After attending a week of practices at the Nike Hoop Summit it's apparent that quite a few of the World Select players will be on an NBA court in the not too distant future. The Hoop Summit always had the largest contingent of NBA scouts and front office personnel with easily over 100 attending this week with all teams sending multiple scouts to the week of practices.
The World Team's roster is very deep, especially up front where they may have an advantage on the USA Team. Here's our list of NBA prospects on the World Select Team.
1. Andrew Wiggins (Canada) 6'8 with 7'0 wingspan
Wiggins is well-known now so we won't spend a lot of time analyzing his game. Most likely the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, everyone is aware of his athleticism and potential. Sometimes he appears to coast through practice and isn't assertive enough but that changes in-game situations. He's developed a nice outside shot to go along with his other talents. He'll likely step it up in the game.
2. Dennis Schroder (Germany) 6'2 with 6'7.25 wingspan
The German PG probably helped himself more than any other player in the event. He's extremely long, very quick, can penetrate and his length and quickness make him a very effective on-ball defender. A former skateboarder who hasn't been playing the game as long as others, his upside is very high. Schroder's shooting is decent at this point. That's an area he'll need to work on and improve. A double-figure scorer already in Germany, Schroder's development has been very quick. Based on his performance this week, he has decided to enter the 2013 NBA Draft and he may be playing his way into the first round.
3. Mouhammadou Jaiteh (France) 6'11 with 7'4 wingspan
At 6'11 and 250 pounds Jaiteh has the size to be a pure center. Right now he can rebound and really goes after it on the offensive boards. He doesn't appear to be the most athletic player and has a lot of work to do on his entire offensive game. He does have a decent touch on hooks around the basket. However, his physicality and rebounding prowess combined with his size make him a late first round possibility in this year's NBA Draft.
4. Sergey Karasev (Russia) 6'7 with 6'9.25 wingspan
Karasev can flat out shoot. A lefty with NBA 3-point range on his smooth stroke he has good size for a wing. He has a quick release and doesn't need much time or room to get his shot off. The question with him is if he is athletic enough to guard athletic NBA wings. He's a decent athlete and it will be interesting to see how he guards the USA wings tonight. We look at him as a late 1st or early 2nd round pick. His play tonight may determine whether he keeps his name in the draft.
5. Livio Jean-Charles (France) 6'9 with 7'2.5 wingspan
Athletic and long, Jean-Charles has impressed most on the defensive end with several blocks in transition. His outside shot from mid-range appears to be fairly effective but needs some work on his mechanics. Right now he'd need to bulk up to play the 4, and doesn't really have the ball skills to play the 3 on offense. However his athleticism and defensive ability make him an interesting 2nd round prospect if he declares for the NBA draft this year.
Others
We'll likely see Dante Exum, Joel Embiid and Karl Towns Jr. on college campuses over the next year or two. All are NBA prospects. Assuming he comes to the states the 6'6 Exum would be a top 5 recruit in the 2014 class. He's still growing so likely projects as a two guard but has been playing the point and at this time has better point guard skills than two guard skills. He has an very quick first step, is very athletic and doesn't shy away from contact.
Embiid (7'0 with 7'5 wingspan) will likely move right in to the Kansas starting lineup as Jeff Withey's replacement. He can make an immediate impact taking up space on defense, rebounding and shot blocking. He's only been playing basketball for three years and needs much work on his post game. He has nice looking shot and tends to move outside for jumpers too often. Once he gets his offensive post game improved he'll be something to watch,
Towns (7'0 with 7'3.5 wingspan) is headed to Kentucky in 2014. He's another big with skills but must work on his inside game. He has a nice outside touch and tends to step out too often and too far. But the skills are definitely there. He's the youngest player at the event this year and competed very well in the practices.
Carl Berman is a Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow NetScouts Basketball on twitter here.