European NBA Prospect Rankings: Winter 2016

8. Tadas Sedekerskis, F, Baskonia

2018 Draft Prospect

2016-2017 Stats: 2.3 points, 1.5 rebounds per game

Sedekerskis was another breakout player in the U18 European Championships. Averaging 14.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, Sedekerskis took over at power forward, dominating a game against Bosnia and Herzegovina (25/12/5), and controlling the glass against Germany and France in the Final Four. This has been a culmination of a successful fall for Sedekerskis, which has also seen him earn Euroleague minutes over the last month with Baskonia. the 18-year old looks like a true combo forward, with the athleticism and shooting to play on the perimeter and the size to compete around the basket.

It’s hard not to fall in love with Sedekerskis’s passing ability. He sees the floor impressively for a big, and he’s brilliant at hitting teammates with laser passes across the floor. He’s even effective running the pick-and-roll as a ball-handler, because he can make the simple reads coming off the screen that help his big man get open buckets:

Sedekerskis also has also grown into his impressive frame well at this stage. He competes well against bigger opponents for rebounds, and he’s quick enough to blow by defenders on straight-line drives. His shooting stroke is also excellent, even though he was a bizarre 0-of-14 from outside in this tournament. Sedekerskis has had an impressive run of play this fall, and with continued exposure to top-level minutes with Baskonia, it’s not hard to see him breaking in as a first-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.