Germany has always been an afterthought when determining where the best basketball prospects in Europe a produced, as Dirk Nowitzki, Dennis Schröder and even Maik Zirbes and Tibor Pleiß are more so regarded as outliers than the norm. Though the Beko BBL (the German Bundesliga of basketball) wants to turn into the best local championship of Europe by 2020, the German talent has not been regarded as particularly promising over the last few years until the 1998 generation burst on the scene, displaying quite a number of talented young players who have what it takes to make noise the basketball world.
This is a three chapter series outlining the players who are more or less known on the European basketball landscape in chapter one, while chapter two will introduce players who have flown under the radar for some reason or another. Chapter three will outline the next generation of players who are just now bursting on the German basketball scene.
Chapter One: The known commodities
Philipp Herkenhoff 6’9 198 (‘99, SF, Rasta Vechta/Artland Dragons)
Having joined Rasta Vechta in the off-season, Philipp Herkenhoff represents the men’s team of the Vechta organization in the Regionalliga-Nord (4th highest level), while he continues to play for the Artland Dragons organization in the NBBL. Joining Isaiah Hartenstein and Roberts Blumbergs on the NBBL, Herkenhoff starts at the smaller forward position and although standing at 6’9 he is currently listed at the Shooting Guard position.
Still very skinny it is apparent Herkenhoff is currently at the stage where he attempts to adjust to somewhat new surroundings and somewhat new aspects of the game. Playing against quicker and also physically stronger opponents in the NBBL, he needs to get used to physicality and speed of the game. Speed wise Herkenhoff looked fairly good at the U16 European Championships in Kaunas, but this was playing from the Power Forward position. Playing a lot more minutes against perimeter players, it is apparent he has not completely arrived at this level of play in terms of the adjustment of speed, especially on the Regionalliga level. At this point he is not a great against cuts and change of direction as a defender off the ball and seems to get lost at times. Also, although he recognizes help schemes, he seems to recognize them rather slow, and therefore is slow helping the helper at times.
Another change is that given he plays with two other good prospects in Hartenstein and Blumbergs, Herkenhoff doesn’t have the ball in his hands nearly as much as he did in the JBBL. To being surrounded by even better teammates he adjusted fairly well, and has show the ability to move well without the ball, although having almost exclusively operated with the ball in his hands beforehand. Quite a few times he has cut in the back of the defense for easy baskets, reading the defense quite well. However, this has also led to him creating much less offense himself as he did last year, seemingly disappearing over short stretches.
Although he doesn’t shoot a high percentage at 16.7% from three point territory, he does display a fairly promising shooting motion. His mechanics, though not flawless, look rather smooth; leading to the assumption it may just take time until he can consistently knock down shots from the perimeter.
Herkenhoff is still very skinny and looks as though he may not be done is his development from a physical standpoint. Given this fact, he may merely need time to adjust physically, as well as time to adjust to the speed of the game in men’s leagues in order to become more effective on this level. While he does seem as though he hasn’t arrived at this level of play yet, there are clearly flashes of brilliance that show he’s a force to be reckoned with once he puts it all together.
Herkenhoff is loaned to ALBA Berlin for the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade Feb. 26-28.
Niklas Kiel 6’9 223 (‘97, PF, Frankfurt Skyliners)
Largely regarded as the best prospect in the 1997 generation in Germany, Niklas Kiel has not been talked about nearly as much since the emergence of the German prospects of the 1998 generation; however he has been quietly progressing and putting up good numbers for the FRAPORT Skyliners in both the NBBL and the ProB.
Standing at 6’9, Kiel is not incredibly long or astonishingly athletic, however he possesses enough length and athleticism, paired with smooth shooting stroke, to allow him to be a very dangerous weapon, especially as a stretch four. A very heady player, Kiel understands the game very well, as he knows where to move to in order to not only allow good spacing, but also in order to stay dangerous and active at the same time.
Although he is a stretch four more so than anything else, Kiel operates the best on the block, usually utilizing a right hook to finish around the rim. Around the basket he always wants to come back to the right hand, as he hardly finishes with the left hand, which could limit him at some point. Keen at ducking in and holding his position, he usually gives his teammates a wide target to pass the ball to. Upon receiving the ball Kiel always posts up with head up, gouging where the help defense is, and finding open teammates for easy baskets, be it on cuts or for open shoots. He is a tremendously good and willing passer out of the post, averaging 2.6 assists per game.
