2011 NBA Draft Preview: The Top 7 Foreign Players in the Draft
The 2011 NBA Draft will be held on June 23, 2011, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Duke's Kyrie Irving will more than likely be the 1st overall pick, with Arizona's Derrick Williams and UConn's Kemba Walker not going far behind.
In this talented draft class, we see not only a fine group of young American men, but a handful of talented prospects from other countries, mostly from Eastern Europe.
Some of these guys have played for US college while some have barely stepped foot inside America's borders.
Either way, here are the top seven foreign players in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Enes Kanter
1 of 7The 6'11" center from Turkey, Enes Kanter signed a letter of intent to play with the Kentucky Wildcats last season but was deemed ineligible.
It looks like his college career will never quite exist, as he will probably be drafted within the first five picks of this year's draft.
Kanter is not only an offensive weapon, but gets an extraordinary amount of rebounds (16.4/game in 2009 at Stoneridge Preparatory School in Simi Valley, California) and plays great defense. There are a lot of teams in the NBA right now that lack a true center, so Kanter will be drafted high.
Possible Draft Spot:
No. 4 overall pick, to the Cleveland Cavaliers
Jan Veselý
2 of 7
Jan Veselý is a 6'11" forward from the Czech Republic.
He's had a few very successful years in Europe, playing in the Euroleague, the Adriatic League, and most recently, in the Serbian League with Partizan Belgrade.
Veselý is big enough to be a threat under the boards but is also a pure shooter with a great three-point shot, reminiscent of a young Dirk Nowitzki.
Possible Draft Spot:
No. 8 overall pick, to the Detroit Pistons
Jonas Valančiūnas
3 of 7
Jonas Valančiūnas is a big pure center from Lithuania.
At 6'11" and 230 pounds, Valančiūnas has the ability to get double digit rebounds every game and put up a lot of points in the paint. He also has a huge wingspan and is capable of blocking a ton of shots.
Just as is the case with Enes Kanter, a lot of the sub-par teams in the league who lack a true center would love to have Valančiūnas on their squad and let him be a dominant man down low.
Possible Draft Spot:
No. 9 overall pick, to the Charlotte Bobcats
Bismack Biyombo
4 of 7
Most likely the first non-European foreigner to be drafted, Bismack Biyombo, a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a 6'10", 243 pound forward/center.
Biyombo is a bit heavier than the other forwards/centers on this list, which will most likely be his advantage in being drafted. He has the ability to box nearly anyone out, and gets an extraordinary amount of rebounds. He is usually good for two or three big dunks per game as well.
Biyombo spent the last year playing in Spain's ACB League with the squad Fuenlabrada, who are based in Madrid.
Possible Draft Spot:
No. 14 overall pick, to the Houston Rockets
Donatas Motiejūnas
5 of 7
Donatas Motiejūnas, another big Lithuanian, is a huge player with the ability to play both center and forward. At 7'0'' and 223 pounds, it is no surprise that Motiejūnas is an offensive threat. He is not only effective in the paint but also has an outside shot that could threaten opponents.
He is apparently, however, not a very good defensive player and has been criticized for not putting forth full effort at times.
Just like the rest of the foreign players on this list, he is young and will need to mature.
Possible Draft Spot:
No. 16 overall pick, to the Philadelphia 76ers
Lucas Nogueira
6 of 7
Brazil's Lucas Nogueira is a tall center (6'11") who has great ability to block shots, get rebounds, and put up points in the paint.
He is very young, only 18 years old, and has had some problems with effort over the past few years.
With a bit of maturity and a bit of weight gain, (he is only 215 pounds) Nogueira could be a dominating center that teams will fear facing.
Possible Draft Spot:
No. 29 overall pick, to the San Antonio Spurs
Nikola Mirotić
7 of 7
Born in the former Yugoslavia, Nikola Mirotić is a power forward of Montenegrin origin.
He stands at 6'10" and weighs 225 pounds. He has the size to block shots yet also has the range to sink a lot of threes. To add to his resume, Mirotić is an 86% free throw shooter.
He has spent the bulk of his career in Europe playing for Real Madrid.
Possible Draft Spot:
No. 38 overall pick, to the Houston Rockets
