2023 International Draft Class Overview
Only eight international prospects remain on the early entry pool, with 40 out of the 48 players who initially applied for early entry into the 2023 NBA Draft having pulled their names from the list before the early entry withdrawal deadline.
If you haven’t been paying attention to the international prospects in this draft, here’s a quick rundown of each of the early entrants remaining, as well as some names in the auto-eligible ranks who could hear their names called on draft night.
Bilal Coulibaly
Nationality: France | Current Team: Metropolitans 92 | Age: 18.9 Years Old
Position: Wing | Archetype: Two-Way Glue Guy
Coulibaly has undeniably been the international riser of this draft cycle. He was dominant in the French U21 League early in the season and once minutes opened up for him at the senior level, after injuries to several players left Metropolitans shorthanded, he made the most of his chance and never looked back.
Coulibaly is an athletic and toolsy wing who contributes as an off-ball scorer via cuts, spot-up jumpers and straight line drives to the rim. His optimal physical tools and mobility allow him to make an impact on defense, as he is able to guard opposing wings as well as some guards and forwards. He will need to work on his ball-handling and playmaking for others, two aspects of his game that weren’t really on display at Metropolitans, but his defensive upside and his offensive efficiency playing within his role as an off-ball wing should entice multiple NBA teams.
Further Reading: The Rise of Bilal Coulibaly
Nadir Hifi
Nationality: Algeria | Current Team: Paris Basketball (France) | Age: 20.9 Years Old
Position: Guard | Archetype: One-Level Initiator
Hifi is coming off a productive season in the French league, where he averaged 16.8 points per game on 60% True Shooting, and an impressive showing in front of multiple NBA scouts at the Adidas Eurocamp earlier this month. Standing at just under 6-feet tall, his measurements are certainly below average for his role as a scoring guard, but his ability to score from multiple levels of the floor with self-created jumpers and quick drives to the rim and his playmaking for others, might be interesting for a number of teams looking for a creative guard who can be stashed as he develops in Europe.
James Nnaji
Nationality: Nigeria | Current Team: Barcelona (Spain) | Age: 18.9 Years Old
Position: Big | Archetype: Rim Protector
Considered as the high-floor/low-ceiling prospect of the bunch, Nnaji is more than ready for the NBA from a physical standpoint, standing at 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and a strong 226 lbs frame. While Nnaji shouldn’t be expected to make much impact playing in the perimeter, he can add value playing within his role as an efficient interior finisher and offensive rebounder, while also contributing on defense with his shot-blocking and rebounding.
Despite seeing only 10 minutes per game, Nnaji has made the most of the playing time he found this season for Spanish ACB champions Barcelona. While there are limitations with his skillset, teams can find value in his profile as a player who can step in and at the very least play back-up Center minutes - on a cheap rookie contract - from day one.
Rayan Rupert
Nationality: France | Current Team: New Zealand Breakers | Age: 19.1 Years Old
Position: Wing | Archetype: Two-Way Glue Guy
Rupert had an up-and-down season in the Australian NBL. Standing at 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Rupert showed an impressive mix of tools, athleticism, defensive impact and flashes of playmaking for himself and for others, but he wasn’t able to score efficiently, shooting just 35% from the field and 23.4% on 3-point attempts.
Rupert certainly passes the athletic thresholds required to play as a wing at the NBA level, possessing a good level of quickness, mobility and open court athleticism. He is not likely to add value as a floor-spacer from day one, but his ability to contribute as a perimeter defender, driver and playmaker for others can entice teams on betting on his potential shooting development.
Marcio Santos
Nationality: Brazil | Current Team: Franca | Age: 20.6 Years Old
Position: Big | Archetype: Interior Scorer
Santos is the lesser known name on the list, but he has been on professional radars for a number of years as a solid prospect coming out of Brazil. Standing at 6-foot-9, Santos is a strong, albeit undersized Center, who makes an impact with his rebounding, post scoring, screen setting and some flashes of dribbling and shooting off-the-catch. Considering his lack of high-level experience, as he only played 17 minutes per game and mostly came off the bench for Franca in the Brazilian League, it’s hard to see Santos getting drafted, but he could develop into a solid overseas pro during the next few years.
