Emir Preldzic

Emir Preldzic - 57th pick, 2009
Unrealised potential. Hits open shots and a talented passer with much better vision than most at his position, but not an athlete, poor defensively at the Euroleague/Turkish BSL levels, and would be an open door in the NBA. His rights have reached the throw-in stage.

Emir Preldzic (57th pick, 2009)

- Preldzic's draft rights have already moved twice. Cleveland bought him from Phoenix on draft night 2009, and subsequently included him as a throw-in part of the Antawn Jamison trade. Preldzic has not yet joined the NBA, and probably never will. He is a talented player, but he's also in a place (Fenerbahce) aptly suited for his skills, a place in which he's now been for four seasons, and a place to which he's signed for three more seasons. Preldzic averages 10.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 22.5 minutes of Turkish TBL games for Fenerbahce, one of the better players on the 11 deep TBL leader's roster. At 6'9, he dribble-drives smoothly, handling and passing at 6'9 like a young Turkoglu, and has improved his jumpshot, his strength and his defense since being drafted. He's rounded into a very nice player. But probably not an NBA one.

Chances of making the NBA expressed as an arbitrary percentage: 5%

- Emir Preldzic

Cavaliers draft pick Preldzic is into his third season with Fenerbahce. He is averaging 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists in the Turkish, and averaged 6.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the Euroleague. The 3.7 assists per game, in a league where only two players average more than 5.0 apg, are particularly impressive when you consider that Preldzic is a 6'9 forward. Preldzic's jumpshot is a bit more sporadic; the three pointer amounts to about half of his offense, but while he's shooting 45% from there in the Turkish league, he shot only 18% from there in the Euroleague.