Insider Special: Top International Players in L

[Weez]

Nowitzki, Nash top the list

By Chad Ford

ESPN Insider

The NBA now counts 81 international players in the league from 35 countries and territories. Many of them are bit players and young rookies who have yet to make a significant impact.

However, a growing number of international players are making a difference. Insider ranks the top 20 international players in the league right now.

We included players from US territories if they played for their own national teams. Therefore, Carlos Arroyo (who plays for Puerto Rico) makes the list, but Tim Duncan (who plays for Team USA despite being born in the Virgin Islands), does not.

The list takes into account current value. That means international legends like Vlade Divac and Toni Kukoc, who would have been staples on this list for years, are now on the emeritus list. We also give you a list of 22 young international players to keep an eye on.

Top 20 International Players

1. Dirk Nowitzki PF, SF, C Age: 26 Germany

2004-05 Stats: 25.9 ppg; 11.2 rpg; 2.8 apg; 47% shooting; 44% three

Skinny: He might be the best ball handling and shooting 7-footer ever. Now that his defense and rebounding are up, he's finally living up to his promise.

2. Steve Nash PG Age: 30 Canada

2004-05 Stats: 15.7 ppg; 11.2 apg; 56% shooting; 42% three

Skinny: Despite his age, he's showing no signs of slowing down. He pushes the ball with reckless abandon and is one of the best shooters in the league when you leave him open.

3. Andrei Kirilenko PF, SF Age: 23 Russia

2004-05 Stats: 14.8 ppg; 7.2 rpg; 4.4 bpg; 1.4 spg; 54% shooting

Skinny: Kirilenko is the most well-rounded international player in the league and one of the few "Euro" difference makers on the defensive end. A top-5 plus/minus guy last season.

4. Peja Stojakovic SF, SG Age: 27 Serbia

2004-05 Stats: 20.2 ppg; 3.9 rpg; 42% shooting; 33% three

Skinny: The best shooter in the league is having a down year after a MVP-caliber performance last season.

5. Yao Ming C Age: 24 China

2004-05 Stats: 17.8 ppg; 7.7 rpg; 1.3 bpg; 52% shooting

Skinny: Yao has progressed every season, but how much better can he get? He's a good center right now, but not great. He has great skills, but he's inconsistent and lacks the toughness that elite NBA centers usually possess.

6. Manu Ginobili SG Age: 27 Argentina

2004-05 Stats: 15.8 ppg; 5.2 rpg; 4.7 apg; 2.1 spg; 49% shooting; 44% three

Skinny: Manu might be the most unique player in the NBA. No one else compares to his helter-skelter style of play. He's almost as valuable to the Spurs as Tim Duncan is, according to plus/minus stats.

7. Pau Gasol PF, C Age: 24 Spain

2004-05 Stats: 17.9 ppg; 8.5 rpg; 1.1 bpg; 53% shooting

Skinny: Gasol's production has been limited somewhat by former coach Hubie Brown's 10-man rotation. If the new Grizzlies' coach adopts a shorter rotation, Gasol's numbers will climb.

8. Zydrunas Ilgauskas C Age: 29 Lithuania

2004-05 Stats: 18 ppg; 8.2 rpg; 1.5 bpg; 46% shooting

Skinny: 'Z' might be old and his feet might be a wreck, but Shaq is the only other center in the league who can put up the points Z does.

9. Tony Parker PG Age: 22 France

2004-05 Stats: 12.6 ppg; 5.4 apg; 1.2 spg; 41% shooting

Skinny: He's young and inconsistent, but when Parker's on, he's one of the best point guards in the league.

10. Jamaal Magloire C Age: 26 Canada

2004-05 Stats: 14.1 ppg; 9.1 rpg; 44% shooting

Skinny: Magloire is a guy who has maximized his potential. He might not ever be great, but he's solid and one of the few guys on this list to earn an All-Star spot.

11. Marko Jaric PG, SG, SF Age: 26 Serbia

2004-05 Stats: 12.3 ppg; 6.1 apg; 2.2 spg; 43% shooting; 44% three

Skinny: It took Jaric several years to adjust to the speed of the NBA, but he's shown signs lately of stardom. He ranks fourth in the league in steals and has been averaging 8.8 apg over the last four. His play is a big reason why the Clippers have a 9-6 start.

