Meet your new international draft-and-stash friends

The 2017 NBA Draft was an absolute whirlwind, wasn’t it? We had a superstar trade, a bonzanza of big men in the latter half of the first round, and the top-10 looks like a bunch of good fits between solid players and their new teams. I hope that your team landed its next star or elite role player last night.

Some of you also got to experience a yearly tradition: In the second round (or late first, for Philadelphia), your team drafted a guy you’ve never heard of with 18 syllables in his name, from a country you previously didn’t know had a basketball league. You’re told he will probably go back to Europe for a year. Or two. Or he might just stay there forever. Who knows. The grainy highlights you found on YouTube aren’t very helpful. This guy is a total mystery.

Luckily, we at The Step Back have you covered. We love all forms of basketball, and that includes the European leagues. We have been watching these guys all year, and there are NBA-level talents among the players that will be going back to Europe for 2017-18. These guys aren’t unknowns to us, and we hope that we can convince you that your new international draft-and-stash guy deserves the cult following that draft-and-stashes like Dario Saric and Ante Zizic have had.

Without further ado, let’s get everyone acquainted with their new friends. We hope this will entice you to keep tabs on them as they try to work their way to the NBA over in Europe.

Philadelphia 76ers

Anzejs Pasecniks

Position: Center

Plays for: Herbalife Gran Canaria (Spain)

When could he come over?: 2018 or 2019

2016-2017 Stats: 7.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.6 blocks per game, 65.8 percent shooting

16th on The Step Back Big Board

Why he’s an NBA player: Pasecniks is a 7-foot-2 Latvian center, who excelled in a reserve role for Gran Canaria in Spain last season. He has NBA athleticism at his size, with great mobility on the perimeter on both ends, and he’s a fluid finisher around the basket with both hands. He’s an absolute freight train running the break, and when he can get a head of steam towards the basket, his dunks are vicious.

Pasecniks isn’t the rim protector you’d expect him to be for his size, but he has good quick-twitch reaction around the rim, and he’s very valuable as a perimeter defender thanks to his mobility. He’ll be an incredible offensive asset, where he’s the best screen-setter in this class and his finishing will allow him to be a capable NBA roll man.

The fit in Philadelphia is fantastic.

Why he might not make the NBA: Space on the 76ers roster is a concern. They will probably stash him for a year or two, but with Joel Embiid as the centerpiece of the team, and Richaun Holmes as a competent backup, it’ll be hard to find Pasecniks minutes unless Holmes leaves in free agency. Also, Pasecniks will need to add significant strength in order to handle the grind of NBA battles under the basket.

Jonah Bolden

Position: Power Forward

Plays for: Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)

When could he come over?: 2017

2016-2017 Stats: 12.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists per game, 48.1 percent shooting

50th on The Step Back Big Board

Why he’s an NBA player: An Australian who was a backup for UCLA last season, Bolden left the Bruins for Serbia, and excelled playing for Crvena Zvezda’s farm team. He’s a skilled vertical athlete, a talented rebounder who showed flashes of a perimeter game from the four spot this season. He shot 40.5 percent on 3-pointers, and while that’s probably not sustainable, he’s athletic and rangy enough as a defender to potentially stick as a stretch four.

Bolden also has a very flexible contract, meaning he might be over as soon as this summer. He just signed with Crvena Zvezda, and the goal for the Serbian squad is to use the money from Bolden’s buyout to fund their operations for the season. Bolden could be stashed in the D-League instead, possibly on one of the new two-way contracts.

Why he might not make the NBA: Bolden’s fun to watch, but he’s really not polished at this stage. There are real questions about his shooting, and he’s somewhat of a positional tweener. Even if he comes over, he might not be more than a Delaware 87er for the forseeable future.

Matthias Lessort

Position: Power Forward

Plays for: Brose Bamberg (Germany)

When could he come over?: 2017

2016-2017 Stats: 10.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks per game, 59.5 percent shooting

56th on The Step Back Big Board

Why he’s an NBA player: Lessort fell to 50th on draft night, but the French power forward had a string of great workouts pre-draft that centered around his non-stop motor. Lessort is a tireless offensive rebounder, who just put up an absurd volume in the French league last year, with an offensive rebound rate of 16.1 percent. That would have led the NBA.

Like Bolden, Lessort also has a manageable buyout as part of his new deal with Bamberg. He could be over quickly if the 76ers want him. There, he can further grow into his role as an energy bench big.

Why he might not make the NBA: Lessort was great at rebounding against players his size, but it remains to be seen if he could have the same success at the NBA level against players with similar instincts. He’s 6-foot-9, 250 pounds so he’s a little undersized for the five, and if he can’t rebound, his game isn’t refined enough to have an NBA role. It will be interesting to see how he handles a Euroleague season if he stays in Germany.

Houston Rockets

Isaiah Hartenstein

Position: Power Forward

Plays for: Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)

When could he come over?: 2017

2016-2017 Stats: 4.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.8 steals per game, 48.6 percent shooting, 26.7 percent from three

30th on The Step Back Big Board

Why he’s an NBA player: Hartenstein didn’t play much for Zalgiris last season, but he’s always been a strong competitor in junior tournaments. The appeal is that he can become a modern NBA big — he has a decent outside shot, he’s mobile on the perimeter, and he’s long enough to have some rim protection capabilities.

