VITALS: 6-5, 185 DKV Joventut (Spain) OVERVIEW: Fernandez averaged a team-high 16.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists with Spanish club Badalona. He averaged 16.8 points in Euroleague play. Fernandez scored a season-high 27 points against Maccabi and matched that against Partizan. Had 69 steals in 30 games (2.9 spg) and shot .378 from 3-point range. Fernandez applied for NBA draft the previous two seasons before withdrawing his name from consideration each time. LIKELY DRAFT POSITION: 15-25 COMPARATIVE UPSIDE: Manu Ginobili COMPARATIVE DOWNSIDE: Mark Macon ROLE PROJECTION: Offensive-minded sixth man. POSITIVES: Fernandez has an NBA-type game despite never having played outside of Spain. He is equally adept at taking the ball all the way to the rim as he is shooting the 3-pointer. The latter ability is one Fernandez has improved tremendously over the past two seasons and makes this the right time for him to join the NBA. Fernandez has had the experience of developing from a role player to the featured scorer on his team and proved up to the challenge. His best feature is a burst with his first step off the dribble. SHORTCOMINGS: Fernandez is very lanky, almost reed-thin. He will be tested right away by NBA players once they see his skinny frame. Fernandez will find that the more athletic players in the NBA won't be left in the dust like his opponents in Spain. He'll have to be more precise with his forays to the basket and pick his spots for them. In recent years, Fernandez has been a focal point of his team's offense. Even on the national team, where he was the sixth man, the ball often went to him. He'll have to adjust to playing without the ball as much.
There's a rumor going around that he could pull a Fran Vasquez. His buyout translates into 2.3 million dollars and next year he's a FA. Teams in Europe will at least throw 4 million dollar at him but if he comes to the U.S., he'll only make 1/4 of that in his rookie contract. Unless he becomes more than a role player, I doubt he'll ever get that much money here. So watch out for him to pull a Fran Vasquez.....