Though his shooting motion looks somewhat jerky, Kiel has a very good release on his shot, allowing him to be a threat from the three point line at all times. While he shoots a below average 25 shooting percentage from the three point line in the NBBL, his 38.2% in the ProB is a fairly high conversion rate against better competition. At this point his shooting numbers are rather inconsistent. Additionally he is adept at attacking close outs by utilizing an array of ball fakes in order to shift his defender in numerous directions, which makes him all the more dangerous operating from at the stretch four position.
Although not doing it too often Kiel runs the floor very well, picking his spots when to run hard and when not to, as he determines if there are openings in the defense. Kiel also shows the ability to lead the break, though he usually opts to give the ball to a guard, showing a keen understanding when to attack and when it makes more sense to let a ballhandler bring the ball up instead.
Showing the ability to rebound well at both the NBBL and Pro B levels shows that he has a knack for knowing where the ball will fall and going for it aggressively. On the offensive glass, as well as on the defensive boards, he uses his strengths and positions himself well in order to reel in the ball. He often finds seems and then carves out space before he rips the ball out of the air.
Kiel is a very methodical player and it is clear what you will get from him from game to game. In a sense he is already a finished player, however he shows that he can excel on any level you throw him in and raise his level of play. Though his ceiling may not be as high as those of the 1998 generation players discussed in this piece, Kiel projects to be a very serviceable player on the European level nonetheless.
Leon Kratzer 6’10 255 (’97, C , TSV Tröster Bretengüßbach)
Often regarded as one of the best prospects Leon Kratzer has never been able to produce gaudy numbers, yet his presence in itself seems to always make an immediate impact when he steps on the court. At 6’10 and 255 lbs with decent length and athleticism, Kratzer is an immovable big body that ironically can move pretty well.
It is apparent what Kratzer is not, as he is not a shooter and not very versatile, as a lot of big men possess these traits nowadays. However, Kratzer knows what he is and what he can do, displaying a keen understanding of who he is as a player. A big body in the mold of a Maik Zirbes, he screens very well and roles hard to rim, as he uses strength and great positioning to carve out space in the paint.
Moving well without the ball, Kratzer is often in position to score off of dump offs or alley oops and attempts to finish everything with dunks. Knowing how to use his body well, he often ends up getting fouled leading to an amazing 7.6 free throw attempts per game. While he needs to learn to convert at the line, this alone shows the aggressiveness with which he operates in the paint. Interestingly, he runs the floor very well for a man his size, often sealing his man down low to get a quick post up, where he usually finishes with a right hook shot.
Additionally, Kratzer is great on the boards forcing numerous second chance opportunities for himself and his teammates. A very good rebounder, he aggressively attacks the glass on both the offensive end and the defensive end. Again he knows how to carve out space underneath the basket, using his strength and mass to move around people and then rip the ball off of the rim.
Kratzer has always shown that he can produce on a very high level, although his numbers in the NBBL have never been eye-popping, which in part is due to the vast amount of talent he is surrounded with. Averaging 7.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in Germany’s Pro A (second highest men’s level) solidifies Kratzer among the top of the German crop of prospects.
Nelson Weidemann 6’3 163 (’99, PG, rent4office Nürnberg)
Nelson Weidemann -at the pic- made an interesting move in the off-season by leaving the German powerhouse of ALBA Berlin and joining a small organization in rent4office Nürnberg. Given the track record of these two vastly different basketball organizations it is an odd move; however Weidemann receives a lot more minutes in Nürnberg’s in NBBL team (34 mpg) than he would have in Berlin. Thus, far the four trek to the south has been a roller coaster ride for the young Berlinian.
A rather unknown before the U16 European Championships in Kaunas, Weidemann impressed with a deadly jump shot, as his shooting ability was his biggest weapon. Displaying very good mechanics and a smooth shooting motion, he picked up exactly where he left off in the summer, as he shoots at an excellent 46.9% conversion rate from three point range in the NBBL. At this point he still relies too much on his jump shot, as half of his field goal attempts come from behind the arc. When a accounting for midrange jump shots, a whopping 73 percent of his field goal attempts come off of jump shots.
