Erazem Lorbek

Erazem Lorbek - 46th pick, 2005
Aside from workouts and a summer league stint where he looked a shell of himself, Lorbek has not played for three years after serious injury. It may have cost him the NBA shot he had long put off.

[Incidentally, as a throw-in to the Kawhi Leonard trade, Lorbek managed to get his draft rights traded to San Antonio, and sign an extension with Barcelona, on the same day. Big day for Erazem Lorbek.]

Erazem Lorbek (46th pick, 2005)

- Lorbek is playing for Spanish team Barcelona, and thus was recently covered in the recent Euroleague round-up:

Between the four, Barcelona can offer every kind of look. Vazquez and N'Dong are the big and athletic interior defenders; Perovic is even bigger than them both, whose size alone can serve as a deterrent. On offense, N'Dong and Vazquez can run the court, as well as the pick and roll, and make their mid-range jumpshots. Perovic can create around the basket and has footwork and touch, if not much speed or strength. Lorbek can do both; he can create in the post, step out for the mid range jumpshot, and drive on slower opposing bigs, armed with the best mid-range game of the four.

Lorbek was drafted by Indiana out of Michigan State at a time when his lookalike, Rick Carlisle, was the Pacers's head coach. That may have been his best chance. He is a good quality player on an elite quality team, but he's stopped improving.

Chances of making the NBA expressed as an arbitrary percentage: 4%

The frontcourt is no shallower. Fran Vazquez, Boniface N'Dong and Erazem Lorbek all returned this season, and added to the bunch was Kosta Perovic, who transferred in from Valencia. Between the four, Barcelona can offer every kind of look. Vazquez and N'Dong are the big and athletic interior defenders; Perovic is even bigger than them both, whose size alone can serve as a deterrent. On offense, N'Dong and Vazquez can run the court, as well as the pick and roll, and make their mid-range jumpshots. Perovic can create around the basket and has footwork and touch, if not much speed or strength. Lorbek can do both; he can create in the post, step out for the mid range jumpshot, and drive on slower opposing bigs, armed with the best mid-range game of the four. And if Barcelona need a small ball four, they can turn to Terence Morris.

- Erazem Lorbek

Domen's brother is with Barcelona, whose basketball team are almost as much of a juggernaut as their football team. But let's not talk about their football team. Lorbek is averaging 10.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in the ACB, alongside 8.7 points and 3.9 rebounds for the inevitable Euroleague champions. He could play in the NBA, but he won't.