I'd love to see some sort of competition study done on this........I'm not sure such a study is possible but I think it it something that is said a lot but is likely not true.
I'm willing to concede this point on Euroleague......that it is 100% better competition....but these random foreign leagues? Guys from the MAC go over and make 10-15 year careers in them.
I don't think leagues like the ones Deni is putting up numbers in are much better than elite HS competition. Maybe that is harsh.....but someone like Edwards would score 40 points a game in those Israeli leagues.
- James Young washed out of the NBA in 3-4 years and is putting up 21 a game in that league, as the leagues leading scorer.
- Marcus Foster was undrafted and has yet to play an NBA regular season game and is scoring 20.
- Justin Tillman was undrafted and a G-League also ran and is scoring 20.
- TJ Williams was undrafted and a G-League also ran and is scoring 19.
Guys who were averaging 6-8 points in the G-League are league leading scorers in the IPBL.
I really don't like Deni at all.....He has an interesting frame.....but his success is so predicated on shooting IMO and all the shooting markers tend to suggest he's not necessarily a projectable one. His per 36 numbers in Euroleague are also just not good. He doesn't draw fouls at a high rate, he doesn't shoot well from the FT line, not much of an assist generator, mediocre 1.6 STL + BLK per 36....just all the red flags are there against high competition. I'd take him as a project, with a mid to late 1st but taking him in the top 10, even in a draft like this, is just a reach to me. If we are talking top 5-6, yikes.