King Joseus

PF/C Talib Kasim (Real Madrid/Algeria)
C/PF Jerry Quinn (TBB Trier/Czech Republic)
SF/SG Nasir Muhammad (ALBA Berlin/Egypt)
SF/PF Landon Orwell (Artland Dragons/England)
PG/SG Niels Lampen (Brose Baskets/Finland)
PG Chad Severt (Deutsche Bank Skyliners/Germany)
SG/SF Felix Bangerter (Deutsche Bank Skyliners/Germany)
SF Ryan Langford (EWE Baskets Oldenburg/Hungary)
PG Diego Luna (Vanoli Cremona/Italy)
PF/SF Paolo Forlini (Sutor Montegranaro/Italy)
C Tim Matlin (BBC Bayreuth/Poland)
PF Dinko Brkic (KK Sloga/Serbia)
SG/PG Roman Stevens (Olin Edirne Basket/Turkey)

Fran Fraschilla reporting for duty from beautiful Germany where I've been spending quite a bit of my time this year. The BBL is losing quite a bit of its talent to the KVBL soon, something they can't be too happy about. Four international players braved the 2026 KVBL Draft, something that should work out pretty well for Li Mingwei and Vytautas Jokubaitis in this guy's opinion, but let's move forward and not backward! I'll have all that you've come to expect from my writeups, and I'll try to do my best to note the guys to keep your eye on when draft time rolls around. First things first, your handy scouts' takes on this bunch:

Scout A
Felix Bangerter
Paolo Forlini
Chad Severt
Nasir Muhammad
Talib Kasim
Tim Matlin
Niels Lampen
Jerry Quinn
Diego Luna
Landon Orwell
Roman Stevens
Ryan Langford
Dinko Brkic

Scout B
Paolo Forlini
Felix Bangerter
Chad Severt
Talib Kasim
Tim Matlin
Nasir Muhammad
Niels Lampen
Diego Luna
Jerry Quinn
Landon Orwell
Dinko Brkic
Roman Stevens
Ryan Langford

Scout C
Felix Bangerter
Chad Severt
Paolo Forlini
Nasir Muhammad
Tim Matlin
Talib Kasim
Jerry Quinn
Niels Lampen
Diego Luna
Ryan Langford
Roman Stevens
Dinko Brkic
Landon Orwell

Scout D
Chad Severt
Felix Bangerter
Paolo Forlini
Tim Matlin
Nasir Muhammad
Talib Kasim
Diego Luna
Niels Lampen
Jerry Quinn
Ryan Langford
Landon Orwell
Roman Stevens
Dinko Brkic

Scout E
Chad Severt
Paolo Forlini
Felix Bangerter
Talib Kasim
Nasir Muhammad
Tim Matlin
Niels Lampen
Diego Luna
Jerry Quinn
Dinko Brkic
Roman Stevens
Landon Orwell
Ryan Langford

Scout F
Felix Bangerter
Paolo Forlini
Chad Severt
Talib Kasim
Nasir Muhammad
Tim Matlin
Niels Lampen
Jerry Quinn
Diego Luna
Ryan Langford
Roman Stevens
Landon Orwell
Dinko Brkic


Here's my patented quick takes...

Kasim - Steady third big type

Quinn - Versatile defender

Muhammad - Mr. (D)o It All

Orwell - Undersized hustle

Lampen - Competent passer

Severt - Keeps the ball on a string

Bangerter - Scoring machine

Langford - Shoots, that's all

Luna - Lacks strength

Forlini - Inconsistent

Matlin - Shotblocker

Brkic - Scared of rebounds

Stevens - Can shoot the three


Let's move on to what you've actually been waiting for...


Talib Kasim
Talib Kasim was not expected to amount to much as a teen playing low level competition, but Real Madrid saw something they thought they could use and he's rewarded them, particularly this past season. Kasim's quickness and footwork has helped him out on the defensive end, but he's still working on gaining the strength needed to be a force in the post on either end. Strong coaching has helped him to limit turnovers and improve rebounding technique, but he'll still need some work before KVBL teams will trust him as a go-to starter inside. I like him, he's humble and doesn't try to play outside himself at all. That's nice to see in a young kid. Talent is probably low first round level, but a team that sees potential in him could grab him closer to the middle of the round.