Although almost three-fourths of his field goal attempts have come off of jump shots, he has made strides in his shot selection. While he does still settle for jump shots far too often, Weidemann takes a lot less ill-advised shots. Due to his ability to gather his feet quickly and pull the trigger in a blink of an eye, he is able to get his shot off whenever he wants, however he plays very patient and gets the majority of his field goal attempts in the flow of the offense. This was something he didn’t with over the course of the European Championships, as well as the 2014/15 JBBL season, as he often forced the action.
After all relying on his jump shot so much, may be due to his inability to finish at the rim at a high percentage. While adept at finishing off of his off-foot, using a his uncanny quickness to get his shot off, he struggles immensely due to his inability to keep good balance upon contact on his way to the rim. It being one of the main problems Weidemann had to during the summer with the national team, it is vital for him to learn to absorb the contact and keep good body control on the way to the rim in order to finish at a higher rate because this imbalance leads to him losing touch. Given he always jumps off of one foot, a change of his foot work and finishing techniques critical to his success in the future. Furthermore he needs to read situations better before attacking, as he often drives into traffic.
Defensively Weidemann hounds opposing guards with his quickness and great reach. Although he gets on his heels at times, his foot speed laterally allows him to put pressure on his opponents without giving them much of an angle to attack. Another one of his strength on the defensive end of the court is his work on the defensive glass, displaying good boxing out technique. Averaging 5.8 rebounds per game, of which 5.5 come on the defensive end, Weidemann shows a very aggressive attitude as a rebounder, pursuing the ball with great belligerence. Yet what he truly struggles with on the defensive end of the floor is getting screened, as he displays a huge ineptitude to get around screens, often trailing the play after getting hit.
There are definitely things to like about Weidemann, as he displays good height and length for the point guard position, paired with quickness and good vision (3.0 assists per game). With his ability to shoot, he also possesses an immensely important skill in basketball, namely putting the ball in the hoop. Despite all of the positive attributes, Weidemann needs to further show progression in his ability to finish around the rim. Additionally, though his shot selection has gotten better by a wide margin, he cannot settle for shots too much. Instead he needs to make use quickness and attack defenses through drives in order to make his game less predictable.
Weidemann is loaned to Bayern München for the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Feb. 26-28.
Kostja Mushidi (‘97, SG, SIG Strasbourg) and Moritz Wagner (’97, PF, Michigan Wolverines) have been omitted from this piece respectively, as only prospects currently playing in German leagues were scouted.
This is a three chapter series outlining the players who are more or less known on the European basketball landscape in chapter one, while chapter two will introduce players who have flown under the radar for some reason or another. Chapter three will outline the next generation of players who are just now bursting on the German basketball scene.
Chapter One: The known commodities
Philipp Herkenhoff 6’9 198 (‘99, SF, Rasta Vechta/Artland Dragons)
Having joined Rasta Vechta in the off-season, Philipp Herkenhoff represents the men’s team of the Vechta organization in the Regionalliga-Nord (4th highest level), while he continues to play for the Artland Dragons organization in the NBBL. Joining Isaiah Hartenstein and Roberts Blumbergs on the NBBL, Herkenhoff starts at the smaller forward position and although standing at 6’9 he is currently listed at the Shooting Guard position.
Still very skinny it is apparent Herkenhoff is currently at the stage where he attempts to adjust to somewhat new surroundings and somewhat new aspects of the game. Playing against quicker and also physically stronger opponents in the NBBL, he needs to get used to physicality and speed of the game. Speed wise Herkenhoff looked fairly good at the U16 European Championships in Kaunas, but this was playing from the Power Forward position. Playing a lot more minutes against perimeter players, it is apparent he has not completely arrived at this level of play in terms of the adjustment of speed, especially on the Regionalliga level. At this point he is not a great against cuts and change of direction as a defender off the ball and seems to get lost at times. Also, although he recognizes help schemes, he seems to recognize them rather slow, and therefore is slow helping the helper at times.
Another change is that given he plays with two other good prospects in Hartenstein and Blumbergs, Herkenhoff doesn’t have the ball in his hands nearly as much as he did in the JBBL. To being surrounded by even better teammates he adjusted fairly well, and has show the ability to move well without the ball, although having almost exclusively operated with the ball in his hands beforehand. Quite a few times he has cut in the back of the defense for easy baskets, reading the defense quite well. However, this has also led to him creating much less offense himself as he did last year, seemingly disappearing over short stretches.
