Emmanuel Sharp Rises to the Brink of the First Round, while Noam Yaacov Lands at No. 57

With the NBA Draft less than a week away, Israeli prospects Emmanuel Sharp and Noam Yaacov are under review by teams looking at the international crop. Sharp is coming off four successful NCAA seasons with the Houston Cougars, while Yaacov is coming off what the article calls a breakout year with Oostende in Belgium.

NBA analyst John Hollinger ranked the 75 best prospects and placed Sharp at No. 32, just outside the first round. Hollinger said he is probably higher on Sharp than almost any other projection, but in a draft with limited talent outside the top 25, Sharp’s shooting and defense make him stand out in the second round. He noted that scouts may worry about Sharp’s size, but added that he always defended the opposing team’s best player, and praised his off-ball shooting and NBA floor-spacing potential. “He has no chance to become a star, that is true, but he emerges as a rare player with a high floor,” Hollinger said.

Yaacov was ranked No. 57. Hollinger said Yaacov was “a big fish in a small pond” last season because he posted strong numbers in the Belgian league, which he described as not among Europe’s strongest. Yaacov also participated in the combine, where he was neither especially impressive nor disappointing. Hollinger said the 21-year-old likes attacking the basket, but his relatively small size will make that difficult against NBA players. He added that Yaacov still has time to improve.

Hollinger said Yaacov could still be selected and then sent to Utah, the team he has committed to join.