By Jordan Sensi

The annual NBA draft will be held on Thursday, June 26th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. After ranking the European prospects all season long, it is time for Eurohopes to write an ultimate preview about the players having a chance to hear their names called by Adam Silver. Only players declared as early-entry candidates this year and we can rank them, alongside the eligible players born in 1993, in three tiers.

The first tier: Kristaps Porzingis & Mario Hezonja

No need to introduce them, Kristaps Porzingis and Mario Hezonja are maybe the two best prospects coming from Europe in the last decade. The Latvian big man amazed every NBA GMs during a workout in the Las Vegas lately; his offensive versatility, his athleticism and his mentality created a huge buzz and his name is now clearly in the mix for the Lakers pick at No.2.  However, if L.A. passes on him, Philadelphia (No.3) is very high on him. The association Nerlens Noel – Kristaps Porzingis could be very complementary on both ends of the floor. Still, a major factor could be Joel Embiid’s health. If the Sixers pass on him, the NY Knicks (No.4) could be interested but the Orlando Magic at 5 seems like the lowest pick Porzingis could fall; he would be a great fit in Florida.

Otherwise, Hezonja couldn’t workout in the U.S because of the ACB Finals with FC Barcelona against Real Madrid. His talent is incredible and it is not hard to presume if he played in college or at least if he worked out for NBA franchises he would be in the conversation for the first pick. The Croatian wingman is definitely safer pick than Porzingis and there is no way he could not become at least a very solid starter in the NBA. With a great size for his position, amazing athletic tools, a solid shooting stroke and great defensive abilities, he could adapt to any teams. The only doubts about him are his mentality and cockiness but this amount of self-confidence is the trademark of the greatest players. Every team between the 3rd and the 8th pick are looking at him very closely and it is very unlikely he will be picked outside this range.

The second tier: Willy HernangomezCedi OsmanNikola MilutinovMam Jaiteh Arturas Gudaitis

In this second tier, it seems like only one player will cross the Atlantic Ocean this summer: Mam Jaiteh from France. All the other players will likely be stashed overseas before going to the U.S. maybe one day.

Willy Hernangomez had a great season in Sevilla next to Kristaps Porzingis, being one the 7 only players in the liga ACB history to average a PER of 20+ at age 21 or less. He has good chance to be the first player called in this little group. Teams picking in the early second round and some teams in the late first round looking for saving space in their salary cap are eyeing him. The Spanish center is a very polished player, able to score underneath of from the high post, and he is a terrific rebounder.

Cedi Osman from Anadolu Efes displayed all this season his obvious talent having a big role in a Euroleague Team. If his outside shooting consistency is the major concern about him, he displayed enough to prove he will have a bright career. Osman has a great feeling for the game, he is versatile, he defends well, he can create and play with both hands, and mainly; he can play in a backcourt next to a scoring point guard which will interest a lot of NBA teams. His range is clearly 31-45.

Nikola Milutinov is a long-time known prospect in Europe at center position and he already had a big role in the Euroleague at age 18 with Partizan. The Serbian 7 footer has got excellent athletic tool and great mobility for his size. Milutinov is a terrific rebounder, he can score underneath but he also has a very interesting potential as a finisher above the rim, catching dishes from his point guard after a pick & roll. He is highly likely to be picked in the first half of the second round by a team looking for a draft & stash player.

Mam Jaiteh fortunately had a great NBA Draft Combine and excellent workouts that reinforce his draft stocks and will allow him to be called around the 40th pick. He was not as dominant as expected this season in the French ProA, he still is a poor defender and absolutely not a rim protector, but his NBA-read body, his great rebounding instinct and his scoring abilities around the rim will be an interesting added value for a team coming off the bench.

Arturas Gudaitis is the last player of this group. The Lithuanian center was very productive in a Top 16 Euroleague team this season averaging 6.5pts and 4rbds for Zalgiris Kaunas. Gudaitis is a good rebounder and scorer inside but not only. If he is a bit undersized for the position at 6’10, he has terrific mobility and can run the floor well. His range seems to be 31-50 and all the teams looking for a draft-and-stash player in the 2nd round are eyeing him.

The third tier: Nikola RadicevicDaniel DiezAwadu AbassMateusz PonitkaLuka MitrovicShawn Dawson, Janis BerzinsDimitris Agravanis & Guillem Vives

In this last tier, only a few players will hear their names called by the commissioner Adam Silver. All of them are candidates to stay at least a couple of years in Europe before joining the NBA maybe one day.

Nikola Radicevic took benefit of playing alongside Porzingis and Hernangomez in Sevilla to be seen by a lot of scouts and NBA executives. The Serbian prospect is an excellent pick and roll player, has excellent passing vision and he is a decent defender. He is clearly the player in this group with the most chances to be drafted on Thursday night.

Daniel Diez had an excellent season in the Liga ACB with Gipuzcoa, averaging 12.1pts with a nice 3pts percentage (41.4%) and 6.8 rebounds. If he is not a great athlete and has a ridiculous small wingspan, Diez is still very talented. He is a versatile small forward able to do a lot of things on the court. Regarding all the the early-entry candidates withdrawing their names on June 15th, Diez has solid chances to be drafted.

It is actually the same for Awadu Abass. After a strong showing at the Adidas Eurocamp earlier this month, the Italian forward has a real chance to be drafted. Teams enjoyed his energy on the court, his tremendous athleticism and his improved shooting range. The chances to see him one day in the NBA are very slim though.

Then, some players may have a slim chance to be drafted thanks to all the early-entry candidates that withdrew from the 2015 draft process. Among them we find Mateusz Ponitka and Janis Berzins who both played well in Treviso. Luka Mitrovic, who had an interesting season with Crvena Zvezda thanks to his stretch four profile. Guillem Vives, one of the best young PG in the Liga ACB. Dimitris Agravanis whom surprisingly stayed in the draft. And finally Shawn Dawson from Israel; The wingman is very athletic and he has an interesting scoring instinct.
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