The NBA Draft lottery was completed just two days ago and the draft itself is still well over a month away. However, the frenzy of speculation regarding just who will be selected and where, has already kicked into high gear and commanded the attention of every top lottery franchise. All of whom, having long been eliminated from postseason contention with the exception of Chicago, would otherwise have nothing to focus their attention upon for quite some time as it relates to their club. But now these teams, along with their disappointed but loyal fan base, have been afforded the opportunity to dream of what fortunes and promise "next year" holds for them with just a little more clarity.
Naturally the greatest attention is focused on who will be selected first in this draft, and there are several players out there who are receiving heavy consideration for the slot. Unlike in this past April’s NFL draft, there is no clear consensus number one pick. But even if there were, we all recently bore witness to just how unpredictable a draft can prove to be. Even when there is just one. Thanks Houston.
Gonzaga University small forward Adam Morrison had previously been favored by many to fill the role of the number one pick, as had Texas center/power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, though to a lesser extent. However, recent prospective basketball stock reports have seen the value of Italian star Andrea Bargnani shoot through the roof as of late. A boom generated by numerous NBA franchises and scouts as they find themselves mesmerized by the immense talent and potential possessed by the Benetton Treviso International star forward, nicknamed, "The Magician."
But just who is this highly touted prospect who appears to be the next addition to the foreign invasion of basketball talent from Europe, and why would he be considered over major college stars who casual basketball fans are far more familiar with? Why are NBA teams continually looking to International players, when they seek to invest their top pick? Didn’t teams learn last year from what happened to the Orlando Magic when they selected Fran Vazquez, and were then in turn burned by the forward who hails from Spain when he opted to remain in his home country and sign a long term deal there? What about the major disappointments that Darko Milicic and Nikoloz Tskitishivili, a former Benetton Treviso player himself, proved to become?
The answers are simple. Remarkable talent and strong fundamental basketball skills. With the current trend of young talented stars in the U.S. being one where many choose to jump straight to the NBA from high school or with minimal college basketball experience, many players come into the league lacking strong fundamental and team orientated skills. As a result, numerous coaches and scouts have come to rely more on international players who are churned out of the fundamentals-driven basketball system that exists in Europe. Such players commonly possess strong passing and shooting skills, as well as a team first mentality. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that international stars currently comprise 18% of the league. Some who favor the International route of finding new talent, like former college coach and current Nike director of global basketball, George Raveling, believe that percentage could approach 50% by the year 2010.
An Italian player has never starred in the NBA. Some consider that to be a slight knock against Bargnani (Barg-NAH-nee), who stands to become the first. However, current Phoenix Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni, who made a name for himself while coaching in Italy, has experienced tremendous success by incorporating the international style of play that emphasizes passing and perimeter shooting. Not to mention the selfless style of team play his Suns team so well exhibits. Therefore, hailing from the Italian league should prove to be no major issue for the 7'0", 225 pound forward.
But Bargnani is hardly an enigma in the eyes of the basketball world to begin with. Especially in the eyes of Toronto Raptor fans who witnessed his remarkable ability to beat players off the dribble time and time again during an exhibition preseason game in October of 2004. Bargnani showcased his numerous talents with relative ease. Even when matched against a quick power forward like Chris Bosh.
Many scouts have dubbed Bargnani the "Next Dirk Nowitzki", an accolade that is sure to generate first pick consideration from a host of NBA lottery teams. But it is a comparison that Bargnani, though while very proud of, tries to steer away from. Bargnani is not a player who allows for such praise to go to his head. When asked in an interview earlier this year who he thought he resembled in the NBA, the acclaimed Italian forward maintained, "I resemble no one, I am Andrea Bargnani. I am just trying to improve myself and become a better player."
Bargnani's humble approach to the game can further be ascertained from additional statements he gave when asked about the prospect of becoming the first European player ever selected #1 in a NBA draft, and whether or not he was worried about it going to his head. A question to which Bargnani replied, "No, because you have to show your skills on the court during the season. A player can be picked in lottery but if he lacks good attitude or skills he will never become a good NBA player. I prefer the facts, not the words."
