Omri Casspi SELECTED BY: Kings Round 1 (23)

SI Rank 6

BIOGRAPHY: While a few Israeli players have been drafted, none have ever suited up for an NBA team. Casspi is hoping to change that, and he could start by becoming the first player from Israel to be selected in the first round. Casspi, who will be 21 in June, thought about entering last year's draft, but reportedly did not get a first-round guarantee and thus returned to Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv. While there's a chance the same thing could happen this year, he seems to have improved his stock with another strong season in which he shot better than 50 percent from the field and averaged 8.8 points in just 17.4 minutes. Most likely a small forward in the NBA, the confident Casspi has refined his game at both ends of the court, but especially notable is his versatile offensive arsenal, which features an ability to exploit matchups due to his blend of size and aggressiveness inside, and shooting ability and athleticism outside. Casspi also is an adequate ball handler with a solid transition game, and could bring a measure of intensity ideal for an NBA bench. He could stand to add some bulk to his slim frame, and there are attitude-related issues that raise doubts about whether he'd happily serve as an energy player off the bench in the NBA. While that may likely be his eventual role, his body and skills give him the potential to play it very well, whether that's in 2009-10 or later.