A look at Aussie hopefuls in the upcoming NBA Draft

SOME Aussie giants are about to make sure everyone knows their names after wowing the US in the first step towards global stardom.

Jonah Bolden is hoping to get scooped up at the Draft.

AUSTRALIAN basketball talent has risen to the top at recent NBA Drafts with Ben Simmons the No. 1 pick and Thon Maker a surprise 10th last year, and Dante Exum going fifth in 2014.

Friday’s Draft at Brooklyn’s Barclays Centre also holds plenty of Australian intrigue, especially after The New York Times dubbed Jonah Bolden, the 21-year-old Melbourne-born son of NBL great Bruce Bolden, the “sleeper” of the Draft.

Australia’s two other potential picks are Isaac Humphries, the 2.13m tall, 19-year-old from Sydney who spent the past two years at University of Kentucky and Sudanese-born, Melbourne-raised 2.08m Mangok Mathiang (24), who spent five years at University of Louisville.

JONAH BOLDEN

Jonah Bolden is hoping to make his mark.

Bolden attempted to raise his Draft stock by playing college ball for UCLA but was forced to sit out his first season with the westside Los Angeles university because of NCAA rules and then had a disappointing second season.

Fed up, he was signed by professional Serbian club KK Crvena Zvezda before being loaned out to FMP Belgrade, but he was still closely watched by numerous NBA teams while over in the Adriatic League.

Bolden racked up some impressive stats in Europe, averaging 12.9 points. 7.2 rebounds and nearly two assists per game. The 2.08m power forward with a 2.2m wingspan is expected to be a late first or early second round selection.

The late finish with Crvena Zvezda meant Bolden could not visit NBA teams for workouts, but instead held a workout event last weekend attended by most teams. His shooting was off, but his athleticism was on show for all to see.

Basketball writer Adam McGee said: “Bolden is a fluid mover who possesses above average athleticism. He can run the floor in transition, is confident playing above the rim, and is always capable of breaking out a powerful dunk.”

Famous NBA skills trainer Jordan Lawley, who has been working with Bolden, told ESPN: “I thought he did phenomenal in the workout ... The amount of growth he’s had, he’s got unbelievable potential, and I think he showcased his potential in the workout.”

Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer said “the secret is out” about Bolden, who is “the best player in the Draft no one is talking about”.

“There aren’t many guys at any level of basketball who have Bolden’s ability to protect the rim and slide his feet on the perimeter,” Tjarks wrote.

“Two of the big men who replaced him at UCLA, TJ Leaf and Ike Anigbogu, are currently projected as first round picks, even though neither is as versatile as Bolden.

“He has a combination of length and athleticism that every team in the NBA is looking for at the forward positions.”

ISAAC HUMPHRIES

Isaac Humphries will only get better.

The Sydney-born centre is hoping NBA teams look past two underwhelming seasons in college basketball at the University of Kentucky and instead look at the teenager’s potential. Humphries struggled for minutes last season and scored no more than four points in a game between early January and late March.

“He just turned 19 so he hasn’t even begun to scratch the surface,” Humphries’ agent Daniel Moldovan told AAP.

Humphries is expected to be a late second round pick or go undrafted, but will land on an NBA team’s Summer League squad.

He worked out with 14 NBA teams before the Draft including Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets and the 76ers.

ESPN reported he impressed with his “deft touch around the basket and nifty footwork” and Lawley said Humphries’ “presence” during his workout in front of NBA scouts was what impressed him most.

“Unbelievable,” Lawley told foxsports.com.au of Humphries’ workout. “He had a presence. There are two types of players: one that’s present in a gym, and one that has a presence.

“I felt like Isaac had a presence today. He made a name for himself, just from his performance today.”

Humphries represented the Australian Under-17 team that won a silver medal at the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championships, leading the squad in scoring, rebounds and blocked shots.

At seven feet tall, Humphries’ college coach John Calipari says the valuable teenager will only improve with age.

“You’re talking about a seven-footer who can shoot and can rebound. That has value anywhere in the world,” Calipari told the Courier-Journal. “He’s also just 19-years-old, the youngest sophomore in the country this past season.

“Everyone forgets how young he is and how much he’s going to continue to grow and develop. He’s only going to get better and better. My belief is what you saw at the end of this season is just the beginning of his pro career.”

MANGOK MATHIANG

Mangok Mathiang (left) has continued to mature.

Mathiang, born in Sudan and raised in Melbourne, is expected to go undrafted and then attempt to win an NBA contract with his play in the Summer League.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino is encouraging NBA teams to sign his former captain, describing Mathiang as a “great 11th or 12th man on any professional basketball team”, a “great locker room guy” who can “play defence, block shots, rebound the ball, (and is a) good low-post player”.

He worked out with teams including Sacramento Kings and Charlotte Hornets and was featured at the IMG Pro Basketball Combine.

Mathiang’s college career — which spanned five years — started slowly but as he matured, so too did his performances. Last season he averaged 7.8 points and six rebounds a game.

TOP PICK

Boston originally had the top pick after a previous trade, but the Philadelphia 76ers have struck a deal with the Celtics in recent days to move up to No. 1. The 76ers are expected to use it on outstanding University of Washington point guard Markelle Fultz and set up a dynamic young group with Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas.

NBL GRADUATE

American teenager Terrance Ferguson’s path to the NBA Draft came after his trailblazing decision to snub scholarships from elite US colleges including Arizona, Louisville and Kansas and spend a year making money playing for the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL.

Ferguson is pencilled in as a late first round pick, with publicity of his Australian gamble expected to entice other American talent out of high school to the NBL.

— with Peter Mitchell, AAP

Originally published as A look at Aussie hopefuls in the upcoming NBA Draft