Rico Marconi is going into his eighth season as an international basketball scout. His job is to travel the globe to scout potential prospects and help expose them to various leagues. Recently I got the chance to press him for the latest info on the international hoops scene.
(Lance): First off, I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview with me.
(Rico): No problem, Lance. I’m happy to do it anytime.
(Lance): So, what made you decide to become an international basketball scout?
(Rico): Well, Lance, I have always been interested in the game of basketball at all levels. But watching how they played the game overseas became intriguing to me. I started out just doing personal coaching in the U.S. I helped players from other countries understand the game better here, and I worked on their strengths and weaknesses to help them get a better chance at having a career in hoops over in the U.S. Eventually along the way, I decided I wanted to travel around the world, looking for talented prospects and help get them more exposure.
(Lance): That is a really cool thing to do. I have done similar work like that helping high school kids get exposure by colleges. It is a fun job to do.
(Rico): You are truly right about that. I feel like it’s one of the best jobs to have in the world.
(Lance): OK, this is one of my favorite questions to ask scouts: Who do you think is the most overrated prospect, and who do you think is the most underrated?
(Rico): Well, honestly right now I feel the most overrated is Danilo Gallinari, the nineteen-year-old Italian player. A lot of scouts see him as a lottery pick and one of the next big international prospects to make it to the NBA. But when I have watched him play, which has been quite a few times, he really wasn’t that impressive, and to me still has a long ways to go before becoming a legitimate player in the U.S. I would have to say the most underrated player to me is Milenko Tepic, the twenty-year-old Serbian. He really has quality skills, and I feel he has a lot of upside. He is very versatile at 6’7’’, 200 lbs, has very good shooting skills, and he is the type of player that does whatever his team needs to get a victory. I also like the fact that he is a mature twenty-year-old. Overall I think Milenko could be a Sasha Pavlovic-type NBA player.
(Lance): OK, I must admit I’m very surprised by the Danilo Gallinari anwser. I’m one of those observers who feels he could be a lottery prospect, but I haven’t watched him play recently. I’ve only seen Melenko play twice, so I’ll have to keep my eyes open to him.
(Rico): I’ll put it this way: If I had to choose between Melenko and Danilo, I’m choosing Melenko. I know I may be in the minority on that, but I strongly feel that way. Danilo has skills, but I would much rather have Melenko.
(Lance): OK, fair enough.
(Lance): Tell me your thoughts on Serge Ibaka.
(Rico): Well, Serge is becoming really popular real fast. He is truly a gifted player. His athletic ability is amazing, he is a hard working kid, and has all the physical tools you look for in a 6’10’’ prospect. If he can add weight to his body, he could very well be the next Shawn Kemp. I feel he will be drafted high in one of these future NBA drafts.
(Lance): Speaking of popular prospects, how is Nicolas Batum holding up?
(Rico): He is still right at the top on the international prospect list. The kid is a real special talent, and has a bright NBA future ahead for him. His jump shot still needs work, but it is coming along. But he continues to get better and is becoming a great all-around player. He should still no doubt be a top-five pick in the 2008 NBA draft.
(Lance): Obviously there have been more and more international prospects making it to the NBA. Do you think that there will be more superstars like Dirk Nowitzki in the future, or just a lot of good role players?
(Rico): That’s a tough question for me, because sometimes I feel like yes, there are going to be many more superstar international prospects like Dirk. Then other times, I feel like many of these prospects will be very good key players like Peja Stojakovic. But if I had to choose right now, I would say there will be a lot more quality players like Peja than superstars like Dirk.
(Lance): Name your top five favorite international prospects that you have scouted over the past two years.
(Rico): Wow, so many to choose from. But I would say the previous mentioned Melenko Tepic from Serbia, Yi Jianlian from China, Serge Ibaka from Congo, Nicolas Batum from France, and Ricky Rubio from Spain.
(Lance): OK, last question. Who is the one international prospect you feel will shock many people when he gets to the NBA?
(Rico): I feel Tiago Splitter from Brazil will do that. He was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs this past draft. He will join them next season, and I think they are a perfect fit for him. He plays solid on both sides of the ball, and I’m sure he will learn a lot from Tim Duncan and apply it to his game. His stock fell with many people, but I think he will prove many doubters wrong.
(Lance):Rico, once again, thank you for the interview, and keep up the good work.
(Rico): Thank you as well. It’s always fun talking about international prospects with people.
