More than 100 scouts and GMs packed into Hoops gym in downtown
Chicago yesterday afternoon to see the private workouts of Alabama freshman
Gerald Wallace and Stanford sophomore Jason
Collins. However it was the third wheel, Vladimir Radmanovic
who stole the show. The 6-10 Yugoslavian put on a dazzling show of
shooting and ball handling that had teams buzzing by the end of the 60 minute
workout. Radmanovic is the latest "hot prospect" in the draft. He has the size
and body to play power forward and the shooting range and ball handling skills
to play shooting guard. We know what you are thinking and scouts were saying it
by the end of the workout -- could Radmanovic be the next Dirk
Nowitzki?
Radmanovic's Nike Hoop Summit coach, Marin Sedlacek, seems to think so.
Sedlacek is probably the only person on the planet to have coached Nowitzki,
Radmanovic and the other hot European prospect Pau Gasol.
Sedlacek told sportsTALK that Radmonovic is the best of the three at this
stage. "He's more ready for the NBA than Nowitzki or Gasol. He's stronger than
Dirk was when he entered the NBA. He can be just as special."
Sedlacek told sportsTALK that Radmonovic has already had strong workouts in
Houston and Seattle and has workouts scheduled with Boston, Cleveland and New
Jersey after the camp. His workout was so strong in Seattle, the Sonics invited
him back for another right before the draft. Sedlacek said Radmanovic decided
not to play in the pre-draft camp after strong feedback from Houston and
Seattle. Unlike Gasol, and Greek big man Jake Tsakalidis last
year, Radmonovic does not have a huge buyout on his contract. According to his
agent, David Bauman of SFX, teams will only need to pony up $300,000 to get
Radmonovic out of his contract. Given his strong workout yesterday, expect teams
to be knocking on his door by the end of the week.
