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June 26 -- Charlotte Bobcats Director of International Scouting Tim Shea is one of the most respected members of the international basketball community. He has spent the last decade working in the NBA, with a résumé that including stints with the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns.

A European resident since 1972, he served as head coach for teams in Austria, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Fluent in English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, Shea led Vienna Austria to a national runner-up finish in 1981 and later directed Lisbon Portugal to national titles in 1989 and 1990. Additionally, he was selected by FC Barcelona as the club’s development coach for the junior program where he trained 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year Pau Gasol and Washington draft selection Juan Carlos Navarro.

Shea spoke to NBA.com Sunday to provide his thoughts on the top international prospects in the draft, the global movement in the NBA and the differences between coaching and scouting.

Q: How many international first rounders can we expect to see drafted Wednesday night, and what is the state of the global NBA movement right now?

Tim Shea: "Maximum four. I think probably most important aspect, in general, has been the way Americans look at the international player. The concept they're all soft, weak slow, or whatever. It's changed because of players like Nocioni. I think the concept of the international player has changed in that sense. The international players realized they can get to this league, so they are working harder.

"What happens is the players practice a lot more internationally, and they can in the States – I think it has a lot to do with the NCAA rules. Any team in Spain for instance will practice more in a week than an NCAA team in a month. So when it comes down to it, who's got the skills?"

Q: What are some of the trends you've seen in the NBA?

"What's happened in Phoenix, and what's become very important in the NBA, is that skill has become a priority, where as in very recent history, physical basketball was the norm. It's become, and becoming, skill-based. All that being said, you're going to have The Finals of the NBA, and the playoffs, very physical. Obviously, when you have that capacity to be very physical, very athletic, than an international player may suffer more.

"But in general I've always felt the international players, especially with the tide changing, to skill ball, and Phoenix demonstrating that there are no "fixed" positions. There is one -- Steve Nash at point -- and everyone else fills in spots. Why can't the two-guard play the post in a transition situation, and take the ball in quick because he's got a great mismatch? So, all that being said, it's part of a big picture.

"People, as recent as a few years, were calling a team that you'd put on the court that was short, 'short ball.' When I was with (Suns coach) Mike D'Antonio out in the Phoenix, and we were standing in the hallway, I remember someone saying, 'Yeah, we'll play that small ball.'

"Mike said, 'No, no, it's skill ball.'

"I thought that was a great phrase."

The Prospects

Andrea Bargnani, 6-10, F, Benetton Treviso (Italy)
"He is as good as any player in the draft, if not better, than any other player in the draft. He can shoot the ball. He can rebound the ball. He's got a very quick first step for a player his size. He's come a long way in the last few months, showing progress. He's a good kid. He played an NBA schedule this year and he got through it without major injuries, being in the Italian League, the Euroleague and the Italian Cup.

"By no means is he world-beater, but there are no world-beaters. There is no LeBron James this year in the Draft. So this year, it's in the eye of the beholder. And Bargnani is as pretty as anyone in the Draft. We've scouted him extensively, seeing him, studying him. He's going to be a fine NBA player."

Sergio Rodriguez, 6-3, G, Adecco Estudiantes Madrid (Spain)
"I expect he'll be 10 to 22. Right now he needs to apprenticeship in the NBA – to learn as a PG what the NBA is. Obviously, Steve Nash and the other great point guards have shown if you have that level of play, you can carry a team. Right now, he has to be an apprentice. There's no question in my mind. He's a backup point guard. His history has shown he has the capability of having big games. If he continues to grow and develop physically, he's going to be a very good contributor for an NBA team.

"He had a situation, where he was exploding in Spain, and he had a unfortunate situation with the Spanish National Team, where he spent a month and half with them during the offseason, and he wasn't allowed to play one second. He was benched the whole preliminary round of the European Championships and the European Championships final phase, and that really took the wind out of his sails. The last two months of the season was when he really started to get comfortable again, and started to show what he was capable of. But he went to the States, did workouts, where he would be appreciated, and was appreciated. I think Cleveland even flew him back over.

"He's very skilled, moderately athletic, Jason Williams-type. Somewhere in between Jason Williams and Charlie Ward in terms of skill and athleticism. He's a fun player to watch. He's got to figure out the NBA's about winning, which is what Jason Williams did with Miami this year."

Saer Sene, 6-11, F/C, Verviers-Pepinster (Belgium)
"Very athletic kid. Very cat-like. Good reflexes. Very inexperienced. Only been playing basketball one year. He's a project. You've got to give him time, give him space. He could become a very good player. He's got tremendous reach. Something absurd. He's very athletic, and very quick for his size. I saw one video in which I was under the impression the kid was going to fall on his head, and he actually landed on his hands and got right back up. He's really coordinated. I can't think of a better phrase than cat-like. A cat, when it's up in the air, it always lands on its feet. He's like that.

"The kid wasn't playing that much. He was (just) practicing. You look at his stats. The kid may become a very, very good player but it's still a shot in the dark. Learning how to play basketball is not something you can pick up late. It's not like tennis, where it's a discipline. It’s a team sport. There are so many factors utilized in even practice. Maybe he's going to get it, and boom. Maybe not. So that's the consideration with him -- what kind of development he's going to make.

"And you've got to be sure of his age – you've got to be sure of a lot of things. Some countries birth certificates aren't even dated."

Thabo Sefolosha, 6-5, G, Angelico Biella (Italy)
"He's shown tremendous progress over the last two years coming from Switzerland. Athletic, still learning the game. He's shown progress, good work ethic. Good up and down, quick, pretty good passer, shot is inconsistent. Understanding of the game at certain speeds he doesn't get yet. For a certain type of basketball like some teams are playing, i.e. Phoenix, he's perfect. He gets up and down the court. In Italy, at his position, there are very few athletes. Thabo is a good player. He could become a good NBA contributor. He's got pretty good skills."