12. Primoz Brezec C, PF Age: 25 Slovenia

2004-05 Stats: 12.8 ppg; 6.5 ppg; 47% shooting

Skinny: Brezec was a late bloomer. After spending three seasons eating pine in Indiana, he's got his big break in Charlotte and has made the most of it. He's been the Bobcats' most reliable scorer so far.

13. Hedo Turkoglu SF, SG Age: 25 Turkey

2004-05 Stats: 15.8 ppg; 3.8 rpg; 44% shooting

Skinny: He has the talent to be much higher on this list, but so far Turkoglu has been a mild disappointment. We know he can score and shoot the three, but where is the rest of the game that a 6-10 'two' guard should provide?

14. Nene PF, C Age: 23 Brazil

2004-05 Stats: 4.8 ppg; 3.8 rpg; 25% shooting

Skinny: Ignore his lousy numbers this year. He's coming off an injury and some weird chemistry issues in Denver now that Kenyon Martin is there. He has the potential to be one of the better power forwards in the league if he gets a chance.

15. Mehmet Okur PF, C Age: 25 Turkey

2004-05 Stats: 10.6 ppg; 5.6 rpg; 44% shooting

Skinny: He's starting to come on in Utah. Conditioning issues and attitude are the only thing holding him back. One of the few Euro big men with a true inside/outside game.

16. Vladimir Radmanovic SF, PF Age: 24 Serbia

2004-05 Stats: 11.9 ppg; 4.4 rpg; 42% shooting

Skinny: He's having the best year of his career, but what is he? He's big and he can shoot the ball, but at 6-foot-10, he should be able to rebound and defend more than he does.

17. Carlos Arroyo PG Age: 25 Puerto Rico

2004-05 Stats: 9 ppg; 5.6 apg; 38% shooting

Skinny: He was fantastic in the Olympics but is off to a slow start after an injury kept him out the first two weeks of the season. If he gets his confidence back, he'll move up the chart quickly.

18. Jiri Welsch SG, SF, PG Age: 24 Czech Republic

2004-05 Stats: 6.9 ppg; 2.8 rpg; 1.5 apg; 45% shooting

Skinny: His numbers don't jump out at you, but Welsch is turning into one of the more well rounded international players in the league. The Celtics don't ask him to score, but he does enough little things to keep him in the starting line-up. He'll only get better with time.

19. Rasho Nesterovic C Age: 28 Slovenia

2004-05 Stats: 7.3 ppg; 6.9 rpg; 1.4 bpg; 47% shooting

Skinny: There's nothing sexy about his game, but he's one of the steadiest big men in the league.

20. Gordan Giricek SG, SF Age: 27 Croatia

2004-05 Stats: 10.9 ppg; 2.4 rpg; 53% shooting; 69% three

Skinny: Giricek can flat out score. Now, if he learned to defend a little bit, he'd see a lot more minutes in Utah.

EMERITUS STATUS: Vlade Divac, C, Serbia; Toni Kukoc, F, Croatia; Dikembe Mutombo, C, Congo

UP AND COMING: Samuel Dalembert, C, Haiti; Mickael Pietrus, SG/SF, France; Andres Nocioni, F, Argentina; Carlos Delfino, SG/SF, Argentina; Beno Udrih, PG, Slovenia; Darko Milicic, PF/C, Serbia; Nikoloz Tskitishvili, F, Georgia; Leandro Barbosa, PG, Brazil; Boris Diaw, SG/SF, France; Zoran Planinic, G, Croatia; Darius Songaila, F, Lithuania; Zaza Pachulia, C, Georgia; Zarko Carbakapa, F, Serbia; Aleksandar Pavlovic, SG/SF, Serbia; Sasha Vujacic, G, Slovenia; Anderson Varejao, F, Brazil; Maciej Lampe, C, Poland; DJ Mbenga, C, Congo; Nenad Kristic, C, Serbia; Andris Biedrins, C/PF, Latvia; Viktor Khyrapa, F, Russia; Pavel Podkolzin, C, Siberia; Peter John Ramos, C, Puerto Rico; Yuta Tabuse, PG, Japan

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

[BOShforRoy]

You know what i want see now, i want to see an allstar game similar to what they do in the nhl. American players vs international players. that would be great to watch. the argument before was that there aren't enough good international players but now you can have a very good international team. starting lineup could be like steve nash, peja, kirlenko, nowitzki and ming. Bench could made up by- Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Pau Gasol, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Carlos Arroyo.

[VDiLetto]

I think that starting lineup would be hella good, thats a very well rounded team.