The hype surrounding Bargnani is far from being unfounded. The 7-footer has an uncanny outside game. He has a quick and high release point on his shot, can catch and shoot from just about anywhere on the court, and easily beats any big man off the dribble. He is a very fluid and runs the court extremely well. He is a selfless player who always plays in the flow of the offense, rather than attempting to dominate it. He is very active on defense, and his versatility will not leave his team high and dry when it comes to generating pressure and getting stops.
Does Bargnani have his short comings? Sure, international players are just like homegrown talent in the sense they need to further enhance their skills, make adjustments, and adapt to a new style of game as they grow. Bargnani has been criticized for being a bit undersized to play at a high level in the NBA, as he is still maturing and lacks the bulk you would expect to see at the professional level. However, it is worth noting that some said the same thing about Tayshaun Prince of the Detroit Pistons. I doubt I need to tell you how Prince has faired. Two championship appearances and one title should tell you plenty. One of Bargnani’s biggest assets, his versatility, makes it hard to project him at any particular position. He could either be a small forward or a power forward. He has played at both positions in Italy, and says he will glady play whichever his coach wishes. Unfortunately, some fear he could have problems defensively in the NBA at whichever spot he ultimately is selected to play.
Though extremely quick for a big man, there is serious doubt that he could effectively cover and hang with the speedy small forwards of the NBA. His quickness is more than effective enough at the power forward position, but as mentioned earlier, his size isn’t. Bargnani will likely need at least a couple years to adapt to the NBA game, enhance his skills, and bulk up to NBA size. Thus making it highly unlikely for him to come onto a team and quickly become a force anywhere near the level of a player like Dirk. Rather, he is more likely to serve as a role player coming off the bench early on in his career.
Despite the concerns, Bargnani’s upside is clearly there. Worst case scenario, he will be a lower level supporting star. Some teams still may opt to go with a safer pick like Morrison or Aldridge. But make no mistake about it. Any NBA team outside of the top five lottery teams would be extremely hard pressed to land Bargnani in the draft. Several teams with a high lottery pick, like the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Bobcats to name just a couple, are chomping at the bit for the opportunity to see the Italian star sport their team cap and jersey on draft day. But even teams with a high lottery pick may not luck into seeing him fall into their lap.
Just one day after the NBA lottery, the Toronto Raptors dispatched coach Sam Mitchell and senior advisor Wayne Embry to Italy to scout Bargnani. How high are the Raptors on Bargnani’s talents you may ask? Toronto's general manager Bryan Colangelo statements issued yesterday should help shed some light on the matter. "I’m not certain we would even bother sending them if we ended up with the number 5 pick", is what the Raptors G.M. told reporters. A statement which immediately lead many to the conclusion that the Italian forward is on the club's short list and they are quite high on him. It would prove to be the perfect culmination for both Toronto and Bargnani. The Italian star’s journey will have come full circle as he would join the team he competed so brilliantly against in that preseason matchup during the fall of 04.
Whether or not Bargnani will one day live up to his present billing at the NBA level remains to be seen. But no G.M. wants to be remembered as the guy who passed on the "Next Dirk Nowitzki" if the comparison proves itself to be accurate. Best of luck to the Toronto Raptors in the coming month as they stew over the decision. Whichever way the franchise opts to go, could very well prove itself to be the chief factor that dictates its future for years to come.
Nice work gbrent, in-depth, lots of background and a strong conclusion, well done, you have to hope the waiting period improves the NBA draft, because for every LeBron you find out of high school, there's a million Kwame Brown's...
Interesting, but timely, subject choice. A fairly well written piece, but I would like to make a few constructive criticisms.
While you have most definitely done your research, the article is a bit long, and I found myself struggling to get through to the end. (I have said this on a couple of other critiques, and have also noted that I suffer from this same affliction as well, so take that critique for what it's worth.)
