4 non-NBA players to watch in Rio men's tournament
There will be more than 40 NBA players participating in the Olympic men's basketball tournament that tips off Saturday.
Beyond those mostly recognizable names however, are some guys who have have yet to play in the world's top basketball league. Here are four to keep an eye on:
Dario Saric, Croatia
The Philadelphia 76ers' mini-saga the past few years about when Saric would come to the NBA team is resolved. It's happening this season, and you can bet some Sixers fans will be glued to Croatian games next week (they have a tough draw opening against Spain on Sunday).
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward was named MVP of the Turin qualifying tournament that got his country into the Olympics, averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds along the way. For now Croatia is Bojan Bogdanovic's team, but the 22-year-old Saric and Orlando Magic swingman Mario Hezonja could be primed to change that.
Sergio Llull, Spain
Llull (pronounced YULE) remains one of the most intriguing players in the tournament, because unlike the others on this list, he still apparently has no plans to come in the NBA. The rights to the 28-year-old combo guard are held by the Houston Rockets, who paid $2.25 million - a record for purchasing a second-round pick's rights - to the Denver Nuggets for him after the 2009 draft.
The Rockets' attempts to lure Llull stateside in 2015 also came up short. While his stats with Real Madrid don't jump off the page - 11.6 points and four assists per game over the last four seasons - he's a player with a scorer's mentality and a tough, heart-on-his-sleeve disposition. He's also been a key cog for the Spanish national program since he was a teenager.
Zhou Qi and Wang Zhelin, China
Zhou, pictured, and Wang represent different storylines in China's basketball development, but ones that came together in June's draft when they were both selected in the second round - by the Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, respectively.
While he may not actually play for Houston this coming season, Zhou, 20, is the country's newest hoops hope, a very long and skinny 7-foot-2, 220-pound center who possesses a legitimately fluid and soft touch around the basket.
Wang, only two years older than Zhou (although that has been questioned), saw his quick rise to star prospect status as a teenager give way to injury and a stalling in his development. Still, the Grizzlies took a flier on the seven-foot center based on his size and high motor.
The Chinese generally don't start a twin-towers lineup with the pair, but when they are on the floor together Zhou has the range to move up and play the four. China tends to play a team-oriented style that spreads the ball around a lot, but it is led by former NBA player Yi Jianlian.