VITALS: 6-10, 238, Unicaja Malaga (Spain) OVERVIEW: Averaged 11.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 24.2 minutes per game for Unicaja Malaga, one of the most talented teams in Europe. The 22-year-old also averaged 8.4 points and 4.4 boards in 19 minutes per game in the Euroleague, shooting 69 percent - second best in the league. Vazquez was a member of the 2002 silver medal team at the European Under-20 Championship, averaging over nine points per game for the Spanish National team. LIKELY DRAFT POSITION: For the last several months, Vazquez has been regarded as a lottery pick. He has an existing contract with Malaga that has a couple of seasons to go, but the buyout is expected to be reasonable, although there has been some indication the team would like to keep in Spain him for one more year. Regardless of these factors, he is expected to be considered by Utah at No. 6 and not past the 10th pick. COMPARATIVE UPSIDE: Mehmet Okur COMPARATIVE DOWNSIDE: Nick Collison ROLE PROJECTION: Immediate rotation player, eventual starter at power forward. POSITIVES: Vazquez has great hands and has shown great tenacity in battling for rebounds. He doesn't have a great deal of weight but has big shoulders and will be able to add weight as the years go on. He has an excellent face-the-basket jumper to 15 feet and his shooting touch is such that he should be able to extend that range over the years. He has improved quite rapidly this past season, helping his team reach the Spanish League semifinals. SHORTCOMINGS: Vazquez is an aggressive player, but at 235 pounds, he will get shoved around a bit as a rookie in the NBA. His skills with the basketball are better than most American-born big men coming out of college these days, but there's no substitute for muscle when you play power forward in the NBA. He will also have the usual one-year adjustment period most European players experience in their first NBA season.
