European Prospects

The Euroleague starts this week so it is time to take a look at who are the players to follow this season. We start today with our list of players that are still undrafted in no particular order.

Cedi Osman – 2m04 – SF – 1995 – Anadolou Efes

The long Turkish wing should see his first serious Euroleague minutes this season under legendary coach Dusan Ivkovic. After making the roster for the Turkish World Cup Team and winning the MVP trophy at the U20 European Championship this summer, Osman looks to be ready to make the next step. With his size, he is a tough matchup for any back-court player as he has the speed and handle to play from outside. He likes to be the ball handler in Pick and Roll situations and he can find his team mates nicely on the passes. When he attacks the basket, he has quite a good first step to beat the defender and he can finish at the rim. This has to be confirmed though if he is capable to do so against physically stronger players in the Euroleague. The biggest weakness remains his outside shot which he needs to stabilize absolutely in order to avoid being let open behind the three-point line once being scouted.

Furkan Korkmaz – 1m97 – SG – 1997 – Anadolou Efes

Another young prospect to follow at Anadolou Efes is the athletic swingman Furkan Korkmaz. Born in 1997, he is among the youngest players to compete overall in the Euroleague this season and it looks like he will see some minutes right from the start. Gifted with excellent athletic abilities, Korkmaz likes to attack the basket and can finish above the rim even against grown men. His footwork is excellent and he can change directions easily when putting the ball on the floor. Additionally, he has a great shot from outside, with excellent fluidity and quick execution that makes his very difficult to defend as he reads the close-outs already in an impressive way. It might be quite early in his career and a season without much playing time would not hurt Korkmaz but it looks like he is ready to step up already now and get his first minutes on the highest European level.

Tomas Dimsa – 1m95 – SG – 1994 – Zalgiris Kaunas

The upcoming season should be the one of the breakout for the Lithuanian swingman Tomas Dimsa. After having put his name already in the books of every scout by participating to the Nike Hoop Summit, the athletic forward should see a good amount of playing time this season in the reduced roster of Zalgiris Kaunas. When Dimsa can attack the basket, he looks like a very interesting prospect as he can finish strong in the paint because of his great leaping abilities and developing body. But the main concern remains his outside shot which is still not falling at high percentages and limits him in his offensive game. His physical presence should allow him to earn some regular minutes on the Euroleague level but a lot depends on the development of his shot in order to see how far Dimsa can go in the next years.

Lovro Mazalin – 2m03 – SF – 1997 – Cedevita Zagreb

The left handed Croatian is another 1997 born player who could see some interesting minutes this season in the Euroleague. Certainly not as developed skill-wise as Korkmaz, Mazalin is physically already on the level to compete against adults. However, Mazalin is a bit too limited to his left hand at the moment to be a factor over longer stretches on the court. The forward has not definitive position yet on the court as he has the creativity of a backcourt player while his height would put him on the Small Forward spot. Mazalin also needs to become a more reliable shooter from downtown. His overall technique is not yet polished enough to be a regular contributor from behind the three-point line while his athletic abilities are however good enough to make the next step. This Euroleague season might be a bit too early for the 17 year old Croatian but he could see some first minutes with Cedevita in the regular season.

Marko Arapovic – 2m05 – PF/C – 1996 – Cedevita Zagreb

The Croatian Power Forward showed good progress over the last season and he should see some first minutes on the Euroleague level this season. Arapovic displays good size and a nice understanding of the game which makes him an interesting stretch four player who can create some space with his shooting and passing skills. Not the best athlete, even if he made some good progress in this domain in 2014, Arapovic will certainly suffer on a physical point once he enters the courts in the toughest European league. But the son of former National Team player Franko Arapovic will certainly adapt to this new level, even if this might take some time. If his physical development continues and he can improve his foot speed, Arapovic should develop over the season into an interesting prospect for the next years.