2013 NBA Draft's Top International Prospects

1. Dennis Schroeder-PG-Germany-6'2"

Dennis Schroeder
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Schroeder is the top international player for good reason. The 19-year-old has the aptitude to become a high-quality point guard. He is fast with a large wingspan and 6'7" for his height. He is strong on defense. He has the potential to be a shut-down defender. A great characteristic of Schroeder is that he can run an up-tempo or half-court offense. A question mark is his shooting. He shoots a good percentage from three, but not from inside the arc. His biggest weakness is his high turnover rate. This needs to be fixed; quickly. Schroeder also needs to improve going to his left. For his team, the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig in Germany's BBL, he averaged 11.9 ppg, 3.3 apg, and 0.9 spg. He shot 40.2% from the three and 43.6% from the field. A good spot for Schroeder would be 13th to the Dallas Mavericks.

2. Rudy Gobert-C-France-7'2"

Rudy Gobert has something that every team wants. That is size. He is 7'2" and a wingspan of 7'9". Gobert is good around the rim, offensively and defensively. His offense is mostly in the low post. He also works well in pick-and-rolls. On defense, he protects the rim very well. He needs to add some pounds to his frame. He is only 238 lbs. If he does not bulk up, he is going to have  difficultly playing down low. He also has no mid-range game at all. For Chelot of France's Pro A league, he averaged 8.4 ppg, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.9 bpg. He is very raw and will need to be drafted by a team willing to let him develop over time and possibly play another season in Europe. Two fits that I feel are best are the Boston Celtics with the 16th and the New York Knicks with the  24th pick.

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo-F-Greece-6'9"

Antetokounmpo is versile at 6'9", has ginormous hands, and has a 7'3" wingspan. The youngest player in this years draft, he will be 19 in December. His ball-handling and passing skills are good. He can also finish at the basket. His defense lacks fundamentals and needs a lot of work. He will also need to work on his outside game. For Filathlitikos of Greece's second rate league, Antetokounmpo averaged 9.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg. His shooting percentage from inside the arc was 62.1%, which is excellent. Antetokounmpo has a high ceiling and a has bust potential. Whoever picks him up will need to wait for him to develop in Europe for the next few years or must be confident in their developing program. I think the San Antonio Spurs at 28 will be a good fit. They will give him time to develop. 

4. Sergey Karasev-SG-Russia-6'7"

Sergey Karasev
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Karasev is a shooter and scorer. His lefty shot is very smooth. Karasev has the potential to be a great shooter in a few years. I think his shooting can improve to where he may be able to become one of the best shooters in the league. Karasev is not the most athletic player, which may be a problem on defense. He will also need to get stronger to help hide his athleticism problem. For Triumph of the PBL, he averaged 18.4 ppg and 5.3 rpg in the PBL and 16.1 ppg and a 49% shooting percentage from three. He also was on Russia's bronze-medal winning team at the Summer Olympics last year. The Minnesota Timberwolves at 26 would be a great spot for Karasev. They are desperate for a shooter and he would fill the role. 

5. Lucas Nogueira-C-Brazil-7'0"

Nogueira is a physically imposing player. He is 7'0" with a 7'6" wingspan, is very athletic, quick feet, fast reflexes, and has excellent speed for a big man. He can become an excellent shot blocker and defensive player. However, at this moment, his defense skills are very weak and lacks fundamentals. His rebounding is very good and so is his finishing. Nogueira will most likely be kept in Europe for a few years so he can develop into a complete center. The Oklahoma City Thunder with the 32nd pick or the Memphis Grizzlies ten picks later would be very good spots for Nogueira.