Another, and this may be me being nit-picky, but something you may want to check out, is the run-on sentences or the lack of semi-colons in places where they are most needed. For example, you write: "With the current trend in the US of young talented stars leaping to the NBA from high school, or with minimal college basketball experience, many lacking strong fundamental skills, coaches and scouts have come to rely more on international players who are churned out of the fundamentals-driven basketball factories of Europe and possess strong passing and shooting skills, as well as a team first mentality." I needed to go back and read this a couple of times to understand exactly what you meant. There is an easier way to say this without making the reader go back a few times. Parentheses might do well, or even shorter sentences. Longer sentences doesn't always equal superior writing.
Your talent is there, and it shows. Please do not take my words as harsh, but only as a way to better serve your writing and your readers.
Good writing but I think my opinion may be a little skewed because I don't agree with what you say. Haha.
I think it's a stretch to put him at the top of the draft because we've seen a lot of them fall on their faces. It isn't nearly as competitive overseas. I think Aldridge or Tyrus Thomas is a lock at No. 1.
It will be interesting to see where he goes and what he can do for that team. The post was a bit long but in depth. Telling us what the Raptors are doing really shows us how good he is. Good job.
Thank you all for the comments. I appreciate the constructive criticism greatly.
While writing here, I formed the habit of posting to avoid losing my work like I did one time when I first began writing here at the dawn of NGS I. I usually form the main body of my post and go back and change graphics and grammar mistakes a few times after I post it. I realize this is a practice I need to get away from now that I am in the finals, and write my piece in another program so I can save it. Thank you for highlighting a particular section that did not flow as well as it should have. The problem has been corrected.
I had to also change the conclusion after I posted that Dime Magazine currently had him projected at five in their mock draft, but then saw they had updated their mock draft today.
I don't know for certain if I would pick Bargnani first overall either. But he is a player that has certainly been in the news quite a bit, and one whom many still do not know a great deal about, at least in comparison to guys like Morrison, Aldridge, and Thomas. Therefore, I thought it would make for a great player profile piece for the first topic.
GBrent, you know I'm a fan of your writing and I liked this piece for your entry. I had heard of this kid, but your post gave me a lot more information about him. Good insight. Looking forward to seeing where he goes in the draft. Nice job and good luck, bud!
Mitch it's so going to be Lamarcus aldridge -- he's friends with Bosh -- but I see the point if Chicago's high on the Italian kid then it might put pressure on toronto to pick him -- but do they need him? thought this was a well balanced piece gbrent -- I'm not sure like mitch if I buy into him being picked first but well written
think you could shorten this up a bit -- I might even lop off the first paragraph and go straight to the second because it sounds impactful and takes us right there and with a little revision could be the beginning...
A bit long but detailed and informative. You definitely covered his entire game. I personally feel that the Europe has good talent to contribute to the NBA but all too often it seems like shooting craps. Nicely analyzed and best of luck.
Very true, I realize the length of the piece got to be a little long, but hope that the thorough research helped all learn a little more than they had previously known about the international player. It would not have been nearly as lengthy if I hadn't dedicated a couple paragraphs to touching on the merits of international players, but I know it is a development in the NBA that many are not fond of and do not support, so I included them for that reason.
Future posts will not be nearly as lengthy, I promise.
One can rarely find a sure thing in any draft, some may argue there are no sure things in any draft, but Bargnani is a top talent for sure. The International game has improved immensely, and if he turns out to be just 1/2 as good as Dirk, he will be a valuable contributer on any team in the NBA.
“Though the NBA Draft lottery was completed only just two days ago, and the draft itself is still over a month away, the frenzy of rumors and speculation over just who will be selected and where, have already kicked into high gear and successfully captured the interest of every team who have already been eliminated, as well as that of their fans, all of whom currently dream of what fortunes and promise "next year" holds for their respective clubs.”
I'm struggling with why my interest would be “captured” if my team was already eliminated?
Maybe it's because I was interested in the subject matter (or maybe because I wrote a long story as well!), but I didn't mind the length of the piece at all. You do a very good job of informing the reader about Bargnani.
However, quite a few of the sentences in your piece do run a bit long. Nothing that a quick edit couldn't solve, however. Great topic choice and opening statement for the competition.
BTW, Raveling is crazy if he thinks nearly 50% of the league will be internationals in 2010. If so, I hope my boy Pepe Sanchez is included in that...
