I was very impressed with a guy named Jan Vesely, he plays for Partizan Belgrade, and in the first 3 meetings of the best-of-5 against Maccabi (quarter finals) his team leads 2-1 and he has been, in my eyes, the best player. So, I checked up if there's something about him on NBAdraft.net and they have him at #15, going to the Heat, in the upcoming draft. He is what I would call a complete-package-player. First of all, he's a very good defender. In the Batum mold, very active, very athletic, seems to actualy be gifted-defensively if there is such thing. Also, in the Batum mold, doesn't force the issue offensively, not a huge scorer, more Batum than Rudy, but is extremely smart on offense, makes good passes from the outside-in and around the perimeter. NBAdraft.net list him as a 3/4 but I say he's a 3 capable of playing multiple positions on defense. He CAN, however, use his height very well in the post, when guarded by opposing 2's or 3's he sometimes slides in, gets the ball deep and does a very simple turnaround that can't be denied because he's 6-11. Also, I've seen him make an amazing dunk early in game 2 (the game Partizan lost), he soared so high above the defenders. He's long (skinny, so you won't mistake him for a full-time 4), but still the athletic-type of player, definitely not a big man, great court awareness and court vision and the ability to do many different things on offense and be a premier defensive player. I'd say he's worth a look.
His stock is definitely rising. Not too long ago they had him going to us at 19. DraftExpress has him up at 11.
I remember Batum being a top-5 projection at about this time of the year before being selected 27th (?) and coming to Portland. I don't know much about the strength of the current draft american-players-wise but In an average draft Vesely is worth something like 10th pick and if he, for some reason, falls to us, he will probably be Best Player Available.
Unless we end up moving some guys this summer, which is always possible. If we do end up trading Rudy or Bayless, I could see us bringing in a young wing to develop.
Shit, this team needs another Euro on the roster like it needs Brandon Roy to get caught with a gun in a strip club.
Nah, Batum was never thought of as a lottery guy in 2008. He was top ten in a lot of mock drafts back in 2007. But he got a lot more playing time in the 07/08 season and didn't have a whole lot more production and his stock dropped a lot.
