kolko
07-19-2005, 01:38 AM
South America has become hot spot for NBA scouts
Continent still has room for improvement in identifying and developing talent
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3271717
By FRAN BLINEBURY
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - Memphis Grizzlies scout Rich Sherbrooke describes the good old days of international scouting, maybe eight or 10 years ago.
"I'd travel into some of those big European cities to see a game, and I'd be the only American in the building except for the couple of players on each team," he said. "I'd have the whole place to myself. I'd get to size guys up, evaluate them, have plenty of time after the game to go out to dinner with players and coaches, socialize and develop relationships.
"Now I can drive hours to find the smallest little town where they're playing a game, and when I get to the arena, the place is filled with people from the NBA. There are no secrets anymore. No hidden corners of the world."
Which explains why there were more than a handful of pro scouts on hand this month when the NBA's Basketball Without Borders outreach program brought together 55 of the top prospects from what was called "The Americas."
There were players from 13 countries — stretching from Mexico to the southern tip of Chile — looking to impress talent evaluators from the NBA and the U.S. collegiate level.
On the rise
If Europe is the luxury car showroom for prospective international basketball talent and Asia is the experimental test track, then South America, with a population of roughly 310 million, is a place where the consumer can still get a good deal from a mainly untapped inventory.
Argentina has seen Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs shoot to worldwide fame and his countrymen Andres Nocioni (Chicago Bulls) and Carlos Delfino (Detroit Pistons) join him in the NBA, but the general thinking is South America — and the Americas as a whole — remains an emerging market.
South America is ahead of Africa in the nurturing of basketball talent. It has more infrastructure, more necessities, better coaching in selected places and more competitive, well-run leagues.
"As far as development of the game, most of the South American countries have always had problems which relate to finances," said Anicet Lavodrama, the former Houston Baptist star who is now manager of international relations and development for FIBA, the world governing body of basketball. "I say finance because there is no professional management of sports in most of the countries."
Which is, in part, why the flow of talent has been a trickle.
Established stars
Tim Duncan of the Spurs came from the Virgin Islands. Carl Herrera of Venezuela won a championship with the Rockets in the 1990s. Butch Lee of Puerto Rico had a journeyman's career for several teams in the late 1970s and '80s. And Brazil's Nene plays for the Denver Nuggets.
"There should be more," Lavodrama said. "After Argentina, there is a big drop. Brazil should be much better. They need to have a national training process for their coaches and also a nationwide talent identification program."
Development vital
In countries such as Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, basketball ranks far behind soccer in terms of interest, and there is virtually no system to find and develop players to the highest level.
Yet the NBA scouts who made the trip for the second BWB camp in South America — the first was in 2004 in Rio de Janeiro — saw enough raw talent to fill their notebooks with scribbled hopes and projections.
As in Africa, the scouts are usually looking for the youngest talent who can be brought along at home, maybe honed in Europe for two or three years, and brought to the NBA somewhere down the line.
Nicolas De Los Santos, 17, a 6-2 shooting guard, and Matias Nocedal, 15, who at 6-2 can play both backcourt spots, are a pair of Argentines who drew notices. Lucas Cipolini, 19, of Brazil is a 6-8 forward who impressed, and Rafael Hettsheimer, 19, of Brazil is a 6-9 center who originally entered his name in the 2005 NBA draft but withdrew. He was named the MVP of the camp.
"Most of the talent is a combination of Argentine guards and Brazilian bigs," said Rockets scout Gersson Rosas. "Skill-wise, they are impressive, not just in terms of raw talent. Argentine guards seem to have an unbelievable feel for the game. Overall, they have as many knowledgeable coaches as there are overseas or in the States. But they don't know how to implement that knowledge. They have to be taught to communicate better."
A major focus of the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program is educational and to teach life skills to children, but there is no doubt the league is spreading the gospel of the game and trying to mine talent.