Because Bafongu that is all they have to look forward to in the immediate future. If you are a Raptors, Bobcats, or Hawks fan, you are praying that your team gets a player in the near future that can change your fortune. Surely you must be familiar with the old adage, "There is always next year." This is the first step towards next year.
Nappy T, thanks for the compliment and the tip. I enjoyed your piece.
Really fascinating post, G. Perhaps we should have teamed up on "101 reason why high schoolers should play college ball for more than one year...and then enter the draft." :)
Seriously, basketball is your bread and butter and you are very comfortable with it. Thanks for the enlightenment.
G, thanks for all the info about Bargnani
just another guy with more portential that Curry who my Knicks won't be able to get, can't belive we gave up the 2 pick,
good luck to you in the contest buddy
Thanks TJW, I would always be willing to team up with you Belle. Our first two efforts went very well, and its always great to have two different perspectives on the same subject matter. That would be a good topic to address, but on this matter, I believe I conclusions would be the same.
I greatly enjoyed your first assignment, and it appears we were leaving each other comments at nearly the exact same time praising the other. Your "warm up" piece was good too, and was definitely related to part of what I chose to address in this post.
Thanks for stopping by and for the compliments on my post. It's always great to hear from you.
I don't think this is one of your finest efforts. You had far too many run-on sentences, and the piece was way too long and capacious. I struggled to stay focused. Further, I wasn't drawn to your subject, Bargnani, as nothing in your literary approach engaged me. In this regard, I have to echo a lot of what 'whathappnd' has already stated.
As a side note, in the third paragraph from the bottom you state, "the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Bobcats are chomping off at the bit..."
It should more appropriately read, "chomping at the bit..." This over-written style plagued your piece throughout.
Nonetheless, it is a well-researched work. I commend you in this regard.
Thank you Dovine. I can handle and appreciate the criticism. Sorry you did not enjoy the subject matter of discussion more. Several candidates came to mind for this first assignment, but I didn't want to talk about someone I had previously written about or was being talked about too much.
If I hadn't brought up Pujols in my post prior to this, I may have chosen him. But after I saw Bargani's stock shoot up to the point where he was being projected to go number 1, I couldn't resist. I figured he would be someone very interesting to write about, and the timing couldn't be better.
Thanks for correcting me on the phrase at the end of the piece. I actually had it the right way originally, but for some reason thought the other was the correct one and changed it. Thanks for the heads up before the deadline for final submission tommorrow morning.
Hey good post i liked it alot. you do indeed talk about upside alot and i am sure a general manger will take Bargnanai in the first 3 picks. he will either be a great pick or a bad pick. That is what is so hard yet intreasting about the NBA draft. I just have a feeling the Raptors will take Alderidge or Tyrus Thomas with the first pick. Bargnani would fit in nicely with the Blazers if he last tll the fourth pick and he is as good as everyone says.
Perhaps you misunderstood me? It's not that I don't like your subject, Bargnani. Nothing could be further from the truth as I don't even know him. Unfortunately, after reading your piece, I feel like I still don't really know him. This burden falls on you, the author.
In my opinion, you had the best construct to ace this assignment. Your title suggested a simple comparison/contrast style. In this regard, all you needed to do was establish a dichotomy between Dirk and Bargnani, then juxtapose their similarities and differences. That's it.
In so doing, you would have afforded yourself a stellar profile that even a non-basketball fan could appreciate.
In short, I believe you missed a perfect opportunity to nail this one to the wall.
Despite my criticism, please know that I am still a tremendous fan of your work.
Gbrent, good article. I think its a timely piece like you said. Whether we are all tired of hearing about foreign players or not, from everything I have read for months, this kid is going top 5 no matter what. It does sound like Bosh has already made it known that he wants a ####er though. So it will be interesting to see who they pick. I liked this article and you can tell you did your research. The one thing I would say to improve on would be what others have pointed out, the run-on sentences, etc. As I have read your past work, I felt like I knew what you were getting at in the sentences, but an average reader would have had trouble I think making it through and understanding. Honestly, it felt like you wrote this the way I have found myself writing thoroughly researched topics before. Its like there is so much information you want to convey to the reader that it just ends up being too much. Other then that, I thought this was a good article on someone we may be hearing alot about in a few years. Good job.