Although he doesn’t shoot a high percentage at 16.7% from three point territory, he does display a fairly promising shooting motion. His mechanics, though not flawless, look rather smooth; leading to the assumption it may just take time until he can consistently knock down shots from the perimeter.
Herkenhoff is still very skinny and looks as though he may not be done is his development from a physical standpoint. Given this fact, he may merely need time to adjust physically, as well as time to adjust to the speed of the game in men’s leagues in order to become more effective on this level. While he does seem as though he hasn’t arrived at this level of play yet, there are clearly flashes of brilliance that show he’s a force to be reckoned with once he puts it all together.
Herkenhoff is loaned to ALBA Berlin for the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade Feb. 26-28.
Niklas Kiel 6’9 223 (‘97, PF, Frankfurt Skyliners)
Largely regarded as the best prospect in the 1997 generation in Germany, Niklas Kiel has not been talked about nearly as much since the emergence of the German prospects of the 1998 generation; however he has been quietly progressing and putting up good numbers for the FRAPORT Skyliners in both the NBBL and the ProB.
Standing at 6’9, Kiel is not incredibly long or astonishingly athletic, however he possesses enough length and athleticism, paired with smooth shooting stroke, to allow him to be a very dangerous weapon, especially as a stretch four. A very heady player, Kiel understands the game very well, as he knows where to move to in order to not only allow good spacing, but also in order to stay dangerous and active at the same time.
Although he is a stretch four more so than anything else, Kiel operates the best on the block, usually utilizing a right hook to finish around the rim. Around the basket he always wants to come back to the right hand, as he hardly finishes with the left hand, which could limit him at some point. Keen at ducking in and holding his position, he usually gives his teammates a wide target to pass the ball to. Upon receiving the ball Kiel always posts up with head up, gouging where the help defense is, and finding open teammates for easy baskets, be it on cuts or for open shoots. He is a tremendously good and willing passer out of the post, averaging 2.6 assists per game.
Though his shooting motion looks somewhat jerky, Kiel has a very good release on his shot, allowing him to be a threat from the three point line at all times. While he shoots a below average 25 shooting percentage from the three point line in the NBBL, his 38.2% in the ProB is a fairly high conversion rate against better competition. At this point his shooting numbers are rather inconsistent. Additionally he is adept at attacking close outs by utilizing an array of ball fakes in order to shift his defender in numerous directions, which makes him all the more dangerous operating from at the stretch four position.
Although not doing it too often Kiel runs the floor very well, picking his spots when to run hard and when not to, as he determines if there are openings in the defense. Kiel also shows the ability to lead the break, though he usually opts to give the ball to a guard, showing a keen understanding when to attack and when it makes more sense to let a ballhandler bring the ball up instead.
Showing the ability to rebound well at both the NBBL and Pro B levels shows that he has a knack for knowing where the ball will fall and going for it aggressively. On the offensive glass, as well as on the defensive boards, he uses his strengths and positions himself well in order to reel in the ball. He often finds seems and then carves out space before he rips the ball out of the air.
Kiel is a very methodical player and it is clear what you will get from him from game to game. In a sense he is already a finished player, however he shows that he can excel on any level you throw him in and raise his level of play. Though his ceiling may not be as high as those of the 1998 generation players discussed in this piece, Kiel projects to be a very serviceable player on the European level nonetheless.
Leon Kratzer 6’10 255 (’97, C , TSV Tröster Bretengüßbach)
Often regarded as one of the best prospects Leon Kratzer has never been able to produce gaudy numbers, yet his presence in itself seems to always make an immediate impact when he steps on the court. At 6’10 and 255 lbs with decent length and athleticism, Kratzer is an immovable big body that ironically can move pretty well.
It is apparent what Kratzer is not, as he is not a shooter and not very versatile, as a lot of big men possess these traits nowadays. However, Kratzer knows what he is and what he can do, displaying a keen understanding of who he is as a player. A big body in the mold of a Maik Zirbes, he screens very well and roles hard to rim, as he uses strength and great positioning to carve out space in the paint.
