2015 NBA Draft: 5 international bigs for Magic’s No. 51 overall pick
The second round of the 2015 NBA Draft will feature a procession of international prospects, among them a budding Lithuanian and a Senegalese center, among others.
The second round is about finding the highest return on upside, and given the ability to own the player’s rights, it is an attractive range to take international prospects to stash them overseas while they develop. There are no less than 11 international big men who all warrant giving significant attention in the second round, of which we will review five here.
The Magic select No. 51 overall, the 21st pick in the second round. At least some of these guys will be on the board when that pick rolls around.
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Swarm and Sting
The first round this year is not short of international talent, but the second round is super saturated with it. The Magic are reportedly interested in Kosta Koufos. If Orlando feels he prefers Boston or Sacramento, the team may turn to a rookie European player to fill the void behind Nikola Vucevic, or be the future backup center a little ways down the road.
The Magic have been lucky enough to unearth seven-footers in the past, like current Magic center Dewayne Dedmon and former Magic player Marcin Gortat.
While the team may have been struck by evil lightning when it missed out on Fran Vazquez, the Magic have often turned to international big men in the past. From Pat Burke of Ireland to Mario Kasun of Croatia, the Magic have traveled the globe a little in search of gems from across seas.
That is what makes this crop of Euro bigs enticing. The dividends on a coordinated and offensively minded big man can be huge, and contrasted with the domestic products, most Euro big men are capable shooters.
Lottery pick candidate Kristaps Porzingis functions in that role, as a rugged stretch-4. But the guys featured in this slide show are all those who could be available at No. 51 overall.
And if they do not work out, you just leave them overseas and never claim them from customs.
For the first volume of this installment, let’s look at five of the 11 guys we have singled out here at OMD.
Next: A Raw, young Latvian