Sydney at Perth | 2018-2019 NBL

NBA Draft Sleeper Brian Bowen & Other Players To Watch In The NBL

NBA Draft Sleeper Brian Bowen & Other Players To Watch In The NBL

Australia's National Basketball League may not be as prominent as the EuroLeague, but they're developing some serious talent Down Under.

Dec 21, 2018 by Austin Green
NBA Draft Sleeper Brian Bowen & Other Players To Watch In The NBL

As the NBA Draft approaches, you’ll hear more buzz about Sydney Kings forward Brian Bowen jumping up draft boards.

Bowen was a five-star recruit in 2017 and signed with Louisville, but the NCAA ruled him ineligible to play. That forced Bowen to get creative, and luckily for him, he landed in a great situation: the National Basketball League in Australia.

The NBL is a rising power in international hoops. It’s a popular option for fringe NBA players because the competition is strong, the paychecks arrive on time (unlike with many European clubs), everyone speaks English, the weather is great and the season ends early so players can chase 10-day contracts afterward.

Bowen is following in the footsteps of Terrance Ferguson, another McDonald’s All-American who played in the NBL for a year before the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA drafted him 21st overall in 2017.

Right now, most NBA mock drafts have Bowen in the 50-60 range. Based on his performance with Sydney, that’s too low.

The NBL is a grown man’s league, and Bowen — who turned 20 in October — has fit right in.



Bowen has good size for an NBA wing at 6-foot-7 with a 6-10 wingspan. He hustles on both ends of the floor, and his energy has earned him a spot in the rotation for a Sydney team that was billed pre-season as the greatest in NBL history.

Bowen is playing alongside NBA champion Andrew Bogut and 2017 NBL MVP Jerome Randle. He’s getting the ultimate pre-draft test, competing with seasoned pros and learning how to play his role on a team with championship aspirations and pressure.

So far, he’s succeeding. Bowen is averaging 6.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game. The numbers don’t jump off the page, but he’s playing his role well.

Bowen's been good defensively, active on the glass and aggressive off the dribble. He needs to improve his outside shot, but his form is good (31% 3FG).



Thanks to his NBL experience, Bowen will be more ready to contribute right away than most rookies in his class. College stars face a major adjustment when their minutes and touches are scaled back as NBA role players. Bowen won’t have that problem.

For playoff teams drafting in the late first or early second round, he would be a smart pick.

While NBA scouts will be tracking Bowen in Australia, he’s not the only reason to watch the NBL. Make sure you keep an eye on the following guys as well.

Point Gods: Bryce Cotton, Casper Ware, & Jerome Randle

Let's face it: Commentators speaking in Australian accents is pretty amazing.

These dudes are ridiculous. The NBL is loaded at point guard, and the top three have NBA speed and skills.

Bryce Cotton is the reigning MVP and current top scorer. He’s averaging 23 points per game, and he’s capable of dropping 30-plus whenever he steps on the floor. He can burn defenders off the bounce, he has a lethal step-back three and he’s dangerous in transition.

Cotton is the leader of the Perth Wildcats, an NBL powerhouse that are looking to bring home another title after winning three of the last five.

To bring home another trophy, the Wildcats have to dethrone Casper Ware and defending champions Melbourne United. Ware is a gritty point guard who ranks third in both points (19.4) and assists (4.4) per game. He’s a tough finisher in the paint and he loves launching deep threes.

Ware has played all over the world.

Ware out-dueled Cotton this week as Melbourne beat Perth 82-65.

And you can’t have a conversation about the best NBL point guards without mentioning Sydney’s Jerome “Handle” Randle. The Chicago native has racked up awards in the NBL, and he roasted some NBA competition in the preseason, scoring 25 points against Pat Beverley and the Los Angeles Clippers.



NBA Champion Andrew Bogut

As Australia’s first No. 1 overall draft pick, it was huge news when Andrew Bogut announced he’d be joining the Sydney Kings this season. Finally healthy after a couple years of injuries, the 2015 NBA champion probably could’ve stayed in the States.

Instead, he chose to finish his career in Sydney, and he’s been great so far. He’s leading the league in rebounds (11.6) and blocks (3), while also scoring 11.4 points and dishing 3.6 assists per game.

Bogut may be done with the NBA, but he's not done with basketball.

Former NCAA Stars

There are quite a few NCAA stars making a name for themselves in the NBL. Former UConn big man Josh Boone has been around the league for a while, and younger guys like Jacob Wiley (Eastern Washington) and Melo Trimble (Maryland) are making a splash this season.

For NCAA stars who couldn't cut it in the NBA, the NBL is a fantastic road.

The Australians

In addition to Bogut, there are some great Australian players in the league. Two of the best are Adelaide’s Nathan Sobey, a fiery competitor and explosive athlete, and Melbourne’s lights-out shooter Chris Goulding, who is the reigning Finals MVP.

The Australians are developing more and better players.

You can catch every NBL game live or on-demand at FloHoops.com

Austin Green is an international journalist and scout covering EuroLeague and NBA prospects in Europe and Australia. You can follow him on Twitter @LosCrossovers.

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