NBA Scouts Were In Greece To See George Papagiannis - 14 Year Old 7 Foot Center

or was that some other crazy Greek guy?

Here is his Greek Basket League profile:

http://www.esake.gr/main/index.php?pl=12&lng=en&pfpar=cGxheWVyaWQ9MjA4MQ==

Keep in mind that in Greece the young players are listed in barefoot heights and the month is listed first, and the day second.

So this is his barefoot height, which is 210 cm (6'11") and his birthday is July 3, 1997.

Wow! 1 point and 1.4 boards a game! Sure fire number 1 pick in the 2016 draft. On a more serioud note, he definitely has a headstart on a lot of other prospects because he's playing against really high levels of competition at a young age. Also, havig the growth spurt will allow him to adjust to his body and be more comfortable. in his frame and pack on more muscle.

He might have a chance ofmbeing drafted, but it's WAY too early to tell.

.....AND this site doesn't have him in the 2016 Mock Draft!!!!!

FINALLY!!!!!..... European Baller has come back.......to nbadraft.net!!!!!!!!!!!!

it says a lot about the "professional Greek Basket League" when a 14 year old player is playing.

THEY ALL SUCK

EDIT: against the top post player smh

the Greek Paradigm.

Lets wait and see if we're still talking about him in 2014.

My nephew Ethan for first pick in 2020! He's eleven and doesn't like basketball yet, but he's taller than I was at that age, and skinny. Surely if I start him now he can develop into a top prospect.

*If they allow robots into the NBA he will definately build one by then.

I applaud you European Baller you didn't have any immature attacks to the other posters on this site or Americans in general. You're making progress.

And to the actual substance of your post, being 7 feet at 14 is slightly alarming. Do you know if doctors have checked him for Gigantism? If he's medically cleared, and continues to progress (and grow) he'll find himself in the NBA.

^^^^^ LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

funny stuff raybeas

Euro Baller doesn't have negs on a post. This is alarming.

This is actually a good, informative post. I don't know if he will be the #1 pick in 2016, but if he is 7'0 and 14 and not suffering for giantism or whatever, than I would see a good chance if he actually is a decent player and progresses.

>

Poor kid must get treated like a monster at school. Hope he makes it.

I bet he wouldn't even survive in HS basketball in America.

very agree with akhan786 :

EB do you know if he has been treated for gigantism ? SO big so young, it could be hard for him to keep being able to move enough to play basket. Lots of euro giants faced that kind of issue and never managed to get through it.

In france vincent pourchot is a big kid (older) in nancy who faced nearly the same issue. He's not enough strong and "moveable" and he's facing injuries regularly.

PS : "Vougioukas is the best low post offensive center in Europe." NO that's not true. Vougioukas is a very solid pro and a very effective big man to face in europe, but he's not the best low post offensive center. You can not stop overrating greek players every time you post...

I bet there would be no contest if he played against you 1-on-1.

Go check on some of his videos on youtube. If you see how quick he can move, you would not think that he has gigantism.

Hope he does well. Seems to move pretty well, still a long ways to the 2016 Draft but it seems like this kid is off to a great start. Playing pro at 14 and a half is incredibly impressive. He looks like he struggled a bit in the clip you showed, but he did not look completely lost. Would be hard for me to believe that any class of 2015 HS big man would look much better (Karl Towns, Horace Spencer, Diamond Stone, Levi Cook) than Papagiannis did in the post at this point in time against that competition.

he indeed seems to move pretty well for a young big guy... he clearly and normaly needs to add weights but he shows some promise.

Still I think this is very very dangerous for a young guy to be so big so early. Almost all the big guys are injury prone when they show the same giant frame and don't manage to be really effective.

Maybe he could have a futur à la ante tomic....

A 14 year old playing professionally is impressive. Hopefully his game continues to develop.

And to the actual substance of your post, being 7 feet at 14 is slightly alarming. Do you know if doctors have checked him for Gigantism?

I have not heard anything about it. The first time I heard of him was when he was 13 playing in the junior high club of Peristeri. I can tell you that he has grown 1.5 inches in the last year though.

I don't know how this compares to heights of some others like Bradley, Yao, Muresan and guys like that at similar ages. But I do know that Yao did not have the disease, so it is possible to be that height without it. I am not sure how tall this kid will be, so it would be interesting to compare his height to those others at similar ages.

Bradley had the disease supposedly and Yao did not. Does anyone know how tall they were at age 14 for comparison? Papagiannis was measured at 6-9 1/2 barefoot when he hit age 14, and now has already grown another 1.5 inches before he has turned 15. So he will be measuring at 6-11 barefoot, or maybe taller by the time he hits age 15.