Very informative. I've been looking up information on this kid too but your post gave me a great recap. Whenever someone gets dubbed as "The Next..." its hard on the kid getting compared having to live up to expectations of the media and coaches. Sounds like he is a project but maybe a project worth taking a chance on for someone looking for an athletic big man.
Thanks baynee, I appreciate you stopping by and I am glad you enjoyed it.
Best, I agree. Orlando is a fine place, and the Magic are a team with plenty of talent. I think Howard has a major breakout very soon. I agree one can't completely dismiss Darko yet. He hasn't done anything as of yet, but will get a better opportunity in Orlando than he had in Detroit. I will actually be in Orlando on vacation the second week of June, hopefully still competing in the contest while there.
Bafongu, thanks for the clarification on your previous statement, and I actually decided to reword it and also put the Chicago disclaimer in there a little later in the day. I agree that a writer should never assume the reader knows exactly what he or she is refering to. Thanks for stopping by again and noticing the change.
Dovine, thanks for being such a loyal reader and fan. I always appreciate your comments.
I actually considered doing something similar to what you proposed, and I am glad that the athelete selected was not an issue. Only problem is that there is limited info on Bargnani in the sense that the majority of it is the same. I utilized at least 5 different sources for this assignment, but every scouting report I came across on Bargnani was only a paragraph in length and extremely repetitive.
I figured that informing the reader of who Bargnani is and what his talents are, along with why the NBA has added such an international flavor to the league was the better way to go.
Chalk it up to limited information on a not so familiar player from another continent. It was a challenging subject matter to address.
A lengthy, but very interesting read. You clearly did quite a bit of research. I think if this was about 200 words less you would have probably gotten more favorable comments. Lengthy articles can deter some readers no matter how well they are written.
Your talent is clearly visible and you are very thorough and informative. I hope to see you make it through to the next round. Just shorten it up a little next time.
I greatly appreciate all the kind words and for many of you being so specific as to what you would like to see and what you enjoyed about this post. Thank you. I aim to please.
Rooster- I don't know if you mean that as hello or good bye, but I am flattered for the "beautiful" remark, though I am praying that you were speaking in regards to the post or Bargnani. LOL.
Timmy, thank you for the kind words and I am glad I could help paint a complete picture on Bargani for you. I agree that he is going to be a project at first, but he could become very good I think.
FAB, thanks for the kind words. I hope to move to the next round as well, and I will keep it shorter in the future.
Thanks SoCal, I have been meaning to swing by and see how that blogger golf tourney is coming along, thanks for the comments, and I hope I can bring home the gold for Southern Cali.
Midnight, I almost wrote on Shaq myself but my man Moore did that recently so I steered away and tried something different. I really enjoyed your piece and you brought something different. Glad you enjoyed my presentation on Bargnani. Thank you very much for your comments.
I'd hate to be a NBA GM. I was looking back at the draft lists since 2000 and it's really become so much a dice roll compared to when players were all four year guys out of college. It's hard enough to get a line on someone like Kwame Brown, but evaluating him against European competition is even tougher. Good post, though, and an impressive piece of research.
Good job.
Comments enumerated (some to do with post comments):
1.After Chris Paul this year, Marcus Williams might go higher than a lot of biggies...
You never know when an AI or Isiah can shoot through there...
2. Italy will sooner or later have a great player: Gasol finally did it for France (whoops, Iberia) Or is that Catalunya? Granted, the Papal States and Lombardy aren't Croatia or Lithuania, or apparently even Slovenia, but 60 million "Ities" will eventually amount to something.
3. Good research and writing.
4. Nice pics.
5. Any partiality on your part?
Very true Duds. It does seem to be much harder these days to be a G.M. having to rely on more unpolished home grown talent or not so well known international players.