That Hartenstein fell to 43rd is a steal for Houston, who will be able to work with him on his flawed shooting mechanics. He’s also yet another flexible international, able to come over this summer or stay with Zalgiris for another season. He’s not ready for the NBA right now, but he’s one of the younger guys in the class, and his athleticism is promising.

Why he may not make the NBA: As Jonathan Feigen pointed out, there’s a lot of Donatas Motiejunas going on with Hartenstein’s profile. That’s probably not comforting for Rockets fans.

He’s also got a lingering back issue, although that hasn’t limited his play in the past year. Hartenstein’s also raw and reckless on the defensive end, and that’s what’s made it hard for him to get real minutes to date.

Denver Nuggets

Vlatko Cancar

Position: Combo Forward

Plays for: Mega Leks (Serbia)

When could he come over?: 2018, if ever

2016-2017 Stats: 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists per game, 46.7 percent shooting, 34.0 percent from three

Unranked on The Step Back Big Board

Why he’s an NBA player: The big underlying reason for this move is that Cancar shares an agent with Nikola Jokic, and the belief is that this was an act of good faith towards the agent with a Jokic extension coming next summer. Cancar, who plays for Jokic’s pre-draft team (Mega Leks), will get at least a shot at the NBA because of that relationship. If he can develop more consistency on his jumper, he’s a very interesting offensive player, who has good shooting mechanics and can handle and create from the four position. He’d be a bench combo forward, used as a floor spacer and secondary creator on bench units as a small-ball four.

Why he may not make the NBA: Frankly, Cancar isn’t an NBA athlete. He’s never going to defend at even a passable NBA level, and he probably isn’t quick enough to make full use of his creation ability at this level.

Brooklyn Nets

Aleksandar Vezenkov

Position: Power Forward

Plays for: Barcelona (Spain)

When could he come over?: 2018

2016-2017 Stats: 8.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists per game, 54.7 percent shooting, 41.0 percent from three

53rd on The Step Back Big Board

Why he’s an NBA player: Shooting. Shooting, shooting, shooting. Vezenkov has one of the best 3-point shots I’ve seen in scouting. It’s fluid, crisp, and lightning quick, and he’s never bothered by contests.

Nets fans should be very familiar with Vezenkov’s style of game — he’s very similar to Mirza Teletovic when he came over from Europe. That 3-point shot is enough to alleviate concerns elsewhere in today’s NBA. He’s also an incredibly intelligent player, and his passing can be further developed into a useful tool.

Why he may not make the NBA: Vezenkov’s about as athletic as you or me. The shooting is outstanding, but he’s going to get lit up on the defensive end if he doesn’t get stronger. He’s probably stuck as a full-time four because of that.

New York Knicks

Ognjen Jaramaz

Position: Point Guard

Plays for: Mega Leks (Serbia)

When could he come over?: 2018 or 2019, if ever

2016-2017 Stats: 12.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists per game, 38.0 percent shooting, 27.5 percent from three

Unranked on The Step Back Big Board

Why he’s an NBA player: Jaramaz is fascinating to watch. On a team full of potential NBA guys, he emerged as the floor general this year, and he has a very fun offensive game. He’s an absolute bull getting to the rim, and his long legs, high dribble, and fiery personality make for a very fun player, reminiscent of a Balkan, poor man’s De’Aaron Fox. Jaramaz will be able to get to the rim at the NBA level, and if he can mature as a playmaker, he could have a future as a backup guard.

Why he may not make the NBA: Jaramaz is incredibly unrefined. He’s very reckless with the ball in his hands, leading to turnovers and some frankly terrible shot selection. He also doesn’t defend well at this stage. If he can get past that as he turns 22, he’ll be well set for a productive career. But that stuff may keep him in Europe forever.

Atlanta Hawks

Alpha Kaba

Position: Center

Plays for: Mega Leks (Serbia)

When could he come over?: 2018 or 2019, if ever

2016-2017 Stats: 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals per game, 49.4 percent shooting, 28.9 percent from three

39th on The Step Back Big Board

Why he’s an NBA player: Kaba, like Lessort, is a French center who excels at offensive rebounding. Kaba also has a high motor, and does a great job of fighting for position and using his length to pull down rebounds.

However, there’s more to Kaba’s game, which sets him apart from Lessort. He’s developed a decent shooting stroke from the corners, and he’s a pretty decent passer at this stage. Also, his length comes into play defensively, where he’s a much better candidate to protect the rim and he’s a smart team defender, rotating well in space and generating a high number of steals.

Next: FanSided 2017 NBA Draft Tracker

Why he may not make the NBA: Kaba’s athleticism probably limits his ability to be an impactful defender at the NBA level, and his offensive game is never going to be enough on its own to get minutes. Kaba needs to be an elite technical defender to come over, and he’s not there at this stage.