5 NBA International Players Who May Have Rather Short Careers

The number of international players in the NBA has been growing. However, there are times when international players find that they are not able to find a role with an NBA team and end up having shorter careers that they expected, such as Sarunas Jasikevicius of Lithuania (who spent time with both the Indiana Pacers and the Golden State Warriors before deciding to return to Europe).

However, one position that professional basketball teams continue to stockpile talent for is at the center position. Signing international big men, whether as free agents or through the NBA Draft, continues to occur, as there is a great need for quality big men in the NBA. Those players that do not find a role in the NBA will go elsewhere, as more younger players are brought in to see if their skills match-up.

The following five players (in no real order) are currently in the NBA and may or may not have long careers in professional basketball. These players are also very young and need time before they can contribute to a team at a steady rate.

5. Marco Belinelli, New Orleans Hornets

Marco Belinelli of Italy was the 18th pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, selected by the Golden State Warriors. Belinelli had a great preseason in 2007 and showed off his great shooting stroke, but averaged 2.9 points and played in only 33 games with the team. During his second year with the Warriors, Belinelli improved averaging 8.9 points in 42 games played including 23 starts.

Belinelli was traded during the summer of 2009 to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Devean George, who came in from a trade with the Dallas Mavericks. He saw his scoring average go down in Toronto, as he was there for only one season before being dealt 13 months later to the New Orleans Hornets.

Belinelli was acquired by the Hornets in exchange for Julian Wright, and that may have been the best move of his young NBA career. Belinelli averaged a career-high 10.4 points, played 24.5 minutes per game and took part in 80 games including 69 starts.

For a player that was drafted in the first round, Belinelli has not lived up to his draft hype thus far in his short NBA career. He has already played for three different teams in four seasons and is currently a restricted free agent, but is a shooter and that might be what allows him to continue his NBA tenure. With changes expected in New Orleans, will Belinelli be on the move once again?

4. Patrick "Patty" Mills, Portland TrailBlazers

Patty Mills of Australia, who played college basketball at Saint Mary’s, was selected by the Portland TrailBlazers with the 55th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. After signing with the team, Mills broke his right foot and missed almost the entire 2009-10 NBA season, even though the team placed him on their final roster.

Mills saw his numbers improve all across the board during the 2010-11 season, as he averaged 5.5 points, and played in 64 games. Another important factor regarding Mills is that the TrailBlazers have a lot of guards on their roster already, and Mills has seen his minutes fluctuate from one season to the next.

Even though the team faced a myriad of injuries, Mills was able to take advantage of that this past season and finally got a chance to show his skills on the basketball court. It remains to be seen whether the team decides to bring him back or let him play elsewhere next season.

3. Jonas Jerebko, Detroit Pistons

Jones Jerebko was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the second-round of the 2009 NBA Draft. Jerebko, from Sweden, is only the second active Swedish player in the NBA. In his rookie season, Jerebko averaged 9.3 point and  6.3 rebounds in 80 games played (including 73 starts) and in 27.9 minutes per game played.

Jerebko’s success during his rookie season was more about his style of play. He played very aggressively and hustled for the loose balls and long rebounds. He became a fan favorite at the Palace of Auburn Hills and continued to make significant contributions to the Pistons. General manager Joe Dumars said that Jerebko is an integral part of the Pistons core now that the team was in the rebuilding mode.

However, before the start of the 2010-11 regular season, Jerebko suffered an Achilles tendon injury in the preseason. As a result, he underwent surgery and missed the entire 2010-11 NBA season. Jerebko hopes to return to his normal self and once again continue to help the Detroit Pistons rebuild their team.

2. Hamed Haddadi, Memphis Grizzlies

Hamed Haddadi was signed as a free-agent by the Memphis Grizzlies in August of 2008. He is the first Iranian player to play in the NBA. The 7'2" center weighing 265 pounds has showed his potential in spurts as his minutes varied during his three years in Memphis.

Head coach Lionel Hollins has turned to Haddadi more this past 2010-11 season, and even in the playoffs, wanted him to play behind starter Marc Gasol. This past season, Haddadi averaged 2.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game in 31 games played for the Grizzlies.

Haddadi is currently a restricted free-agent, and for a player that has shown some potential to show that he deserves to stay in the NBA, he has not shown all of the signs of a future NBA center. However, the Grizzlies may bring him back at a minimum deal and hope that things change for the better sooner rather than later.

1. Hamady Ndiaye

Hamady Ndiaye was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 56th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft before trading him, along with Trevor Booker, to the Washington Wizards in exchange for the draft rights to Lazar Hayward and Nemanja Bjelica.

Ndiaye, a seven-foot center weighing 235 pounds who played college basketball at Rutgers University, appeared in only six games this past season and averaged 0.9 points per game along with 5.0 minutes per game. Ndiaye, averaged 4.5 blocks per game during his senior season (2009-10), finishing with a total of 145 for the season breaking previous records set by former NBA player Roy Hinson. As a result, Ndiaye was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

In Washington, Ndiaye did not receive enough playing time but did spend time in the D-League. It is still unknown how much he can contribute to the team after not playing much in his rookie year, but he is a “project” type of player who still has potential.

Since it is so difficult to find a true big man, Ndiaye may get a chance to show what he can do, and that may be as a member of the Wizards or another NBA team.