Brooklyn Nets: 5 options for pick No. 40 in 2018 NBA Draft

5. Rodions Kurucs, SF — FC Barcelona

• Height: 6’9″
• Weight: 200 lbs
• Age: 20

If a 6’9″ European wing sounds familiar, that’s because he is. I discussed Dzanan Musa in my article on options at No. 29, so it’s easy to mix them up, but these two specimens could not be more different than each other.

Kurucs is extremely raw. He only played 57 total minutes for FC Barcelona, which is expected for youngsters in a league of adults. Musa’s and Luka Doncic’s sample sizes are outliers for their European teams, not the standard.

Despite such a small sample, Kurucs managed to swipe seven balls in those 57 minutes. Extrapolating such small samples per 36 minutes can be unreliable, but the fact that it amounts to 4.4 steals per 36 is eye-popping. Unfortunately, these swipes came at the cost of 1.8 fouls per game, which equates to 10.1 personal fouls per 36.

The fouling issue is probably what kept his minute totals so low. Kurucs is too aggressive on the defensive end, but it’s clear that his size allows him to probe passing lanes and ball-handlers. With the right developmental coaching, Kurucs can probably improve in this regard.

His shooting data is extremely small (2-for-6 on 3-pointers), but like a lot of European prospects, his stroke is remarkably smooth. His potential as a 3-and-D wing is tangible, which every team is in desperate need of these days. To boot, the developmental acumen of coach Kenny Atkinson and his staff is more than up to the task, should the front office select Kurucs.