Jerry Quinn
Quinn may have the ugliest offensive game I've seen since, well, I can't remember anybody worse. That's not to say he doesn't have talent, don't get me wrong, but it's definitely a very good thing that he rarely ever shoots the ball. I'm still baffled by how somebody who can hit his free throws consistently can't do anything else. Weird. Quinn's likely role at the KVBL level is as a defensive anchor, especially if he adjusts well to the more advanced post game. One sided players have limited value, it's true, and that's why I can't see Quinn going in the first round. If he does, it'll likely be super late. Instead, an early second round pick is likely to be where he goes.

Nasir Muhammad
One of my favorite teams to watch in the oodles of BBL action I caught this year was ALBA Berlin, due primarily to the presence of one Nasir Muhammad. The half German was all over the court, doing a little bit of everything every night I saw him in action. His post game was surprisingly effective for a wing, and rebounding was definitely a strength (though the slightly deficient rebounding of his bigs may have played a role in that). Passing is okay, shotblocking is pretty good, but I will say that he isn't perfect. Defense just never seemed to matter much to him out there. He's got the tools, but they don't mean much without effort. Defensive issues aside, Muhammad is absolutely a first round talent and should find a home once the last third gets going, maybe even mid teens.

Landon Orwell
The first of a talented crop of English ballers we'll be seeing in the KVBL soon, Orwell is probably not the one we'll be thinking about a few years down the line. Still, there's something to be said for coming first and paving the way. The main issue I had with Landon was that you wouldn't ever really notice him out there unless you were ignoring everybody else. He just didn't ever seem to be making too many plays, just a made shot here and a steal or two there. He's gotten some hype in some places, but I think the hype is much too predicated on hope. Second round fodder for a team who wants to take a chance, I don't think he's more than that.

Niels Lampen
Niels is the latest in a long string of Euro PGs to just look like they're never going to amount to more than being a steady, backup type KVBL floor general. His offense isn't too bad, but his difficulty with the three point shot hurts him a good deal. He shies away from taking them for the most part now, but teams are going to give him that shot and he's not going to be able to just pass the ball away. A lack of quickness and size is going to hurt him on the defensive end, but he's a solid passer and does a nice job of taking care of the ball most of the time. I feel good about his chances to carve out a lengthy KVBL career along the likes of guys like Antwaan Jack and Daniel Sunderhaus. Teams needing some PG help might take him higher than the late first or early second, but that's probably where he belongs when you consider everything he brings to the table.

Chad Severt
Severt is the oldest of this year's international crop, coming in at 24 years old. His age makes him less likely to be viewed as a potential diamond in the rough, but that's not all that big of a deal when he's already so great at what he does. Doesn't shoot much (usually from three, when he does), but his main job is running the offense. I can't tell you how crazy it is to watch a guy consistently rack up 8-12 assists without turning the ball over one time. It's insane. That rare ability to always get the ball where it needs to go without making mistakes is what's going to get Severt drafted in the top ten (and rightfully so). I know there are some KVBL GMs that cherish players who never turn it over, those guys might even take him top three. He's definitely a lotto talent, and should be a starting PG immediately.

Felix Bangerter
The Deutsche Bank Skyliners have been monstrous the past two seasons behind the combined talents of Chad Severt and Felix Bangerter. Bangerter's role as the number one scorer was definitely easier with Severt around, but he'd have been getting it done just the same without him. Bangerter's ability to get to the line is going to come in handy in the KVBL, as is his knack for efficiently draining corner threes at a high rate. Something that could boost Bangerter's stock further is his passing ability that was on display on the rare occasions when Severt wasn't out there with him. Defense is not a strength, I won't lie to you, but he does try out there and shouldn't be any worse than a guy like Phillip Vasquez. Bangerter's got top three talent in this draft class, and he should be going somewhere in there. I guess he could drop as far as five, but I think that'd be foolish.

Ryan Langford
Langford's minutes weren't ever all that high for EWE Baskets Oldenburg, but in the time that he did get he was able to show off a pretty shot and not much else. There was a string of games late in the season where he got big minutes and scored well with some assists and rebounds thrown in that got scouts talking about this kid's potential. Teams drafting him are going to have to decide how much potential he actually has, because if it's a case of what you see is what you get then they'll be awfully disappointed. I'm not stupid enough to bet big on potential, not with somebody like this, but I could see him going in the late first. Personally, I think he's a mid second round talent all the way through.

