Mario Hezonja To Enter NBA Draft

Croatian shooting guard Mario Hezonja intends to enter the 2015 NBA draft, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress reports (Twitter link). The Wasserman Media Group client spent the past season playing for Barcelona of the Euroleague, and he is projected to be a lottery pick come June. Givony ranks the 20-year-old as the No. 7 overall prospect in this year’s draft, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) places Hezonja at No.8.

In a draft class that is relatively weak at the shooting guard spot, the 6’8″ swingman is likely to be the third backcourt player selected after D’Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay. There is no doubt that Hezonja possesses the necessary athleticism to play in the NBA, but his maturity has come under question by some international scouts. Hezonja has had minor chemistry issues in the past with teammates, and has been labelled a selfish player by some of those same scouts, which could negatively impact his draft slot.

In 22 Euroleague contests this season, the 6’8″ guard averaged 7.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 16.5 minutes per contest. His overall shooting numbers this season were .462/.382/.750.

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