Only five european players remained as early-entries for the next 2010 NBA Draft. 23 declared eligible, but most of them sent the letter to the NBA before the deadline. Brit Ryan Richards ('91), french Kevin Seraphin ('89) and Thomas Heurtel ('89), montenegrin Dusan Korac ('91) and german Tibor Pleiss ('89) are their names. Let's scan them.
-Ryan Richards ('91, England), at the pic: Finished the season injured after getting hurt playing with Monthey (Switzerland), where ha averaged 13.3 points and 5.2 boards in six games. Last summer he practiced in Vitoria and Bologna looking for a team, but finally went back to Gran Canaria (ACB) -where he is under contract- to play with its second team at fourth division (EBA). He didn't wait too much (he saw he will have less oportunities to play in ACB) and travelled to Switzerland. He arrived to the USA many weeks ago to make work-outs. He shined in the first day of the Chicago Combine, and can be one of the surprises of the draft. Can be choosen in last first round positions or maybe he won't appear. Really unexpected.
-Kevin Seraphin ('89, France): Maybe the european with more chances to being choosen in the first round. He injured many weeks ago with his team, Cholet, and he has been sidelined for the rest of the season. He missed the Adidas Eurocamp due to the injury, buy we saw him there in a meeting with Chris Wallace (Memphis Grizzlies). The 2.05 PF has averaged 6.5 points and 6.5 boards in 20' in the domestic competition.
-Thomas Heurtel ('89, France): The point-guard was named MVP of the Adidas Eurocamp of Treviso after ASVEL recovered him from a loan to Strasbourg, where he averaged 12.0 points and 5.5 assists. 48 hours after his participation in the Eurocamp he was sent by his agent to USA for work-outs. He hasn't many chances to being choosen, but you never know.
-Tibor Pleiss ('89, Germany): The 7-foot center of Bamberg can appear on last positions of second round, even he is not in the mock drafts. He averaged 8.0 points and 5.8 boards in the Budesliga. Today he has won the league with his team in the fifth and decisive game against Frankfurt (3-2) scoring 10 points, pulling down 12 rebounds and putting 2 blocks.
-Dusan Korac ('91, Montenegro): Unknown player for many of the scouts he has played with KK Centar Bijelo Polje at his home country.
About the players borned in 1988 who have options to appear in the draft? Basiclly serbians Miroslav Raduljica (FMP Zeleznik) and Nemanja Bjelica (Red Star), brazilian Paulo Prestes (Murcia) and russian Alexey Shved (Dynamo Moscow).
In a lower level, there are other like serbians Boban Marjanovic (Hemofarm), Stefan Markovic (Hemofarm) and Marko Keselj (Red Star), montenegrin Vladimir Dasic (Real Madrid), italian Pietro Aradori (Biella), lithuanian Martynas Gecevicius (Lietuvos), russian Artem Zabelin (CSKA), french "Ludo" Vaty (Orleans) and german Tim Ohlbrecht (Bonn).
Photo: Monthey