It would be interesting to see the comparison to guys like Bradley and Yao., Muresan, Bol and those types of players.

From what I can find, Shaq was measured at 6-8 in shoes at age 13 and Kareem was measured at 6-8 barefoot at age 12. Yao was measured at 6-7 barefoot at age 12. So, I think it is safe to say that Papagiannis is not done growing yet.

I am sure though that since now he is in the top senior team of Peristeri and playing in the pro league that he will be tested. In Greece's pro league there is a rule that all players have to go through a very thorough medical exam.

But, to be honest, I do not know if gigantism is a part of the test.

"You need to STOP underrating players simply because they are Greek."

I don't do that. I like the way greek players are playing the game (bourrousis and diamantidis are two players I truly love) but if I hear you every good greek player is the best in europe... I think you exaggerate and it doesn't give you much credit.

... I think this tall kid could be a greek version of ante tomic : big, skilled, high IQ, more toughness, good mobility.... but injuries are a plague for young big teens who want to play bball professionaly. Let's hope playing professionaly so young will give him good habits (food, way of life, focus on basket, patience...)

I don't do that. I like the way greek players are playing the game (bourrousis and diamantidis are two players I truly love) but if I hear you every good greek player is the best in europe... I think you exaggerate and it doesn't give you much credit. ... I think this tall kid could be a greek version of ante tomic : big, skilled, high IQ, more toughness, good mobility.... but injuries are a plague for young big teens who want to play bball professionaly. Let's hope playing professionaly so young will give him good habits (food, way of life, focus on basket, patience...)

I do not overrate Greek players. You just keep saying that and it isn't true. You keep saying things like that to make me look bad. I am not overrating a single Greek player.

Also, Diamantidis and Bourousis are great players, but Spanoulis is the best Greek player.

As far as comparing Papagiannis to Tomic......Tomic is a really skilled offensive player, but he is absolutely horrible on defense. Papagiannis is a mobile really big guy that is known for defense and rebounding.

Papagiannis at age 14 is a better defender already than Tomic is. If you said he could be like Tomic plus good defense, then maybe you would have a comparison. Tomic is absolutely horrible on defense, and that is why his career has been going nowhere, despite so much size and skill.

Papagiannis can already defend pro centers decently at age 14.

This kid will be great, but what about my boy Satnam Singh? He's 15 now and he's 7'0. Future of the league, along with Papagianas, and Thon Maker, as long as far as U-15 prospects go.

Europeanballer: I do not overrate Greek players.

Europeanballer:

• Sofoklis Schortsanitis is the next Shaq
• Spanoulis is better than every point guard in the NBA except maybe Nash and Williams
• Pekovic Is the best center in the NBA right now and it is not even close

Europeanballer: I do not overrate Greek players.

Europeanballer:

• Sofoklis Schortsanitis is the next Shaq
• Spanoulis is better than every point guard in the NBA except maybe Nash and Williams
• Pekovic Is the best center in the NBA right now and it is not even close

I never said Sofo was the next Shaq.

Spanoulis is better than every single point guard in the NBA.

Pekovic is the best offensive low post center.

Stop lying.

I do not overrate Greek players, but you purposely underrate them solely based on their nationality. You are at the least a xenophobe, and are much more likely a racist.

Knowing that this was a European Baller topic, I came for the .gif pictures. I leave disappointed.... and quite parched.

as much as euroballer is kind of troll on evrey site, it's very impresive for such a young kid to debute at such a high level. and this is very high level. as his comparison to tomic it's way to early. tomic with 16 years was 6'6 PG and went almost without club. in year he grew to 7'1. with 18 years tomich reached 7'2 and had like 200lbs. tomich luckly main problem is not injurys, it's softness and lack of strenght. how this kid will develope time will tell

...................................................................................................

few words about 97. euro generation.....even it's way to early this could be best euro generation ever. 92 had kanter and valanciunas as sure nba prospects, 94. saric, 95. hezonja. but this 97. generation looks to be phenomenal wich could produce lot saric, hezonja, kanter, valanciunas level prospects. look out for that generation

Lovro Mazalin-Croatia, Stefan Peno-Serbia, Nedim Djedovic-B&H, Okben Ulubay-Turkey and this kid George Papagiannis are standouts that show promise of being top prospects

Spanoulis is better than every single point guard in the NBA.

