Singler, Bogdanovic, Diebler: From The 2011 NBA Draft To Surviving The Season Overseas - Part 2

The 2011 NBA draft will come full circle during the 2012-2013 NBA season when former first round picks Jonas Valanciunas and Donatas Motiejunas make their respective debuts for the Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets.

It's all part of the storied journey from the draft selection process last year to enduring the Europe grind. On Wednesday, Valanciunas, Motiejunas and Nikola Mirotic had their time.

But what about those international players (and the two Duke and Ohio State alums) who heard their name called in the second round by NBA Deputy Commissioner, Adam Silver?

In Part 2 of this round-by-round series, Ridiculous Upside looks back on the second-round hopefuls from 2011 who got a second chance at a first impression playing abroad this season...

Bojan Bogdanovic (#31 Miami Heat, traded to New Jersey Nets) - Fenerbahce Ulker

Bogdanovic has been around the block. We're not talking about a kid (although he is merely 22-years old) who went one-and-done from a college campus and into the NBA.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina-born Croatian and 6-foot-8 swing guard turned pro in 2004 with HKK Zrinjski Mostar in Croatia before collecting multiple titles with Real Madrid, only to return to Croatia and win a league championship for Cibona Zagreb. But what did he receive for the first selection of the second round in 2011 -- a three-year deal in Turkey with Fenerbahce Ulker.

Although he's leading the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game (25 games) in the Turkish League -- along with 13 points per game in 16 Euroleague games - Bogdanovic's eventual debut for the "Brooklyn Nets" remains up in the air.

Kyle Singler (#33 Detroit Pistons) - Real Madrid

Ask Kyle Singler if he made the right choice by deciding to finish out the season overseas instead of report to the Detroit Pistons once the lockout was resolved, and you will likely get a "yes" every time.

Joe Dumars may see it differently, but Singler made the right decision not only from a present basketball stand point but also in driving up his stock in the future. The options were simple: head into camp with the Pistons with a non-guaranteed deal and battle for a chance to likely sit the season on head coach Lawrence Frank's bench as the team sinks below a .500 season mark, or parlay it all for a successful situation in Spain.

Jackpot.

After starting the season with Lucentum Alicante, the 6-foot-8 forward out of Duke inked with Real Madrid, where he's appeared in 17 games. He's shooting 60% from the field, while averaging 7.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per game in roughly 19 minutes per game. Solid.

Dumars may not agree with the way it went down, but he will come to appreciate Singler more next season in Detroit.

Davis Bertans (#42 Indiana Pacers, traded to San Antonio Spurs) - KK Partizan Belgrade

This is where second round selections turns into the roll of a dice. You're just never sure, particularly when it comes to international players.

After spending two seasons with Union Olimpija in Slovenia, Bertans signed a three-year deal back in January with KK Partizan Belgrade, who competes in the Serbian League, Adriatic League, and Euroleague.

Another 19-year old, Bertans growth this season has been stunted by jumping clubs mid-way through the year. Chalk it up to growing pains. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 4.2 points and 1.5 rebounds in the Adriatic League for Olimpija, before playing 14 games overall (between the Adriatic League and Serbian League) and not impressing in either situation.

That's fine. San Antonio is keeping him on their two to three year progress plan.

Jon Diebler (#51 Portland Trail Blazers) - Panionios B.C.

In the past few months, there's one general Twitter question that comes my way from fans in Portland: will Jon Diebler come over next season?

Those same Rip City die-hards tend to ask the same about Joel Freeland for Unicaja Malaga ( yes, Portland still owns his rights) and although the upcoming offseason will help answer those questions, the Blazers brass are keeping close tabs on Diebler's season in Greece with Panionios.

The 6-foot-6 swing guard out of Ohio State leads the team in scoring with 10.3 points per game, and is shooting 57% from the field and 53% from 3-point. Sure, it's the Greek League and not the NBA, but keep it mind what Portland's front office is gauging here during his first season overseas: overall growth in his game.

Diebler -- as he told Ridiculous Upside in January -- would like to make the move to Portland next season and with a revamped roster in the works this summer for Portland, it's still a possibility. The two sides will talk, review Diebler's time in Greece and negotiate from there.

Until then, peep the footage.

Milan Macvan (#54 Cleveland Cavaliers) - KK Partizan Belgrade

Hoop heads in Portland will remember Milan Macvan from his Nike Hoop Summit days in 2009. All he did back then was put up 23 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists on his way to being named MVP and giving the World Team their first Hoop Summit win since 1998.

At 6-foot-9, 265 pounds Macvan's size doesn't exactly scream Dwight Howard, but he's undoubtedly effective in the paint for Partizan.

In Adriatic League competition, he's their leading scorer (13.8 points per game) and rebounder (8.8) and formed an impressive Euroleague tag-team with Minnesota's Nikola Pekovic before David Stern and Billy Hunter ruined it.

Joking aside, Macvan could really help an NBA team looking for a big man to mix it up down low. But will it be Cleveland?

Tanguy Ngombo (#57 Dallas Mavericks) - Al Rayyan

Lost in the Euroleague hoopla that surrounds many of the other players on this international list is Tanguy Ngombo, a 6-foot-6 power forward who plays for Al Rayyan Doha in the Middle East's Qatari League.

Never heard of him? You should have.

Ngombo's name scandalously graced several headlines after it was learned the Timberwolves drafted the then 26-year old and Congo native who lied about his age (Ngombo was believed to be 21-years old according to his NBA paperwork). Deemed ineligible, he returned to Al Rayyan and moved forward averaging 20.3 points and 7.4 rebounds in 12 games this season.

Tainted by covering up his age and the fallout after the draft, it's a lost point now that Ngombo played a key role in Al Rayyan winning the Qatari League after going 13-1 this season and by winning 13-straight games.

...at least we think those numbers should be right.

Ater Majok (#58 Los Angeles Lakers) - BK SPU Nitra

The 24-year old 6-foot-11 center has been around the world and then some. Hailing from the Sudan, Majok played 26 games for the UConn Huskies before leaving the program in 2010.

Since then he's played professionally in Turkey, Australia (two seasons) and after being selected by the Lakers in 2011, Majok signed to play this season in Slovakia for BK SPU Nitra where he had a direct impact in both the Slovakian League (10.8 points, 8 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots per game in 37 games) and brief stint in the EuroChallenge (11.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 6 games).

Still a raw prospect who is learning the game on both ends of the floor, gaining experience and exposure abroad is the best thing for his development at this point.

Maybe a time will come when he can be utilized with the Lakers holding his rights, but patience (and another season or two overseas) is the key for all parties involved to Majok's basketball story.

Adam Hanga (#59 San Antonio Spurs) - Basquet Manresa

Probably the best thing for Hanga -- aside from hearing his name called on draft night last year -- was to broaden his horizons out of playing in the Hungarian League, a place he had called home since turning pro at 17-years old.

Now 22, the 6-foot-7 shooting guard is wrapping up his first season in the ACB Spanish League with Basquet Manresa, but the adjustment has been decent on one hand -- nothing outstanding on the other. In 27 games, Hanga shot 45% from the field, 20.3% from 3-point, while averaging 6.9 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 20.6 points per game.

San Antonio would like Hanga to improve his defense, but the organization is still high on him as they continue to gauge is overall play over the next two to three seasons.