#Yao ming wingspan professional#

Sidy Cissoko (France, played for G League Ignite)Īzuolas Tubelis provides versatility in and outside of the paint, making him difficult to defend. Now, it’s up to this year’s prospects to capitalize.Īnd with that, here is a breakdown of some of the notable international prospects to keep an eye on during the Combine. Jokic and others have helped level the playing field in regard to how international players are projected. But Jokic would quickly prove that it was a worthy investment by flashing the skills he honed overseas - skills that would eventually help him capture a pair of MVP trophies. He even slipped to the second round of the 2014 Draft before the Denver Nuggets finally scooped him up as a stash-away pick.

#Yao ming wingspan professional#

Despite seeing success in professional leagues overseas, Jokic was not touted as a top prospect. Jokic experienced this firsthand when he entered the league back in 2015. Foreign prospects are often labeled as “projects” due to a lack of familiarity with their games and question marks regarding how they would transition to the NBA. These players have helped change the sometimes-skeptical manner in which international prospects are evaluated - particularly, the players who choose not to move to the United States for more domestic exposure. Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo were the three finalists for the Kia MVP award in 2022-23, and the Kia All-NBA First Team is comprised of four foreign-born players (Embiid, Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander). The 2022-23 season awards results perfectly illustrate the NBA’s growing international footprint. Interest in foreign talent is arguably as high as it’s ever been thanks to the global stars who have taken the league by storm. Seventy-eight prospects are currently participating in the Microsoft Surface NBA Draft Combine 2023 in Chicago with the goal of hearing their names called on Draft night, and among the 78 Combine attendees are a boatload of intriguing international prospects. While the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets continue their chase for a championship, the other 26 teams shift their focus to next season, which begins with NBA Draft 2023 presented by State Farm on June 22. University of Connecticut standout forward Adama Sanogo participates in agility drills during the 2023 NBA Draft Combine.