The Blue knights: how the Italian prospects can impact the NBA Draft / News - Basketnews.com

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In 2020, it was Nico Mannion who broke the negative streak and put Italy back on the map of the NBA Draft. The Arizona alumn was born in Siena, Italy, but grew up in the United States and wasn't a product of the Italian youth basketball system.

The last product of the Italian movement to be selected in the NBA Draft was Alessandro Gentile back in 2014. Despite being close to joining the Houston Rockets at least a couple of times, in the end, Gentile never made it to the NBA.

Currently, Italy has only one player in the NBA: Danilo Gallinari, who just finished his season with the Atlanta Hawks. Nicolò Melli had a quick stint, playing for the New Orleans Pelicans and the Dallas Mavericks, but last summer, he decided to return to Italy and sign a deal with Armani Exchange Milan.

However, the situation might change soon. For the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft, which will take place on June 23 at the Barclays Center, four Italian players have declared, and at least three of them have good chances of being selected.

Paolo Banchero (Duke), Matteo Spagnolo (Real Madrid), Gabriele Procida (Fortitudo Bologna), and Leonardo Okeke (Bertam Derthona) are the four names to write down.

The Star

Paolo Banchero is clearly the top Italian prospect in the draft. Just like Nico Mannion, he grew up outside of the Italian basketball system, but he represents the colors of the country, especially now that he has received an Italian passport.

The forward is currently projected to be selected inside the top 5. In the ESPN Mock Draft, he’s listed as the No. 3 pick. He averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and shot 34% from the 3-point zone in his lone season at Duke.

Unfortunately, he couldn't deliver a final NCAA title for Coach K, but Duke had a very good run regardless, reaching the Final Four and showing quality basketball.

Offensively, he can do a bit of everything: he can create off the dribble, and he might knock down a spot-up jumper from the midrange. But Banchero also has very interesting playmaking skills.

It was pretty common for him at Duke to grab a rebound and then go off in transition as the de facto point guard of the team. For a guy of his size (2.08-meter), he's a really good passer and can find his teammates in many different ways: attacking off the dribble, from the post-up, or after a drive to the basketball.

He can see over the defenders with his size and make passes that aren't normally available for smaller guards or wings.

Some questions remain about his ability to become an effective defensive player at the NBA level since he’s not gifted with crazy athleticism or a superb lateral quickness and his ability to become a more consistent 3-point shooter.

But there are very few doubts about Paolo Banchero's potential to become a transformative player for an NBA franchise.

And the same goes for the national team. The Italian/American forward is probably the biggest hope for the future of the Italian national team, a player who could change the outcome for the Azzurri.

Gianni Petrucci, the president of the Italian basketball federation, recently stated that Banchero is excited to wear the colors of Italy and that, most likely, the first major tournament in which he’ll be able to join the Italian NT will be the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which will be crucial to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

If everything goes according to plan, Banchero will become the first Italian player to be selected inside the top-5 of the NBA Draft since 2006, when Andrea Bargnani was selected with the first pick overall by the Toronto Raptors.

The hope is that, differently from Bargnani, he'll be able to lead the Italian NT to great success and achievements.

The rising talents

Matteo Spagnolo, 19, and Gabriele Procida, who will be 20 in a month, are probably the two biggest prospects of Italy in recent years. They had a different path, though.

Spagnolo made his professional debut in the Italian third division when he was only 14 years old. In the summer of 2018, he left Stella Azzurra Roma, probably the biggest development club in Italy, to join Real Madrid, becoming the first Italian player ever to play in Los Blancos' youth department.

After signing a three-year contract extension with Real Madrid, Spagnolo was sent on loan to Vanoli Cremona this season to find more minutes and play a consistent role.

The plan worked. In his first full season in a top division, Spagnolo averaged 12.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and shot 44% from 3-point.

He received nominations for the best under-22 player and for the best 'surprise' of the season. Unfortunately, Vanoli Cremona was relegated from the top division, casting a shadow on Spagnolo's season.

Over the course of the regular season, several NBA scouts attended the home games of Cremona to give a close look at the Italian combo guard. Spagnolo is currently projected to be selected at the end of the second round.