I do not overrate Greek players, but you purposely underrate them solely based on their nationality. You are at the least a xenophobe, and are much more likely a racist.

How can you say you dont overrate Greek players when you just said Spanoulis is better than every pg in the NBA? He played in the NBA and was one of the worst and most inefficiant pg in the league. I dont care about nationality and you dont know me so dont you dare call me a racist. Racists are the scum of the earth and you dont just throw that word around.

How can you say you dont overrate Greek players when you just said Spanoulis is better than every pg in the NBA? He played in the NBA and was one of the worst and most inefficiant pg in the league. I dont care about nationality and you dont know me so dont you dare call me a racist. Racists are the scum of the earth and you dont just throw that word around.

So you automatically overrate all players that are in the NBA. You automatically underrate all players that play in Europe. You don't rate players based on how good they actually are, but rather whether or not they play in the NBA.

You clearly also overrate black and American players and clearly underrate white and European players. You get angry and mad at anyone that tries to tell the truth about the level of players in the NBA and the Euroleague and accuse them of some kind of nationalist xenophobia, even if it isn't true. While you yourself are guilty of it.

If you are not racist, then you are at the very least ignorant.

EB why are you talking about black and white ?... what is the link with what Nbanfalguy said ?

So you automatically overrate all players that are in the NBA. You automatically underrate all players that play in Europe. You don't rate players based on how good they actually are, but rather whether or not they play in the NBA.

You clearly also overrate black and American players and clearly underrate white and European players. You get angry and mad at anyone that tries to tell the truth about the level of players in the NBA and the Euroleague and accuse them of some kind of nationalist xenophobia, even if it isn't true. While you yourself are guilty of it.

If you are not racist, then you are at the very least an ignorant dumb ass.

Dude I have nothing against European Players. Rubio and Pekovic are some of my favorite players in the NBA. I have a problem with YOU. I am just going to edit your post and send it back to you.

So you automatically overrate all players that are in Europe. You automatically underrate all players that play in the NBA. You don't rate players based on how good they actually are, but rather whether or not they play in the European league.

You clearly also overrate white and European players and underreate black and american players. You get angry and mad at anyone that tries to tell the truth about the level of players in the NBA and the Euroleague and accuse them of some kind of nationalist xenophobia, even if it isn't true. While you yourself are guilty of it.

If you are not racist, then you are at the very least an ignorant dumb ass.

ps. Who do you think is the best player in the world right now?

EB why are you talking about black and white ?... what is the link with what Nbanfalguy said ?

He doesnt have a link to anything he says. He just pulls random thoughts out of his ass and claims them as facts. I have asked him before for links on some of his stuff, but he never responds. I have never once brought race into this.

Real Madrid is already interested in signing him.

http://thehoop.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/real-madrid-set-sights-on-georgios...

The youngest ever player to play in the big league...

But Euroballer, how is his development going to be impacted by the country's decent into chaos and anarchy when your elected fascist politicians are slapping around communists on live television.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBT_adiaBkY

But Euroballer, how is his development going to be impacted by the country's decent into chaos and anarchy when your elected fascist politicians are slapping around communists on live television.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBT_adiaBkY

Update - Papagiannis is now ranked as the top European prospect by Eurohopes.

http://www.eurohopes.com/player/1675/georgios-papagiannis/

What is hilarious is that not a single American site even has him listed as a prospect........if he was from Spain or one of the former Yugoslav countries, or France or whatever, he would have ESPN articles already written about him.........

But of course since he is from Greece, it's like he does not even exist.

Tend to only rank players who play at domestic schools (ie. play high school in the US). Yes, I know Ben Simmons has had some cred, but he played well at a domestic camp (Pangos), which is why everyone was in a buzz. It is not a racism thing, they just do not just rank anybody. For the people they do end up ranking, a majority of the time it will be after they sign with a NCAA school.

So, that is the reason why Papagiannis is not among High School rankings. If he comes to the US (doubtful, as he is already playing professionally and seems to be headed down that route), I am sure there will be articles written about him. In the mean time, once again, you are full of $hit with your "racism" argument. He is freaking 15! Give him time, have him keep showing improvement, he could end up being a very big deal. Just do not understand your overall bitterness regarding how everything coming out of Greece is handled.

Because on a daily basis everything related to Greece and Greeks is bashed in US media. We get almost as bad press in USA as Iran does.

Instead of Americans realizing this is all USA media lies and propaganda, you just take it as fact and then mock the same way and say anyone calling it into question is complaining or moaning or whatever.

I am sorry, but it's beyond pathetic.