How did the 2022 NBA Draft go for Europe? Banchero, Sochan, Jovic, Spagnolo...

There was a European flavour to the 2022 NBA Draft… right from the first pick. Paolo Banchero, a native of Seattle but a player with Italian blood, was chosen by the Orlando Magic at number one. It was a pick that raised eyebrows: for weeks, it had been taken almost as a given that Jabari Smith Jr would be selected first and that Banchero would come out third. However, they switched positions: as expected, Chet Holmgren was picked second by the Oklahoma City Thunder, and finally it was Banchero who went to Orlando, and Smith who ended up at the Houston Rockets.

Banchero has pledged international allegiance to Italy

Banchero, an exceptional power forward who spent last season at Duke, has had Italian nationality since 2020 and has said he wants to play for the country, something he has already come close to doing in a FIBA window. His mother is an American former professional basketball player, while his Italian father played football. The pair met at the University of Washington, but Paolo rejected the chance to follow in their footsteps, instead opting to cross the country and enroll at Duke.

Polish-American Sochan at nine

Another American power forward with European heritage was chosen at number nine: Jeremy Sochan will play for the San Antonio Spurs. Born in the state of Oklahoma to a Polish mother, who was also a basketball player, Sochan was at Baylor last season.

The first European-born player was picked at 11, although he doesn’t arrive in the US from the old continent. After a season in the NBL with the New Zealand Breakers, Frenchman Ousmane Dieng was selected by the New York Knicks, before being immediately traded to the Thunder. Dieng is a physical, imposing forward, but still has some ground to cover before he can have a big impact on the NBA.

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Serbia’s Jovic picked by Miami Heat

The Serb Nikola Jovic, seen by many as Europe’s jewel in the crown in this year’s Draft, was finally picked at number 27 and will play for the Miami Heat. The Mega Basket small forward had been heavily linked with the Denver Nuggets, not least because current NBA MVP Nikola Jokic was said to be keen on playing alongside his compatriot, but the Nuggets chose to use their number-21 pick to bring in Kansas’ Christian Braun, who on paper looks likelier to produce in the short term.

In the second round, more players from Europe, or with links to the continent, arrived in the NBA. At 36, the Detroit Pistons drafted the Italian small forward Gabriele Procida. The Cleveland Cavaliers used their 39th pick to take Senegalese center Khalifa Diop, a player at Spain’s Gran Canaria. France’s Moussa Diabate was chosen at 43 by the Los Angeles Clippers, and his countryman Ismael Kamagate was selected at 46, lower than expected, with his NBA rights going to the Nuggets. With the 52nd pick, the New Orleans Pelicans selected the Croat Karlo Matkovic, and at 54 the Washington Wizards chose the Congolese Yannick Nzosa, who has been at Unicaja in Spain.

Spagnolo drafted by Wolves at No. 50

And just before Matkovic and Nzosa, the Italian guard Matteo Spagnolo, a player owned by Spanish champions Real Madrid since 2018, was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves at number 50. Spagnolo had spent the 2021/22 season out on loan at Vanoli Cremona, impressing for the Italian club.

Measuring 6ft 5in, Spagnolo had long been considered one of the brightest young prospects emerging at Madrid. Indeed, Los Blancos handed him a three-year contract before he left for Italy to get the court time he seemed unlikely to be given in the Spanish capital last term.

Spagnolo has been a key figure in each of the Madrid youth teams he’s played for. The 19-year-old is a top playmaker with excellent game management, fine vision and shooting ability that he has honed to the point where he is a reliable marksman from almost any distance. In defence, he has a knack for using his height and strength to gain an advantage over attackers.