"Partnering with FIBA has really helped, because between the junior coaches and NBA scouts, we really know who the best young players are on each continent," said Kim Bohuny, NBA vice president of international basketball operations, who has been the driving force behind BWB. "Most NBA teams feel our camps have the best talent now."
"Especially when NBA players come over, that really impresses the young kids and makes them want to come out and participate," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "More kids get exposed to basketball, and I think that helps it spread. It's going to continue, here and in other places like Asia."
Horacio Muratore, head of the Argentine basketball federation, is encouraged about how the game can grow in South America.
"It's been fundamental to have Basketball Without Borders here," he said. "To bring young players from the top level and coaches from the top level and let them work together."
Delfino remembers just a few years back when such a camp was only the stuff of fantasy.
"This camp is so good," he said. "We had only tapes of NBA games and games on TV. I had dreams about these things before. Now it is real to have NBA players and Argentine players talk to kids about the game and about life. Kids from all of South America have enjoyed this. They are the talent for tomorrow."
Future looks bright
Francisco Garcia of the Dominican Republic was the No. 23 pick in the draft by Sacramento after leading Louisville to the Final Four. Juan Telo Palacios of Colombia also played a key role for the Cardinals.
Juan Pablo Figueroa, 19, is a guard who has been playing professionally in Argentina for two years.
"The level of basketball in South America is getting very good," he said. "This generation probably has a big future and will send even more players to the NBA."
While diverse in culture, the 12 countries that make up the South American continent have long shared similar interest in soccer. The trickling faucet of basketball is starting to open after Argentina's gold-medal success in Athens and Ginobili's star turn during the Spurs' playoff run.
"Argentina's success in the Olympics let South America know that it can compete," Rosas said. "This pushes all of the countries to develop physically and skill-wise. They're all going in the right direction. We're noting that they're taking seriously the hiring of staff and putting together solid organizations.
"Not just in the Olympic years. The Argentines took 20 years to develop their program.
"For the rest of South America, it could be eight, nine or 10 years. But there could be a payoff. That's why we're all here."
In a shrinking basketball world, there are no more secrets.
[email protected]
Continent still has room for improvement in identifying and developing talent
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3271717
By FRAN BLINEBURY
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - Memphis Grizzlies scout Rich Sherbrooke describes the good old days of international scouting, maybe eight or 10 years ago.
"I'd travel into some of those big European cities to see a game, and I'd be the only American in the building except for the couple of players on each team," he said. "I'd have the whole place to myself. I'd get to size guys up, evaluate them, have plenty of time after the game to go out to dinner with players and coaches, socialize and develop relationships.
"Now I can drive hours to find the smallest little town where they're playing a game, and when I get to the arena, the place is filled with people from the NBA. There are no secrets anymore. No hidden corners of the world."
Which explains why there were more than a handful of pro scouts on hand this month when the NBA's Basketball Without Borders outreach program brought together 55 of the top prospects from what was called "The Americas."
There were players from 13 countries — stretching from Mexico to the southern tip of Chile — looking to impress talent evaluators from the NBA and the U.S. collegiate level.
On the rise
If Europe is the luxury car showroom for prospective international basketball talent and Asia is the experimental test track, then South America, with a population of roughly 310 million, is a place where the consumer can still get a good deal from a mainly untapped inventory.
Argentina has seen Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs shoot to worldwide fame and his countrymen Andres Nocioni (Chicago Bulls) and Carlos Delfino (Detroit Pistons) join him in the NBA, but the general thinking is South America — and the Americas as a whole — remains an emerging market.
South America is ahead of Africa in the nurturing of basketball talent. It has more infrastructure, more necessities, better coaching in selected places and more competitive, well-run leagues.
"As far as development of the game, most of the South American countries have always had problems which relate to finances," said Anicet Lavodrama, the former Houston Baptist star who is now manager of international relations and development for FIBA, the world governing body of basketball. "I say finance because there is no professional management of sports in most of the countries."
Which is, in part, why the flow of talent has been a trickle.