Ed, I got into a little discussion with the guys over at Dime when they posted their mock draft prior to the NBA lottery and the had the Hawks slated to grab Bargnani at the number 4 spot, with Williams going a pick later. I thought they might take Williams over Bargnani then, but I would be very surprised if the first pick wasn't Bargnani or Aldridge, with the other being selected by the time the Bobcats are through with their pick at 3.
I think Brandon Roy could possibly be taken before Morrison or maybe even Thomas. I also think Williams will be gone by pick 6 at the latest.
Thank you both, I appreciate the comments and kind words.
Thank you very much Pat. That was my goal when I wrote this piece. The topic was very open ended in regards to who you could pick and how you would choose to cover the athelete. Some clearly did not care for the length, which I can understand and will improve upon. Nor did some care for the method I chose to discuss Bargnani. But I am glad that you enjoyed it Pat. Thank you.
Wow, The best writing I have yet analyzed, right up to the point where you made the same mistake as many of the others. At least in my opinion.
When I read sports I'm looking for interesting facts and unique perspectives. However I don't have alot of time to find out everything about everyone. Some neat factoid's,some funny anecdotes and some refreshing looks and then THE END...
There seems to be a consensus among the bloggers that more is better. There naturally comes a point in a piece when its time to say goodbye and everything that follows is overkill. Like I said I enjoyed your post, the only reservation being its length. As a result you lost a potential star from my voting.
Now I could go on, but of course It would be overkill....
Gbrent: It's almost not funny, but it is! Congrats on making the cut. And you thought you barely made it...I am the official underdog...lol
But you said it, here's to stepping it up in the next round. I learned a lot by all of this, and am looking forward to another chance. Best of luck to you...
Late-20 something living in beautiful Southern Califormia. Orange County to be exact. Love the sunshine, surf, beautiful women, and nearby mountain ranges. We truly have it all...except an NFL Franchise of course.
A Fox Sports Blogging Member for over 2 years, and a NGS 2 Finalist (Made the Elite 8).
Believe in supporting your local team, and I've lived just about everywhere at sometime or another, so I don't have an overbearing subjective allegiance to any particular team (except when it comes to College Football), though of course I still have a few favorites just like the next guy, whether they admit it or not.
Still put up the occassional post every now and then, but here mostly to check out a few hot topics and leave an occassional comment. That could change later, but that's pretty much it for now.
The NBA Draft lottery was completed just two days ago and the draft itself is still well over a month away. However, the frenzy of speculation regarding just who will be selected and where, has already kicked into high gear and commanded the attention of every top lottery franchise. All of whom, having long been eliminated from postseason contention with the exception of Chicago, would otherwise have nothing to focus their attention upon for quite some time as it relates to their club. But now these teams, along with their disappointed but loyal fan base, have been afforded the opportunity to dream of what fortunes and promise "next year" holds for them with just a little more clarity. 
But just who is this highly touted prospect who appears to be the next addition to the foreign invasion of basketball talent from Europe, and why would he be considered over major college stars who casual basketball fans are far more familiar with? Why are NBA teams continually looking to International players, when they seek to invest their top pick? Didn’t teams learn last year from what happened to the Orlando Magic when they selected Fran Vazquez, and were then in turn burned by the forward who hails from Spain when he opted to remain in his home country and sign a long term deal there? What about the major disappointments that Darko Milicic and Nikoloz Tskitishivili, a former Benetton Treviso player himself, proved to become?
But Bargnani is hardly an enigma in the eyes of the basketball world to begin with. Especially in the eyes of Toronto Raptor fans who witnessed his remarkable ability to beat players off the dribble time and time again during an exhibition preseason game in October of 2004. Bargnani showcased his numerous talents with relative ease. Even when matched against a quick power forward like Chris Bosh. 
Though extremely quick for a big man, there is serious doubt that he could effectively cover and hang with the speedy small forwards of the NBA. His quickness is more than effective enough at the power forward position, but as mentioned earlier, his size isn’t. Bargnani will likely need at least a couple years to adapt to the NBA game, enhance his skills, and bulk up to NBA size. Thus making it highly unlikely for him to come onto a team and quickly become a force anywhere near the level of a player like Dirk. Rather, he is more likely to serve as a role player coming off the bench early on in his career.
