The 50 most interesting players in European hoops: Nos. 50-41

49. Isaac Bonga, G, Fraport Skyliners

If you have paid attention to preseason 2018 NBA Draft boards, you might know who Bonga is. The 17-year old German has been getting some “Next Giannis” hype on the European camp circuit, and his skill set is an intriguing one that you should keep an eye on this season.

Bonga has been up-and-down in youth competitions so far, and he’s only played at the junior team level in Germany save for some garbage time minutes on Fraport’s first team. However, his potential is immense. He’s a 6-foot-9 point guard with length for days, impressive vision and decent touch around the rim. His defensive potential is high, and there’s a path to him being a high-level secondary initiator at the two-guard spot in the NBA.

Bonga doesn’t measure up well athletically with some of his contemporaries, and that’s concerning for his long-term future. So is his outside shot, which doesn’t inspire confidence at the moment. This is a pivotal year for Bonga. As he becomes draft-eligible, we will be able to see what kind of strides he’s able to make. Can he earn real first-team minutes? Can he develop better defensive instincts and shooting touch? Is his athleticism really a red flag for his NBA hopes? We should come further to finding all of that out this year, and that’s the difference between him being a late-first rounder and potential lottery pick this year.