Diego Flaccadori

#2) Diego Flaccadori, 6'5, Combo Guard, 20.3 years old, Italy


EWA: 1.7
PER: 27.2
TS%: 58.5%
16.7 PTS, 5.1 REB, 4.0 AST, 2.4 STL, 10-22 3P%, 15-18 FT%, 50.0 FG%

Diego Flaccadori, the 6'5 playmaking guard, led the fifth place Italian team in almost every major statistical category, including, points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Flaccadori is a crafty lefty, who spent time at both guard positions for Italy during the U20's. He is at his best with the ball in his hands, either making plays out of the pick and roll or pushing the pace and setting teammates up in transition. Flaccadori does an excellent job keeping defenses off balance with his shifty ball-handling abilities and creative vision.

While fairly streaky throughout his career, Flaccadori shot it with confidence in Helsinki, knocking down 10 of his 22 3-point attempts, and looking comfortable in one and two dribble pull-up situations. He uses his ball handling ability and length well to get into the paint, and though he is not the most explosive athlete, he is a creative finisher, who showed he can finish in traffic, especially going to his left.

Perhaps Flaccadori's biggest flaw at the moment is his lack of strength, which is most evident on the defensive end of the floor. At 6'5, 172 pounds, Flaccadori has the length to be a factor defensively as evidenced by his 2.4 steals per game, but he will have to get stronger if he gets to the NBA level. He already has professional exposure playing for Italian playoff team Trento in first division Italy, as well as 22 games of Eurocup experience. Flaccadori very well may be a name we see when the 2018 NBA Draft comes around.

Diego Flaccadori was the darling of last year's EuroCamp where he averaged 9 points per game and shoot the ball well from beyond the arc, despite being one of the the younger campers in attendance. Finishing third at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship in scoring, the 6'4 guard carved out a significant role with Trento in the EuroCup and Italian first division this season, so it will be interesting to see how that experience has benefitted the talented, creative scoring guard, on both ends of the floor.

Jonathan Givony

Strengths:
-Good size for a playmaking shooting guard at 6-5 with a 6-8 wingspan
-One of the most creative players at the tournament. Tremendous talent with the ball in his hands
-Creates offense with terrific ball-handling skills, footwork and change of pace maneuvers. Keeps defenders off-balance with his herky jerky style.
-Uses shot-fakes, pass-fakes, euro-steps, and other trickiness
-Can make shots off the dribble when defenders go underneath screens
-Plays with great aggressiveness and confidence
-Throws in floaters off the glass with outstanding touch
-Terrific feel for finding teammates with a variety of types of passes. Drives and dishes with great creativity and flair
-Gets in the passing lanes with anticipation skills and timing

Weaknesses:
-Only 172 pounds. Frame is very frail and needs quite a bit of work. Some concerns about how much potential it has long-term.
-Was not particularly efficient at this tournament. 46% 2P%, 30% 3P
-Not a consistent enough shooter at this point. Shot-selection has something to do with this. Almost all of his jumpers at the U19s came off the dribble. This is partially due to the abnormally large role he was forced to shoulder due to injuries on his squad.
-Not always strong enough to get into the teeth of the defense and finish through contact. Shoots too many floaters.
-Average defender at best. Doesn't always give the best effort here. Lack of strength is a hindrance. Will be the biggest obstacle he has to overcome to play in the NBA.

Outlook: Combo guard who can dribble, pass and shoot. Terrific option in pick and roll and isolation situations. Followed up a strong showing at the Adidas EuroCamp with an even better tournament with the U19 national team. Had a very good game against USA, showing his game isn't hampered by the athleticism of the Americans. Barely played last season in the Italian first division, which is surprising.

(Video may not load with Internet Explorer. Use Chrome or Firefox)

One of the most productive scorers at this year's camp, 1996-born Diego Flaccadori measured 6'3.5 without shoes, with a 6'7.75 wingspan. He doesn't have tremendous size for a shooting guard, but he isn't as small as his listed size over the years might lead some to believe.

Diego Flaccadori was solid—and entertaining—once again today creating off the dribble and knocking down some difficult shots from the outside, but his 11 points weren't enough to save the Eurocamp All-Stars from defeat against the adidas US Select Team. He's a smooth, creative and somewhat wild combo who can create his own shot by changing speeds beautifully, and hits jumpers with pull-ups and spot-ups. He needs to improve his ability to finish around the rim, as well as his perimeter defense, but has done a nice job of showing his strengths here and will be a player to watch once he starts seeing playing time in the first division.

Italian guard Diego Flaccadori is another somewhat under the radar prospect who came up big today. Scoring 14 points and showing no signs of the rust that often plagues the perimeter scorers on day one, the 19 year old shooting guard looked like the best player on the floor for his team at times. Playing a minor role in the Italian first division for playoff qualifier Trento this season, after averaging 16.1 points per game at the 2014 FIBA U18 European Championship last year, Flaccadori is a left-handed scorer whose confidence and perimeter skill level allow him to score in bunches when his shot is falling, which was the case today. Knocking down 3 of the 6 threes he attempted, the skinny shooting guard propelled his team to victory hitting shots both of the catch and off the dribble. More than just a shooter, Flaccadori also flashes the ability to put the ball on the floor and create a bit using changes of speed. Though he gets a bit out of control at times, which is more obvious when watching him in the Italian League, and isn't overly big or athletic, which limits his upside a bit, he's a competitive young player who is worth keeping an eye on in the coming years as he matures.