NBA Draft 2011: Is Enes Kanter the Next Dirk Nowitzki or Kosta Koufos?
Is Enes Kanter better than Dirk Nowitzki? Yes, if you suggest his record-setting 34 points in the 2010 Nike Hoops Summit, topping Dirk's 33 in 1998, defines Kanter's future success in the NBA.
Kanter also provides significant risk stemming from eligibility issues, leaving NBA scouts challenged to asses the 19 year-old power forward's limited game experience. In order to project his NBA potential, comparisons can be drawn to similar performances and his available work must be scrutinized. This analysis will help determine Enes Kanter's value in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Kanter's eligibility issues can be attributed to his 2008-2009 season with Fenerbahçe Ülker of the Turkish Basketball League. Kanter was placed on the roster to fill minutes off the bench due to injuries suffered by Semih Erden (currently with the Cavaliers, 41 GP in 2010-2011) and Omer Asik (currently with the Bulls, 82 GP in 2010-2011). Unfortunately, Fenerbahçe's tactics were not aimed at bolstering their ailing frontcourt by developing a young talent.
Dr. Mehmet Kanter, Enes' father, has spoken out against the team and defined their motives as "trying to set an example with my son to coming generations in Turkey, so they can control and use the talent and youth any way they like to.” Enes has agreed that Fenerbahçe was determined to eliminate his amateur status and ability to play college basketball.
The repercussions from Kanter's relationship with Fenerbahçe would dominate his next two years of basketball.
Kanter's play during the 2009 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship resulted in an MVP award and a third place finish for Turkey, but the value of these accolades must be questioned based on the level of competition in Europe.
Looking at the past four MVPs, big men have dominated the Under-18 Championship. Seven-foot center Donatas Motiejūnas was the MVP in 2008, Kanter in 2009, and 7-footer Jonas Valančiūnas won in 2010. All three will bypass college basketball for the 2011 NBA Draft.
Kosta Koufos, the 2007 Under-18 Championship MVP, can give insight into the NBA future of these European big men. In 2007, Koufos averaged 26.5 PPG, 13.0 RPG and 3.5 BPG, a better performance than the MVPs from 2008-2010. Koufos continued his development by playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he averaged 14.4 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game and 1.8 blocked shots per game.
Koufos was chosen 23rd overall by the Utah Jazz, going on to play 134 games over three seasons, while only starting nine. Koufos has an NBA career average of 3.3 PPG and 2.3 RPG.
Following the summer of 2009, Kanter came to the United States to play a year of high school basketball in order to be eligible for collegiate play. Kanter's search for a proper high school was the first sign of eligibility problems as his enrollment at Findlay Prep was deterred by opposing schools who claimed Kanter had lost his amateur status, and would deny playing the team.
Kanter ended up at Stoneridge Prep in California's Semi Valley, a school with less than 50 enrolled students. Stoneridge Prep has quickly unraveled after Kanter's senior year. Coach Joe Hillock, UCLA's former director of basketball operations, and Athletic Director Angela Hagen were both terminated due to "NCAA rules prohibiting such associations between Stoneridge Prep and its students and professional sports agents such as Hagen." Kanter went on to average 30 points per game in his one year playing at Stoneridge.
Kosta Koufos played for GlenOak, a Division I school in Ohio, where he averaged 25.4 PPG, 15.0 RPG, and 5.2 BPG in his senior season.
Kanter's performance in the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit provides promising evidence that he is ready for the NBA. In a game that featured Jared Sullinger, Kyrie Irving, Harrison Barnes and Brandon Knight, Kanter took top honors in the game by scoring 34 points in a losing performance.
Kanter's name might not have stood tall against the United States' top prep stars, but his height led to a distinct advantage. The 6'11" Kanter grabbed 13 rebounds over the 6'9" Sullinger, 6'8" Barnes, 6'9" Patric Young and 6'8" Terrence Jones. The only legitimate center on the floor, 7'0" Meyers Leonard, hasn't necessarily set the world on fire at Illinois this past season, averaging 8.2 minutes a game with 2.1 points.
Kanter will not enjoy this advantage in the NBA that led to his dominating performance in the paint.
Kentucky fans were excited by the possibilities of this rising star, who was introduced at Kentucky's preseason Big Blue Madness as the "Under-Kanter" based on Enes' interest in professional wrestling. Kanter was ruled ineligible for the 2010-2011 season, but was permitted to practice with the Final Four team.
The malicious actions of former team Fenerbahçe Ülker has made Enes Kanter's path to the NBA a rocky one. His development has suffered due to eligibility issues. A top-five selection would be very risky to any NBA team. In a draft that includes few sure things outside of the point guard position, teams must balance risk and reward when considering the "Under-Kanter."