In the latest ESPN Mock Draft, he was listed as the 52nd pick. If he is selected, there's a good chance that he'll remain in Europe for at least another season, a source told BasketNews. It's still unclear whether that will happen with Real Madrid or with another team.

On the other hand, Procida grew up in the Como area and made his professional debut in the Italian top division with Pallacanestro Cantù when he was only 17 years old in 2019. In the following season, 2020-2021, he became a stable member of the team's rotations and played in every single game of the season.

Although Cantù was relegated from the top division, Procida drew the interest of several important teams on him after averaging 6.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game and showing great potential with his 3-point shooting and his athleticism.

Armani Exchange Milan and Virtus Bologna looked at his profile, but in the end, Procida signed a multi-year deal with Fortitudo Bologna, attracted by the idea of being coached by Jasmin Repesa, well-known for his ability to work with younger players and help them develop.

However, that plan derailed pretty fast. Jasmin Repesa resigned after just one game, citing some health issues. Antimo Martino, who had already coached Fortitudo Bologna two years ago, came in trying to handle a very difficult environment.

Procida struggled to have a consistent role, playing only limited minutes in multiple games. With Fortitudo Bologna soon involved in the battle to avoid the relegation, Martino gave more trust to experienced players, using Procida mostly off the bench.

After a series of injuries to other players in a crucial moment of the season, the Italian wing started to play more and show his abilities, giving a taste of his athletic skills. With two games left before the end of the regular season, Fortitudo Bologna is still at risk of being relegated.

Procida is averaging 7.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 40% from deep. Just like for Spagnolo, several NBA scouts attended Fortitudo Bologna games, including executives of San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, and Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell BasketNews.

The wing is currently projected to be selected with the 53rd pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, according to the latest ESPN mock draft.

"I think that both Spagnolo and Procida have good chances of being selected in the second round," an NBA scout told BasketNews. "They both have interesting skillset and potential. Of course, being selected doesn’t mean that they’ll arrive in the NBA right away, but I see in both of them the potential to become NBA players."

After officially declaring for the NBA Draft, Procida said: "My dream of going to the USA remains the same, I’ll go there without too many expectations, but I'll do my best to succeed.”

The Prospect

Leonardo Okeke was born in 2003, and in his first season in the second division, he's showing a lot of upside, averaging 9.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. The big man is playing for JB Monferrato, but he's under contract with Serie A side Bertam Derthona, who decided to send him on loan in the second division to grow.

And Okeke is growing pretty fast. Not even 19-years-old yet, Okeke looks already a much more mature player than his age tells. Listed at 2.13-meter, the Italian big man really knows how to use his body in the best way possible in every single situation. He's gifted with great athleticism, and he’s already a really solid shot blocker.

During the season, even ESPN draft guru Mike Schmitz decided to pay him a visit and mentioned his case as a late bloomer. Although he’s currently not projected to be selected in the upcoming NBA Draft, his consideration among the NBA scouts is increasing.

The growth of Okeke in the coming years could also be a factor for the Italian national team. Italy has often lacked the presence of an explosive and athletic big man like Okeke under the basket, and if the Nigerian-born continues his steady progression, he might become a really interesting weapon for the Azzurri.

In a recent interview that Okeke gave to the Italian podcast ‘Draft & Stash,’ he described his style of play in this way: "I’m not the classic big man who screens and rolls, I’m a player who knows how to do a little bit of everything.

If you ask me to bring the ball up, I can do that, I know how to move the ball and to attack off the dribble. I’m working really hard on my shooting mechanic, I still need to improve on that front, but I’m working every day to become better.”

After several years of drought, Italian basketball is returning to the NBA scene with some exciting talent. The 2022 NBA Draft might be the starting point for a complete renovation of the Italian basketball movement.

Riccardo Fois, an assistant coach at Arizona who is heavily involved in the recruiting process of the Italian national team, said in a recent interview that the end game for Italy was to become one of the strongest teams in the world for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.

To make that happen, there has to be a starting point. Looks like Brooklyn in June could be a good starting point for that project. It's up to Paolo Banchero, Matteo Spagnolo, Gabriele Procida, and Leonardo Okeke to lead the way and paint some blue over the NBA skies.

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