Jan Vesely, Andrea Bargnani, Yaroslav Korolev, and Darko Milicic are prime examples of why European draft prospects make NBA fans cringe.
Those names have tainted all future overseas talent, forever creating a cloud of doubt for those that come to the NBA without a track record of playing on American soil.
Kristaps Porzingis - a 19-year-old Latvian prospect who's expected to go high in the 2015 NBA draft - hopes to buck the trend of second-rate European talent, as he explained in an interview with SLAM:
I'm 7-1 with good mobility, am pretty quick for my size, and have good athleticism. I'm really long and can block shots on defense, too.
I'm not the stiff European that everyone thinks I am.
All it took was one solid workout on Porzingis' part to leap up draft boards, with ESPN's Marc Stein reporting that the Los Angeles Lakers may be interested in selecting him with the second overall pick.
Draft Express projects Porzingis to be taken by the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 3 pick.
But If Porzingis shows up at the Barclays Center on June 25 dressed as Mr. T, he'll undoubtedly warrant the first pick and end up with the Minnesota Timberwolves ... sucka.
