TREVISO, Italy -- The camp’s second day was lighter on the competition for the older, draft eligible international prospects, and was focused instead on drills, coaching, and showcasing the younger teams in attendance.
There was only one game featuring the event’s main attractions, and it was used by two Brazilian players to dominate the action.
Point guard Raul Neto and big man Augusto Lima (pictured) each put in 14 points to lead an All-Star team in a blowout of the under-19 Serbian team. Neto did his damage as more of a scorer than a distributor, but it’s easy to see why he is a prospect teams will be keeping an eye on over the next year or two. His ability to create his own shot is to be valued, and he is able to cause havoc on the defensive end of the floor, as well.
Lima was especially dominant on Day 2, after a less than inspired performance the first day.
“I like to compare myself to Anderson Varejao,” Lima told me. “A lot of guys say that about me when we played together on the national team. I think in the future I’ll be able to be even more like him. I try to have more activity than him, but you know. He plays really hard. When I play with him on the international team I try to be like him, but he has much more experience so I’m not there yet.”
Lima, 22, also said this might be his last, best opportunity to show scouts what he can do for them at the NBA level, and he seemed to realize it against the under-developed Serbian team on this second day. He played with that Varejao-like intensity for most of the game, hustling for position inside and dunking the ball four times. He was playing with passion which always is nice to see, and seemed to be enjoying himself out there -- even when hacked so hard that he fell awkwardly to the ground without a call from the nearby referee, he sat up with a big smile for a few moments and shared a look with the NBA executives who were sitting courtside along the baseline.
adidas Eurocamp Game #2 adidas ALL-Star vs SERBIA U19 (Day 2)
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Nemanja Nedovic is a strong, athletic point guard from Serbia who was one of the remaining players at Eurocamp that teams were most interested in getting a look at. But after suffering an ankle sprain, he won’t be participating in any more activities. Nedovic looked sharp on the camp’s first day, however, and is projected as a second round pick this year. He will likely work out with teams in the states in the next couple of weeks.
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Timberwolves executive and veteran NBA head coach Flip Saunders was the guest speaker of the day, and put on a detailed clinic that showed players some ball handling and shooting drills, as well as some fundamentals and tricks of playing in the post at the professional level.
Saunders was energetic and engaging, and the players seemed to respond well to his teachings. He got some assistance from both Omri Casspi and Kenneth Faried during his talk, which certainly didn’t hurt his credibility in the eyes of the young international players.
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Serge Ibaka was the third NBA player that adidas had in attendance on Day 2, and discussed the past and the future of his Oklahoma City Thunder team. He said he doesn’t know whether or not the team will retain Kevin Martin in free agency, and discussed how hard it was to end the season shorter than expected after losing Russell Westbrook to injury in the early stages of the playoffs.
“I mean, it was hard,” Ibaka said. “It was tough for us. To lose a player like Russell … he’s your point guard. But it’s no excuse, though. I will not give an excuse for us. It was hard for us, but we tried the best we [could]. It didn’t work, so now the good thing about it is we have all summer to get better and to be ready for next year.”
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It was a rough season for Casspi last year, averaging career lows in all relevant statistical categories, including minutes played. He enters this summer as a restricted free agent, but isn’t yet sure what the Cavaliers are planning to do in terms of making a qualifying offer in order to have the right to match any contract he may receive from another team.
“I just want to be in the right situation, play for the right team, and win -- you know, compete for something,” Casspi said. “I’ve been in the league four years now and never competed really in the playoffs, or been part of a winning organization. It’s a big key choosing my next team.”
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A few more notes:
- Kenneth Faried spoke at length about the changes in Denver, and the Nuggets’ earlier than expected first round playoff exit.
- Complete BAM testing results and measurements for all of the camp’s players can be seen here.
- The USA Select team of high school players was once again overmatched, this time getting blown out by the under-20 team from France. Devin Robinson, a 6'8" forward from Christchurch in Virginia, was the star for the USA team in this one, and did a good job using his length and showcasing his athleticism to make himself a factor on both ends of the floor.
adidas Eurocamp Game #1 FRANCE U-20 vs adidas USA Select (Day 2)
- The camp’s final day features three games in the afternoon session where NBA general managers will get a good last look at the remaining international players in attendance.