Kosta Perovic, 7-2, C, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia & Montenegro)
"He was hyped so much when he was younger it may have hurt him because of people's expectations. He's still there. It's not like he's dominated. That's probably why he's dropped in the draft.When we have our conversations, this is the whole marketing with the hype machine that comes out of certain places. He's just one of those players that could possibly continue (to develop). You know the old saying, 'Big men develop later.'

"He's a fundamentally good player but he has his limits. Right now, the question is whether what might be considered negatives at this moment become positives with time because big men develop later. He's not a Krstic, because Krstic is quicker a foot, and was more of a 4-5. He hasn't shown the presence like people expected. That has to do with his athletic abilities."

Joel Freeland, 6-10, F, Gran Canaria Fadesa (Spain)
"People are putting him in the first round. He's also a project. We've got to see what he does. He's done nothing. He played in the Gran Canaries in the junior division. I saw him twice this year. It's like, 'Oh, he did well at the Reebok Euro Camp,' but there was no one else at the Benetton camp. He looked good. He does things. The non-contact sport they play in that tournament, nobody fouls anybody – there's nothing really on the line.

"So how do you take that (Reebok Euro Camp performance) in a competitive situation? He played well in exhibition games. That's wonderful. We're talking about the NBA where guys are giving their blood. This guy is two, three years away. You can be generous and say 'two' but I'm going with three. And we have to see if he holds up any kind of stress, physically, once he gets to a higher competition level. "

Oleksiy Pecherov, 7-0, F, Paris Basket Racing (France)
"Skilled player. Went to a better division this year, Paris and France Pro A. Didn't do a whole lot, but he played well. He's projected to continue to progress. These are things you have to take into consideration. I always look at athleticism, and ambition, and intelligence as a criteria. He's an ambitious kid. We've got to look at his athleticism a little bit. Besides that, he's a good solid player. He could become a good NBA player but it's a risk. It's a calculated risk. People like him. I like him, with the possibility that he can translate his (lack of) athleticism to the NBA level, because you are talking about the best athletes in the world. The NBA athletes are the best, bar none."

Damir Markota, 6-10, F, Cibona Zagreb (Croatia)
"War is difficult. Damir left his country during the war, left for Switzerland and was with Maciej Lampe. He came back and hasn't adjusted. I don't want to say discipline problems, but he's had adaptation problems to the new lifestyle back in Yugoslavia. He's really one of these unconscious scoring type shooters. The question is, what is he going to do in the future? He's a second round possibility, depending on what you think you see in the crystal ball."

Viktor Keirou, 6-6, G, Dynamo St. Petersburg (Russia)
"He played for a league that's very unathletic, since the Soviet Union split up. He plays the point, he gets to the basket -- he's very athletic. The last two years have been mirror years. Hasn't really changed in any aspect. He has talent, he has skills. That impresses people maybe in workouts. His body of work, his basketball IQ is not – the NBA is a tough marketplace. To produce in that marketplace, you have to have a very good understand, and that might be where he falls short. The level of intensity, and what the NBA is. All that being said, he's a possibility."

Yotam Halperin, 6-5, G, Union Olimpija-Ljubjana (Slovenia)
"He could get drafted in the second round. He's not bad at all. He's not bad at all. He's 6-4, a shooting guard. He knows how to play, as most of the good Israeli players know how to play. It comes down to the physical part. He can shoot the ball a little bit. He's a smart player. The question would be physical. Movement laterally. He gets inside to get rebounds once in a while. But he has very little hops. If you drive inside and you can't finish, these guys (big men) are going to eat you for lunch."

Other Top Prospects Worthy of Draft Consideration

Marcus Vinicius, 6-8, F, Sao Carlos (Brazil) -- "He's a good player. Basic skills. Hasn't played for one particular team consistently. He was in the Reebok Camp at the end of the season. He has skills, is tall for his position. Questions exist about his shot. But he's a solid player. There might be people who like him. I like him. It depends on what you're doing – your club and situation."

Lior Eliyahu, 6-9, F, Hapoel Galil Elyon (Israel) -- "The NBA is a physically demanding place. I am not sure he can come in and fit. The question would be his physical attributes. He has skills."

Vladimir Veremeenko, 6-10, F, Dynamo St. Petersburg (Russia) -- "A tweener. A 4-3. Nice player, skilled."

Miguel Marriaga, 6-9, F, Gaiteros de Zulia (Venezuela) -- "Right now, just a thought. Marriaga hasn't really done anything to warrant a lot of discussion. He hasn't done a lot."

Can you talk about how you arrive at your evaluations?

"I am a coach. I look at things at a coach. For me, the reason I keep this job is because of my coaching background. To analyze players. What they can do, what they can’t do, what they project to do. As a coach, when I constructed teams in Europe, I was the front office, I was the coach, and I was the bus driver at some points. I had to do this by myself, and then I had to coach them. In Europe, sometimes you change five, six players in the offseason – most teams, except the real big ones.

"The market is like that – players don't get five-year contracts. I've had coaching offers the last five years, but I've given my word to do something with the Bobcats, and I wanted to finish that, respect that. There are still offers out there. At a certain point if it's convenient, I have time, energy and the desire to coach. I've never lost that. Every game I watch, I watch as a coach.

"Being in coaching, it's sort of a state of being. Right now I'm not in the state of being a coach, I'm helping the Bobcats be a better team. You always have to consider coaching offers. There are some out there, there have been some out there, and I've said 'No' to them all up until now. I love the NBA, and being a part of this, because you have to admit, it's very exciting. And you meet great people. That's what it's all about. When you die, you want to be able to say, 'I did something.'"