Diego Luna
Luna is one of those short, feisty point guards that can get hot and have crazy big games every now and then. Alas, more often than not he's just missing mid range jumpers and turning the ball over. KVBL coaches aren't going to be interested in giving this guy a long leash, and he's the type of player that's probably going to need that in his development. I can see the argument for him being a good backup down the line, but that's about it. He's another second round talent, though it's anybody's guess where exactly he'll go.

Paolo Forlini
Paolo Forlini is a guy I haven't quite been able to put my finger on when I watch him play. It's weird, because he's out there putting up big points and dominating the boards, but I just get this feeling that something's missing. He shot about 46% for the year, which isn't great, but it's not horrible. Plus, he averaged over a block a night. I just don't know with him. He's been (lazily) compared to Andrea Bargnani, but I don't really see that. Still, the scouts have gotta know something, right? He's consistently ranked among the top ten players in this draft based on talent, but I just don't know.

Tim Matlin
This big Polish center is going to appeal to teams that like having a strong, traditional post defender manning the middle for them. He's a big beast of a man at nearly seven feet, and he's got great timing when it comes to blocking shots and stealing away offensive rebounds. Offensively, though, well, Ben Wallace comes to mind. Definitely a roleplayer and not a star, but teams need those too. Mid to late first round is likely for Matlin, I think.

Dinko Brkic
Serbia's had some issues producing KVBL talent lately, and Brkic isn't likely to change that tune much. He's an interesting prospect mostly for his ability to pass the ball, especially out of the high post. The problem is that he can hardly ever grab rebounds and he's one of the worst defenders in the draft this year. Some team will take a chance in the second round somewhere, but I'd be shocked to see him taken before then.

Roman Stevens
Stevens was, of course, a starter for Olin Edirne Basket, but he's got the look of your prototypical third guard when it comes to KVBL. His ability to run the point is a bit suspect, but he can do it if necessary. His main asset is his three point shooting. Definitely his strongest skill and what should keep him employed. Then again, if Ricky Malone still can't find a consistent KVBL gig, I'm not sure how Roman Stevens will be any different. Maybe he'll surprise me. Not going to be a first round pick, I don't think.



It's been a pleasure, folks. Happy drafting!

__________________
Interested in joining the KVBL? PM me for information.

Vuchato

__________________
KVBL Las Vegas Timberwolves
Kenny Fugere/CJ Sampson/Walter Pelfrey
Hollis Davies/Vytautas Jokubaitas
Tayerone Blackman/Charlie Fineman/Willy Grant/Scott Diamond
Mac Moore/Kobe Danielson/Kong Randolph
Rafa Salvadores/Sam Sagan/Mick Scragg

Porn Player

More throwbacks. Awesome.

__________________

Kidd

Oh sweet!


Sent from my iPhone using VS Free

__________________

AeroPlanino

Felix Bangerter is coming back.

__________________

kevinblazer

what do you mean coming back?

King Joseus

He was a player in KVBL 1.0 that never transitioned to 2.0 and beyond (Donald Cooper, Riley Thurman, Seven Phoenix, etc. were brought back). Frank Weiland on the Hawks came into 3.0 that way too.

__________________
Interested in joining the KVBL? PM me for information.

kevinblazer

so will his ratings be the same as before?

King Joseus

He is going to be a similar player. Ratings being the same or not is a mystery to everyone that isn't me.

If you're worried about others having an unfair advantage due to greater knowledge of him, I wouldn't necessarily go that far. They have an idea of what he's like in their heads, but it's not any better or worse than the newbies' take on him that's based purely on this Fran writeup.

__________________
Interested in joining the KVBL? PM me for information.

kevinblazer

thx

Zei_Zao_LS

Should be an interesting draft class with the deep euro class involved, having a couple extra picks in the mid-to-late 1st round could end up unturning someone useful.

__________________

RollWithEm

I don't really get the concept of the 6 scouts.

__________________
But that's just me.

Knicks4life

They are there for confusion, you can't scout internationals.

__________________
"Winning is the most important thing in my life,after breathing. Breathing first, winning next"-George Steinbrenner

RollWithEm

I see.

__________________
But that's just me.

King Joseus

The notion is that these "scouts" should give you a general idea of where these players fall in relation to their (international) peers, since teams can't scout them themselves.

I'd still prefer for international players to be my domain, so you don't need to worry about doing those.

__________________
Interested in joining the KVBL? PM me for information.