Established stars
Tim Duncan of the Spurs came from the Virgin Islands. Carl Herrera of Venezuela won a championship with the Rockets in the 1990s. Butch Lee of Puerto Rico had a journeyman's career for several teams in the late 1970s and '80s. And Brazil's Nene plays for the Denver Nuggets.
"There should be more," Lavodrama said. "After Argentina, there is a big drop. Brazil should be much better. They need to have a national training process for their coaches and also a nationwide talent identification program."
Development vital
In countries such as Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, basketball ranks far behind soccer in terms of interest, and there is virtually no system to find and develop players to the highest level.
Yet the NBA scouts who made the trip for the second BWB camp in South America — the first was in 2004 in Rio de Janeiro — saw enough raw talent to fill their notebooks with scribbled hopes and projections.
As in Africa, the scouts are usually looking for the youngest talent who can be brought along at home, maybe honed in Europe for two or three years, and brought to the NBA somewhere down the line.
Nicolas De Los Santos, 17, a 6-2 shooting guard, and Matias Nocedal, 15, who at 6-2 can play both backcourt spots, are a pair of Argentines who drew notices. Lucas Cipolini, 19, of Brazil is a 6-8 forward who impressed, and Rafael Hettsheimer, 19, of Brazil is a 6-9 center who originally entered his name in the 2005 NBA draft but withdrew. He was named the MVP of the camp.
"Most of the talent is a combination of Argentine guards and Brazilian bigs," said Rockets scout Gersson Rosas. "Skill-wise, they are impressive, not just in terms of raw talent. Argentine guards seem to have an unbelievable feel for the game. Overall, they have as many knowledgeable coaches as there are overseas or in the States. But they don't know how to implement that knowledge. They have to be taught to communicate better."
A major focus of the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program is educational and to teach life skills to children, but there is no doubt the league is spreading the gospel of the game and trying to mine talent.
"Partnering with FIBA has really helped, because between the junior coaches and NBA scouts, we really know who the best young players are on each continent," said Kim Bohuny, NBA vice president of international basketball operations, who has been the driving force behind BWB. "Most NBA teams feel our camps have the best talent now."
"Especially when NBA players come over, that really impresses the young kids and makes them want to come out and participate," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "More kids get exposed to basketball, and I think that helps it spread. It's going to continue, here and in other places like Asia."
Horacio Muratore, head of the Argentine basketball federation, is encouraged about how the game can grow in South America.
"It's been fundamental to have Basketball Without Borders here," he said. "To bring young players from the top level and coaches from the top level and let them work together."
Delfino remembers just a few years back when such a camp was only the stuff of fantasy.
"This camp is so good," he said. "We had only tapes of NBA games and games on TV. I had dreams about these things before. Now it is real to have NBA players and Argentine players talk to kids about the game and about life. Kids from all of South America have enjoyed this. They are the talent for tomorrow."
Future looks bright
Francisco Garcia of the Dominican Republic was the No. 23 pick in the draft by Sacramento after leading Louisville to the Final Four. Juan Telo Palacios of Colombia also played a key role for the Cardinals.
Juan Pablo Figueroa, 19, is a guard who has been playing professionally in Argentina for two years.
"The level of basketball in South America is getting very good," he said. "This generation probably has a big future and will send even more players to the NBA."
While diverse in culture, the 12 countries that make up the South American continent have long shared similar interest in soccer. The trickling faucet of basketball is starting to open after Argentina's gold-medal success in Athens and Ginobili's star turn during the Spurs' playoff run.
"Argentina's success in the Olympics let South America know that it can compete," Rosas said. "This pushes all of the countries to develop physically and skill-wise. They're all going in the right direction. We're noting that they're taking seriously the hiring of staff and putting together solid organizations.
"Not just in the Olympic years. The Argentines took 20 years to develop their program.
"For the rest of South America, it could be eight, nine or 10 years. But there could be a payoff. That's why we're all here."
In a shrinking basketball world, there are no more secrets.
[email protected]