Moving well without the ball, Kratzer is often in position to score off of dump offs or alley oops and attempts to finish everything with dunks. Knowing how to use his body well, he often ends up getting fouled leading to an amazing 7.6 free throw attempts per game. While he needs to learn to convert at the line, this alone shows the aggressiveness with which he operates in the paint. Interestingly, he runs the floor very well for a man his size, often sealing his man down low to get a quick post up, where he usually finishes with a right hook shot.
Additionally, Kratzer is great on the boards forcing numerous second chance opportunities for himself and his teammates. A very good rebounder, he aggressively attacks the glass on both the offensive end and the defensive end. Again he knows how to carve out space underneath the basket, using his strength and mass to move around people and then rip the ball off of the rim.
Kratzer has always shown that he can produce on a very high level, although his numbers in the NBBL have never been eye-popping, which in part is due to the vast amount of talent he is surrounded with. Averaging 7.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in Germany’s Pro A (second highest men’s level) solidifies Kratzer among the top of the German crop of prospects.
Nelson Weidemann 6’3 163 (’99, PG, rent4office Nürnberg)
Nelson Weidemann -at the pic- made an interesting move in the off-season by leaving the German powerhouse of ALBA Berlin and joining a small organization in rent4office Nürnberg. Given the track record of these two vastly different basketball organizations it is an odd move; however Weidemann receives a lot more minutes in Nürnberg’s in NBBL team (34 mpg) than he would have in Berlin. Thus, far the four trek to the south has been a roller coaster ride for the young Berlinian.
A rather unknown before the U16 European Championships in Kaunas, Weidemann impressed with a deadly jump shot, as his shooting ability was his biggest weapon. Displaying very good mechanics and a smooth shooting motion, he picked up exactly where he left off in the summer, as he shoots at an excellent 46.9% conversion rate from three point range in the NBBL. At this point he still relies too much on his jump shot, as half of his field goal attempts come from behind the arc. When a accounting for midrange jump shots, a whopping 73 percent of his field goal attempts come off of jump shots.
Although almost three-fourths of his field goal attempts have come off of jump shots, he has made strides in his shot selection. While he does still settle for jump shots far too often, Weidemann takes a lot less ill-advised shots. Due to his ability to gather his feet quickly and pull the trigger in a blink of an eye, he is able to get his shot off whenever he wants, however he plays very patient and gets the majority of his field goal attempts in the flow of the offense. This was something he didn’t with over the course of the European Championships, as well as the 2014/15 JBBL season, as he often forced the action.
After all relying on his jump shot so much, may be due to his inability to finish at the rim at a high percentage. While adept at finishing off of his off-foot, using a his uncanny quickness to get his shot off, he struggles immensely due to his inability to keep good balance upon contact on his way to the rim. It being one of the main problems Weidemann had to during the summer with the national team, it is vital for him to learn to absorb the contact and keep good body control on the way to the rim in order to finish at a higher rate because this imbalance leads to him losing touch. Given he always jumps off of one foot, a change of his foot work and finishing techniques critical to his success in the future. Furthermore he needs to read situations better before attacking, as he often drives into traffic.
Defensively Weidemann hounds opposing guards with his quickness and great reach. Although he gets on his heels at times, his foot speed laterally allows him to put pressure on his opponents without giving them much of an angle to attack. Another one of his strength on the defensive end of the court is his work on the defensive glass, displaying good boxing out technique. Averaging 5.8 rebounds per game, of which 5.5 come on the defensive end, Weidemann shows a very aggressive attitude as a rebounder, pursuing the ball with great belligerence. Yet what he truly struggles with on the defensive end of the floor is getting screened, as he displays a huge ineptitude to get around screens, often trailing the play after getting hit.
There are definitely things to like about Weidemann, as he displays good height and length for the point guard position, paired with quickness and good vision (3.0 assists per game). With his ability to shoot, he also possesses an immensely important skill in basketball, namely putting the ball in the hoop. Despite all of the positive attributes, Weidemann needs to further show progression in his ability to finish around the rim. Additionally, though his shot selection has gotten better by a wide margin, he cannot settle for shots too much. Instead he needs to make use quickness and attack defenses through drives in order to make his game less predictable.
Weidemann is loaned to Bayern München for the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Feb. 26-28.
Kostja Mushidi (‘97, SG, SIG Strasbourg) and Moritz Wagner (’97, PF, Michigan Wolverines) have been omitted from this piece respectively, as only prospects currently playing in German leagues were scouted.
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