Enzo Shahrvin
Nationality: France | Current Team: Pau-Orthez | Age: 20.3 Years Old
Position: Forward | Archetype: Interior Scorer
Shahrvin offers an interesting profile as an undersized but efficient interior scorer. Standing at 6-foot-7 with a strong frame and long arms, Shahrvin has made an impact as a roll man and dunker-spot finisher in the French LNB, converting an incredible 73.7% of his field goal attempts during the 2022-23 season.
His lack of shooting upside and below average measurements for a player who makes an impact mostly on the interior can limit his perceived value from an NBA standpoint, but he should develop into one of the top forwards in Europe in time with his strong frame, efficient play finishing and above average ball-handling ability for the position.
Tristan Vukcevic
Nationality: Serbia | Current Team: Partizan | Age: 20.3 Years Old
Position: Big | Archetype: Shooting Specialist
In his first full season at Partizan, Vukcevic was a consistent offensive threat with his combination of size and shooting ability. Standing at 6-foot-11, Vukcevic connected on 37.3% of his 3-point attempts and impressed with his versatility as a floor-spacer, being able to convert jumpers both off-the-catch and off-the-dribble.
His lack of production as a rim protector might keep him from being considered as a top level prospect, but his archetype as a stretch big who has excellent mobility, coordination and can selectively put the ball on the floor to attack mismatches both in the perimeter and in the paint can be attractive for teams looking for a player who can add multi-level offense at the five.
Victor Wembanyama
Nationality: France | Current Team: Metropolitans 92 | Age: 19.5 Years Old
Position: Big | Archetype: Unicorn
I assume that anybody who is reading about international prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft is already well aware of Victor Wembanyama. Simply put, Wembanyama is the most versatile prospect in the history of the NBA draft. Yes, we’ve seen big men with impressive handles and versatile shooting potential before, but a prospect has never been able to package those perimeter skills with elite rim protection, catch-and-finish scoring and outlier size and length.
There are downsides with Victor: the lack of strength which deters him from getting to his spots in the paint and makes him get thrown off-balance with ease, he’s not a versatile finisher on drives, relying on his length and his ability to convert tough shots and he hasn’t been the most efficient shooter, mostly due to the difficult shot diet he lives on. None of those, however, will deter him from going number one on draft night.
Further Reading: The Map of Victor Wembanyama
Part 2: Catch-and-Finish Scoring
Auto-Eligible Prospects
Under current NBA rules, every overseas player who turns 22 during the year of the draft is considered as an automatically eligible entrant. Even if there hasn’t been a single auto-eligible international prospect selected over the past three drafts, here’s a list of names of players who could make their way to the NBA ranks eventually, even if they go undrafted on Thursday:
- Malcolm Cazalon. Versatile off-ball wing who can contribute as a spot-up shooter, driver and gravity passer but lacks one elite NBA skill.
- Mario Nakic. Smooth, high scoring wing who played just five games in the Adriatic League before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
- Nikos Rogkavopoulos. Elite shooter who is limited in terms of athleticism, but might entice teams with his combination of 6-foot-8 size and shooting ability.
- Vincent Valerio-Bodon. 6-foot-10 wing who can get to the rim, space the floor and find teammates on the move. Late riser who lacks high-level experience but could be a boom-or-bust prospect due to his combination of size and perimeter skillset.
- Keye Van der Vuurst de Vries. One of the best shooters in Europe who can convert incredibly tough shots at a high volume, as well as providing playmaking for others.
- Matej Rudan. Stretch four with good size and length who offers a level of rim protection as a help defender.
- Vinicius da Silva. Mobile and coordinated 7-footer who has put up a strong season in the Spanish Third Division with his ability to rebound, finish plays at the rim and block shots.
- Justus Hollatz. All-around Combo Guard whose offensive versatility allowed him to contribute and play starter minutes in the always competitive Spanish ACB.
- Tom Digbeu. Athletic 3-and-D wing who finished his best season in the French second division after playing for five different teams in five different leagues over the last five seasons.
Honorable Mentions: Jaime Pradilla, Milan Barbitch, Marek Blazevic, Mouhamet Diouf, Hugo Benitez, Matthieu Gauzin, Lovro Gnjidic, Gregor Glas
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