As international scouting begins to take over the landscape of American basketball, more and more unknown international players are joining the NBA or likely will be after their contracts in Europe expires.
These players are mystery men to fans - it's impossible to get a good look at a guy when he plays thousands of miles away. Only the scouts and draft experts with connections get to analyze and assess these players.
However, during the 2014 FIBA World Cup, the fans, writers, coaches, and everyone in between will finally have access to view these players that could be future stars in the NBA.
Although some games will not be televised here in America, box scores, recaps, and team success can still serve as a solid indicator of a player's ability in this tournament.
It is time to highlight 16 players from 10 different countries competing in the tournament that you should remember.
Dario Saric: Croatia/Philidelphia 76ers
Saric, 20, was selected with the 12th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic but was quickly dealt to the Philidelpia 76ers. Saric will play in Europe for at least one more year, but promises he will eventually play in the NBA. He will be representing Croatia in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
The 6-foot-ten, 230 pound combo forward averaged 16.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in Croatia's Adriatic League last season. As you can probably tell by his stats, he is incredibly versatile on offense. His ability to handle the ball in transition, score near the basket, isolate in the half-court, play off the ball, and rebound well on both ends of the floor, and basketball I.Q. had pro scouts drooling.
He is noted for struggling defensivley, turning the ball over at a high rate, and being an inconsistent jump shooter, so it will be interesting to see if he has improved in the those areas. The tournament will be a good opportunity to see if he is ready for the rigors of the NBA.
Dante Exum: Australia/Utah Jazz
19-year old Dante Exum was selected with the 5th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. The Aussie played in the 2014 NBA Las Vegas Summer League and will play in the NBA next season, unlike Saric. With that being said, we have been able to get a better look at Exum's playings abilities over the summer, but there is still a lot to be known about the kid. He will represnt Australia in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
He is known for being an incredible athlete who uses his speed to get to the basket and finish though contact with either hand. Exum creates opportunities for himself and his teammates at a high rate, and was one of the best passers in the 2014 draft. At 6-feet-six and about 190 pounds, Exum has great size for a point guard and will add weight as he progresses.
Exum, very humble and intelligent, struggled brutally in the Summer League, averaging just 7.2 points and shooting 30% from the field. Whether he can bounce back in the FIBA World Cup and adjust to the level of competetion will definetly be something to follow thoughout the tournament.
Bojan Bogdanovic: Croatia/Brooklyn Nets
Bogdanovic was selected by the Miami Heat in the 2nd round of the 2011 NBA Draft, but was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft night and then traded again to the Brooklyn Nets. After four seasons of success in the Turkish league, the 25-year old signed a 3-year contract worth $10 million with the Brooklyn Nets, the holders of his draft rights in July. He will represent Serbia in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
Bogdanovic, a shooting guard, averaged 15.4 points while shooting 45% from the field and 35% from three point range. Like Saric, he is very versatile on offense and can score in a wide variety of ways, although his offense is largely perimeter oriented.
He's been a very inconsistent shooter in Europe and will need to adjust to the skill level of the NBA if he wants to recieve some playing time, so watching how he plays out in the tournament will be something to look out for.
Bogdan Bogdanovic: Serbia/Phoenix Suns
Bogdan Bogdanovic was selected with the 27th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. He is not related or to be confused with Bojan Bogdanovic. He signed a three-year contract with Turkish team Fenerbahce Ulker two weeks after being drafted and will not play in the NBA next season. He will also represnt Croatia in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
Like Bojan, Bogdan is a shooting guard. He averaged 14.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 31 minutes per game while shooting 41% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc last season in the Serbian league. Like most European players, he's very verastile on offense, but he also possess physical tools such as length.
The FIBA World Cup will be a chance to get a better reading on Bogdanovic's playing abilities and NBA-readyness as a whole.
Mario Hezonja: Croatia/FC Barcelona
The youngest Croatian on this list is Mario Hezonja, who currently plays for FC Barcelona of the Spanish league. He is considered a top 1o prospect in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Hezonja averaged 17.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per 40 minutes last season with European powerhouse FC Barcelona. He is a terrific athelete with explosive bounce that allows him to rise up for alley-oops and dunks. Although he's inconsistent with his shot, he has shown flashes of three-point shooting ability.
The biggest knocks on him at this point are his effort on defense, decision making with the ball, and attitude on the court. Playing the second largest basketball tournament in the world, all eyes will be on the 19-year old, especially NBA scouts. A solid tournamet could boost his draft stock and possibly put him in talk for the #1 pick.
Damjan Rudez: Croatia/Indiana Pacers
Rudez signed a three-year contract with the Indiana Pacers on July 11th. He will represent Croatia in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
The 28-year old 6-foot-ten, 200 pound combo forward averaged 10.5 points and shot 48% from beyond the three point line with Zaragoza of the Spanish League. As you can tell by his three-point shooting percentage, Rudez is a lights-out shooter - think of him as the Croatian Kyle Korver.
With Paul George out for the season with the horrific leg injury he suffered during a Team USA intrasquad scrimmage, Rudez will be asked to take a bigger role with Indiana than originally expected. With that being said, it will be crutial he has a solid tournament to carry the confidence back to the NBA.
Kostas Papanikolaou: Greece/Houston Rockets
Papanikolaou was drafted by the New York Knicks with the 48th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, but his draft rights were traded to the Trailblazers, and then later to the Houston Rockets. He signed a two-year deal with the Rockets in August. Papanikolaou will repesent Greece along with Milwaukee Bucks guard Giannis Antetokounmpo.
His stats of 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds don't jump off the page - and neither does his play - but he does everything the right way. He possess a feel and understanding of the game that not many international prospects have. The small forward's size at 6-foot-nine, 230 pounds, defensive prowess, and experience landed him an NBA job, and deservingly so.
The FIBA World Cup will be a great opporunity for the Rockets and NBA fans in general to check out Papanikolaou's skillset.
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk: Ukraine/Kansas Jayhawks
Mykhailiuk committed to play basketball at the University of Kansas on May 21. He will play for the Jayhawks in the upcoming 2014-2015 season and respresnt Ukraine in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
A shooting guard, he's very versatile on offense. He is a fluid athlete with smoothness and body control reminesecnt of a young Manu Ginobili. His most solid attribute right now is his shot. Mykhailuk, unlike many American prospects, has great mechanics on his shot and can knock down shots in a wide variety of ways. The 17-year old averaged 25.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game at the 2014 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championships.
The FIBA World Cup will be a chance for college basketball fans and pro scouts to get a read on Mykhailuk and know what to expect in the 2014-2015 season back in Lawerence, Kansas.
Andray Blatche: Philippines/Costless Agent
Blatche is currently a costless agent who will be playing for the Philippines in the 2014 FIBA World Cup. The 6-foot-11 center has reportedly drawn interest from the Miami Heat.
The 28-year old Syracuse, New York native averaged 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds in 73 games with the Brooklyn Nets last season. He is known for his offensive skillset and versatility.
A good performance in the World Cup will likely help Blatche land a new NBA or overseas deal.