Jan Vesely

Guys was reading this on Espn and Fran Fraschilla says this guy is the real deal… I think he would fit best with the Cavs… Ivring and Vesely would be nice on the fast break for them in the long run.

By Fran Fraschilla

Jan Vesely has picked the perfect time to enter the NBA draft. The 6-foot-11, 21-year-old native of the Czech Republic may have one of the best combinations of size, experience, potential and athleticism in this draft. And he’s taking advantage of the dearth of quality college players at the top of this year’s draft.

Although many considered Vesely a top-10 pick a year ago, staying in Europe this past season has virtually insured that he will be one of the first six or seven players chosen in this draft, as college stars Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones and Jared Sullinger all elected to return to school.

Playing background
In 2006, Vesely was, at 16 years old, the youngest player to attend to the Reebok EuroCamp in Treviso, Italy. While NBA teams were preoccupied with evaluating six future draft selections there, the young Czech slipped quietly under the radar. In fact, in reviewing my own scant notes on him from camp, he might as well have been the invisible man.

But he showed enough potential playing for youth teams in his native country that he was signed to a professional contract by Geoplin Slovan in 2007 and, a year later, his contract was sold to the Serbian club Partizan Belgrade, where he flourished under outstanding coaching.

Spending the last three seasons playing at the Euroleague level has turned the once-raw Vesely into a lottery selection. Although he did not dominate at this level, he averaged 10 points and almost four rebounds per game this past season in a league that features a higher level of play than that of any college basketball conference in the U.S.

Going up against older European players, former NBA players and former college stars in environments even more hostile than Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium has helped Vesely’s development. As I’ve said before, if the NBA is the major leagues, then the Euroleague is the equivalent of Triple-A.

Future position
While Vesely has shown the versatility to play both forward positions, especially defensively, I see him more as a power forward early in his NBA career. To me, that position in the league is broken down into three distinct styles right now: low post players, "stretch the defense" shooters and energy players who can play without the ball. Vesely’s elite athleticism, ability to run the court and play above the rim puts him in that third category.

Athleticism
Compared to most in this draft, Vesely’s athletic ability is off the charts. You don’t need to see him at a combine to figure that out.

I’ve compared his jumping ability to former Sonics and Suns star Tom Chambers. While that’s admittedly an old school reference, the bottom line is that Vesely is one of the most electric dunkers in Europe and that will translate to the NBA. He gets his head at the rim on takeoff.

Coupling his running and jumping ability with his agility and length makes him, potentially, an outstanding defender. In fact, his easiest adjustment to the NBA may be on the defensive end of the floor.

Skill level
Offensively, Vesely is more comfortable at power forward because of an inconsistent jump shot and below average ballhandling skills, but both areas can be improved. If an NBA team is looking for a player with a complete offensive package, he is not the guy yet.

However, because Vesely’s shot is not broken, its improvement will certainly keep NBA defenses honest. And another thing I love about Vesely is his ability to play without the ball and get behind defenses for lobs or offensive rebounds. Coupled with some run-out baskets, Vesely will be able to make an offensive contribution even when a team runs few plays for him.

Attitude and disposition
While Vesely, like many European players, will be a low maintenance player for coaches to deal with, he has started to show a degree of passion as he has matured. Playing for Partizan, one of Europe’s most storied teams that features one of the most rabid fan bases, has added to that passion on the court.

Some have even said that he has more "nasty" in him since arriving in Belgrade and that should serve him well as he enters the league. However, it has not yet translated into Vesely rebounding the power forward position like he will need to in the NBA.

Best case scenario: Andrei Kirilenko/Shawn Marion
The comparisons to Kirilenko are logical because both are athletic European forwards who play with great energy but are under-skilled offensively. The team that drafts Vesely would certainly be satisfied with Kirilenko-type production over the course of his career.

But if Vesely wants to swing for the fences, the best case scenario would be for him to emulate the career of Marion, a four-time NBA All-Star who has had an underrated 14 seasons in the league.

That might be asking an awful lot of Vesely right now. But in a draft devoid of potential stars, finding a spot in an NBA team’s rotation would be a good first step.