7 International NBA Players to Watch at 2016 Summer Olympics

By admin
- Tweet
- Pin It
Updated: August 5, 2016

The 2016 Summer Olympics are a sports buffet that is too expansive to consume entirely. Even if you confine yourself to the 12-team basketball field, you still can’t take it all in.

You have to pick your spots.

If all you want is uninterrupted dominance by Team USA, that’s easy enough. Just watch Kevin Durant and Co. But if you prefer a broader sample, it can be tough to know which of the 35 international players with NBA ties warrant your attention.

This is a guide to which foreign talents bear watching—whether for pure aesthetics or, more importantly, signs of the impact they’ll make on the NBA next season.

Dario Saric, Croatia

Share Tweet

After two years overseas, the No. 12 pick in the 2014 NBA draft will ditch Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketball Super League and join the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2016-17 season.

Admit it, you’re curious.

Who is Dario Saric? What can he do? Is he ready?

The Olympics will provide the first big-stage chance for Saric to answer those questions, though his MVP performance in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament was a good start.

With 6’10” size, a smooth handle and an assortment of offensive moves that should help him punish smaller defenders, Saric looked like a surprisingly polished weapon in helping Croatia make the Olympic field. Questions linger about his outside shot and defensive chops, but he’s not the first 22-year-old to face those.

“How we use him is going to be a challenge but fun, a great challenge,” Sixers head coach Brett Brown said, per Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly. “Dario and Ben [Simmons] can play together. They’re two really good players. How this plays out, how it takes shape, I think is a good challenge and one that we’re excited to learn more about.”

To maximize Simmons’ once-in-a-generation court vision and passing, the Sixers need skilled, intuitive surrounding talent—guys who can make plays, position themselves in the right spots and capitalize on the setups that will come from the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft.

Keep an eye on Saric in Rio to see if he showcases those traits against strong international competition.

Alex Abrines, Spain

Even when they had Durant, the Oklahoma City Thunder needed more shooting—or at least shooting that could hold up on the defensive end, which is why Anthony Morrow, one of the most accurate three-point snipers ever, wasn’t the solution.

Spanish guard Alex Abrines could be one of Russell Westbrook’s top floor-spacing targets in the upcoming season. The 23-year-old could also wind up being buried on OKC’s bench if he can’t play at least passable, better-than-Morrow defense. This is a low bar, but it’s one he must prove he can clear in the Olympics.

Abrines’ stroke isn’t in question. In his last three seasons with FC Barcelona (starting in 2013-14), he shot 42, 41.9 and 43.5 percent from long range, respectively. Even more encouraging, the 6’6″ Abrines isn’t just a standstill shooter.

Bay Area News Group’s Anthony Slater, then with the Oklahoman, liked the variety he saw from Abrines in Euroleague play:

Alex Abrines is a smooth shooter on the move. Clearly comfortable wrapping off screens, catching and firing pic.twitter.com/g7hv2J0SxN

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 18, 2016

Spain’s roster boasts a ton of talent with Pau Gasol, Ricky Rubio, Nikola Mirotic and a half-dozen other names with NBA experience. So Abrines, a relatively low-volume scorer with Barcelona, will have to work hard to stand out.

If all he does is knock down open shots and play …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com

Breaking news