Post by mike on Aug 12, 2015 7:06:01 GMT
Top International Players
I took into account age, potential, production, and ratings when ranking these players. There is a large amount of international players in the league, so it was difficult choosing the top ones. Any player that attended college in the United States is not included in this list.
3. Dragan Bender PF 28 6'11'' 223 A- B C A B- C
Dragan Bender PF 40 34.6 23.7 10.8 2.6 1.1 2.4 1.7 .428 .818 .372
Team: Hawks
Country: Croatia
Dragan Bender could have been the second best international player, but his low field goal % pushed him into the #3 sport. Bender is capable of playing 3-5, but thrives at PF. Bender is a very difficult player to match up with; you can feed him in the post or he can step out and drain a three. He is a slightly above average blocker, but he is a top three post defender. He consistently averages more than 10 rebounds per game even though his rebounding rating is only a "B-". For a guy who has the ball so much his 1.7 TOPG is very encouraging. Bender has no true weaknesses that teams could exploit. He is the type of player Dirk can expect to be like in his prime. A force of nature at the 4 spot.
2. Drazen Petrovic SG 27 6'5'' 208 B A C A- C- C
Drazen Petrovic SG 47 37.1 26.4 5.1 3.6 1.4 0.2 2.8 .481 .845 .464
Team: Mavericks
Country: Yugoslavia
You can make the case for Petrovic being the best SG and shooter in the league. Everyone can agree he is at least a top 3 shooting guard. Any team drafting a shooting guard with a lotto pick prays he can develop into Petrovic. Petrovic's percentages are insane. He is shooting 46.5% from 3!!! People would be happy if their shooting guard were averaging 46% from the field. He is the only reason the Mavericks aren't in contention for a top three pick. He is also a more than capable defender and does not get torched often. He provides the team with nearly 2 steals per game. He is the prototypical shooting guard that any team would love to have. He is by far the best international SG in the league.
1. Klym Artamonov PG 25 6'2'' 179 C+ A- A A D C
Klym Artamonov PG 44 40.2 22.7 4.1 9.8 3.3 0.3 2.8 .436 .788 .368
Team: Hawks
Country: Ukraine
The reigning finals MVP had to be ranked number one. He has the best ratings of any point guard in the league. He averages a double-double with 23 ppg and 10 apg. He has the fastest hands in the league which allow him to average an ungodly 3.3 steals per game. He is one of few allstar point guards to average less than 3 TOPG which is a huge help to the Hawks' fast paced offense. His percentages this season are not the greatest, but the Hawks are a fast paced team so he takes a lot of shots. Klym and Bender are a deadly combo and look to repeat in 2043.
I took into account age, potential, production, and ratings when ranking these players. There is a large amount of international players in the league, so it was difficult choosing the top ones. Any player that attended college in the United States is not included in this list.
6. Vlade Divac PF 28 7'1'' 260 B B B- A- B+ C
Vlade Divac PF 34 31.8 16.2 9.6 3.7 1.0 1.2 2.4 .394 .745 .403
Team: 76ers
Country: Yuogoslavia
Country: Yuogoslavia
Divac is the most versatile player in the league. He has the shooting stroke and the passing ability of guard while on defense he is mean and physical. At certain points in the game he can bring the ball up and run the offense. He is a great rebounder averaging over 10 boards per game for his career. He guarantees you at least one block and one steal per game. He has a great 3pt % and a solid free throw %. He is stuck in the 76ers' very slow/inside offense and that is hurting this shooting big man's ability to score. He could thrive in a run'n'gun offense and be a force on a championship team. Divac could play as the ultimate backup for the 3-5 spots and win multiple 6MOTY awards. Sixers have been keen on holding onto to him, but he can move in the right deal.
5. Jong-Hyun Lee C 30 6'11'' 221 B- C C A B D
40 35.6 14.1 11.5 1.9 1.1 3.9 1.4 .414 .834 .000
Team: Raptors
Country: South Korea
Team: Raptors
Country: South Korea
Lee is a top 3 defensive big in this league, and the best international defensive big the league. He is a double-double machine and easily racks up 4 block per game. I wouldn't be surprised if he continued being a DPOTY threat for the next half decade. He doesn't have the greatest field goal %, but his tremendous defense more than makes up for it. His talents are currently being wasted in Toronto. He can anchor a championship team and can transform a run-of-the-mill playoff team into a contender. His contact is huge at two years-$48,000,000. This can make it tough to trade for him, but if you're able to round up two large expirings you can acquire him from the "retooling" Raptors.
4. Dirk Nowitzki PF 21 7'0'' 237 B B+ D+ C+ C+ A
Dirk Nowitzki PF 41 32.0 21.3 9.3 1.5 0.8 1.6 2.2 .428 .725 .442
Team: Grizzlies
Country: Germany
Team: Grizzlies
Country: Germany
The lanky German has already made a name for himself in the league. At just 21 and a sophomore in NBADSL he is already the starting PF for the contending Grizzlies. Dirk is the best prospect in the league right now and isn't fully camped yet. He has to improve his field goal percentage, but that will come with time. He is averaging more blocks and steals than people expected, but his man-on-man post defense is not at the level the Grizzles need to win a championship. Dirk is also shooting at a surprisingly low clip from the charity stripe, but over time it should correct itself. Dirk is the future international superstar.
3. Dragan Bender PF 28 6'11'' 223 A- B C A B- C
Dragan Bender PF 40 34.6 23.7 10.8 2.6 1.1 2.4 1.7 .428 .818 .372
Team: Hawks
Country: Croatia
Dragan Bender could have been the second best international player, but his low field goal % pushed him into the #3 sport. Bender is capable of playing 3-5, but thrives at PF. Bender is a very difficult player to match up with; you can feed him in the post or he can step out and drain a three. He is a slightly above average blocker, but he is a top three post defender. He consistently averages more than 10 rebounds per game even though his rebounding rating is only a "B-". For a guy who has the ball so much his 1.7 TOPG is very encouraging. Bender has no true weaknesses that teams could exploit. He is the type of player Dirk can expect to be like in his prime. A force of nature at the 4 spot.
2. Drazen Petrovic SG 27 6'5'' 208 B A C A- C- C
Drazen Petrovic SG 47 37.1 26.4 5.1 3.6 1.4 0.2 2.8 .481 .845 .464
Team: Mavericks
Country: Yugoslavia
You can make the case for Petrovic being the best SG and shooter in the league. Everyone can agree he is at least a top 3 shooting guard. Any team drafting a shooting guard with a lotto pick prays he can develop into Petrovic. Petrovic's percentages are insane. He is shooting 46.5% from 3!!! People would be happy if their shooting guard were averaging 46% from the field. He is the only reason the Mavericks aren't in contention for a top three pick. He is also a more than capable defender and does not get torched often. He provides the team with nearly 2 steals per game. He is the prototypical shooting guard that any team would love to have. He is by far the best international SG in the league.
1. Klym Artamonov PG 25 6'2'' 179 C+ A- A A D C
Klym Artamonov PG 44 40.2 22.7 4.1 9.8 3.3 0.3 2.8 .436 .788 .368
Team: Hawks
Country: Ukraine
The reigning finals MVP had to be ranked number one. He has the best ratings of any point guard in the league. He averages a double-double with 23 ppg and 10 apg. He has the fastest hands in the league which allow him to average an ungodly 3.3 steals per game. He is one of few allstar point guards to average less than 3 TOPG which is a huge help to the Hawks' fast paced offense. His percentages this season are not the greatest, but the Hawks are a fast paced team so he takes a lot of shots. Klym and Bender are a deadly combo and look to repeat in 2043.
