fluid jump shot, which will hurt him at the next level when you combine it with his lacking physical attributes. 

Still, you can't teach a player size and Musli has it. Perhaps with a solid coach he could develop some of those skills, but the ceiling for him seems to be that of a role player. 

8. Bojan Bogdanovic, SG, Croatia

It's possible that some NBA teams could look to use Bogdanovic on their rosters next season. He's got the physical skills that NBA scouts love. He's 6'6" with a 6'11" wingspan and he's got a 36-inch vertical. He's a great spot-up shooter with great range. He can hit the three or pull up for the midrange jumper. 

The problem for Bogdanovic is his expectations. There is the chance he could find himself on the bench next year as a spot-up shooting specialist, like a J.J. Redick with more upside. However, he might want to take time to let his skills develop and learn how to create off the dribble and try and get a better look from NBA teams. 

7. Rudy Gobert, PF/C, France

There are a lot of qualities that Rudy Gobert has that could be a reason the New York Knicks are scouting him. He has great athleticism and he's very good both around the basket and out near that mid-range area.

His athleticism allows him to grab rebounds and get in good position defensively. The issue with Gobert has to do with his size. While he's slightly undersized for the center position (6'10"), he's also has to add more weight and strength to his frame. Otherwise, he has a tendency to be backed down by more physical players. 

There are a lot of teams that are interested in him and his athleticism makes it no surprise. 

6. Nikola Mirotic, SF/PF, Montenegro

Mirotic is an offensive player all the way. He has a great shooter's mentality. He can hit from anywhere out on the court and he certainly knows how to adjust his shot based on the positioning of his defenders. While he's not a dominant force inside, he can drive to the hole when the situation calls for it. He's also better on the fast break than he would seem.

His one weakness is his speed. He's not particularly big enough to bang inside with the power forwards and his foot speed makes him prone to getting beat by the quick small forwards in the NBA. Still, he's got a skill set that's attractive to many teams. It would not surprise anyone if he's on an NBA roster next season. 

5. Joffrey Lauvergne, PF, France

It's very iffy whether or not Lauvergne will enter the NBA Draft. He's got so much upside that a team is likely to take him at some point, but it's not likely to be in the first round. That alone could make him withdraw his name. 

The things that worry people about his game have more to do with his age, so it tends to put them at ease a bit. He's not big, but he's young. He has time to add more bulk. He's not very physical, but his athleticism is there so the right coach could teach him positioning.

He runs the court easily and he can leap well for a guy with his size. He might need a couple more years to develop, but once he does, he could be one of the best players in his draft class, even if it isn't this year. 

4. Lucas Nogueira, C, Brazil

Could Lucas have all the makings of an NBA star, but never pan out? When you watch him play you realize that, as a big, there is nothing he can't do. He's quick and moves with ease. He changes directions and positions incredibly fast.

Lucas can block shots with the best of them and for a center he's great in the open court and one of the better finishers at his position. The best part about him is that he's only 18, but maybe that's just the problem with him, too. 

The problem with Lucas is that he's lazy. He's not interested in putting the work in. The NBA has seen that time and time again, so it's not likely they are going to jump on the bandwagon of someone who won't be willing to improve his game. If you're not working, you're getting worse. 

3. Jonas Valanciunas, C, Lithuania

Valanciunas has NBA scouts drooling over his upside. He's a hair under 7'0" but he's not nearly done growing yet. He plays with the athleticism of a power forward and he can create in a number of ways around the basket. 

He moves well in the low post and he has a high basketball IQ. The only thing he lacks is time in the weight room. There is no question that once he adds a little meat to his frame, he'll be an imposing force in the NBA. 

2. Donatas Motiejunas, PF, Lithuania

There isn't an NBA scout who isn't impressed with Motiejunas. He has great size and skill. For a man his size, he handles the ball so well. He's clearly one of the best players in the draft and he can play both inside and outside, which should make him a hot commodity for NBA teams.

He is a talented player on both ends of the floor. The problem is that with so much skill he lacks the focus he needs to constantly get better. Perhaps playing in the world's elite league will force him to realize that he will have to grow if he wants to excel, but as long as he puts in the work, the sky is the limit. 

1. Jan Vesely, SF/PF, Czech Republic

Vesely might have the most upside of anyone in the draft. He will be a matchup nightmare for the rest of the NBA. He can run and move like a small forward, but he is built with the size and the low-post presence of a power forward. He can finish around the rim and he knows how to get out in transition and wreak havoc. 

His weaknesses are that he isn't improving at quite the rate he should be. He has to continue to work on his game. There are times when he seems timid to create off the dribble. But as he's worked at it more, he's been effective and more comfortable. He had the same problem posting people up too, but now he is unafraid to do so. 

Vesely will be a high pick in the draft and he has a "wow" factor that teams love—that sells tickets and gets hopes up for the future.