Visca Penya

When David Stern announced the final pick of the first round in Wednesday's NBA draft, I was in a unique position. You see, I knew who Christian Eyenga was. Now, I'm not saying this to boost my basketball rep, or because I'm going to pretend that I know Eyenga will be the next big thing. No, I say this because when the Congolese forward's name was announced, I knew enough to ask....

WHAT THE FUCK?

I'd come across his name on a DKV Joventut fansite, where they were talking about his performance. There was a link to a video (he's number 15), where you can see that he's a pretty athletic player that seems to have decent basketball instincts. He's apparently put up pretty decent numbers for CB Prat. For those unfamiliar (*scoff*), CB Prat is DKV Joventut's reserve side, somewhat akin to Castilla's relationship with Real Madrid in football. CB Prat play in Spain's third division (LEB Plata), in front of crowds that would make your local high school team feel unloved. Now, I know very little about where LEB Plata would fit in American basketball, as far as the level of play. But I do know that there are thousands of players throughout Europe playing at a higher level, and many players that are distinguishing themselves in leagues filled with ex college stars and one time NBAers.

So, basically, this pick raises a few questions. First, how the hell did they know enough about Eyenga to make him their first round pick? Second, how did the Congolese youngster even end up playing in Catalonia? Finally, WHAT THE FUCK?!

I've come up with a theory. I do not think that they actually know that much about Eyenga. I mean, I'm sure they've scouted the guy, and that they think he looks good. Fine. But there has to be more to it than that. There are plenty of athletic players overseas, many putting up similar numbers at a higher level than Eyenga. But Eyenga does have one thing going for him: those other guys aren't being brought up at DKV Joventut.

Joventut, for those who aren't fluent in Catalan (pfft), means "youth". And they live up to their name, with one of the best youth systems in all of European basketball. Their youth teams are dominant, at all levels, regularly smashing opposition (check out some of these results.). In recent years they've had numerous big names pass through, such as Ricky Rubio, Raul Lopez, Jordi Villacampa, and Rudy Fernandez. Wednesday's draft saw three players from La Penya (the club) taken in the first 50 picks, fewer than only the University of North Carolina. Henk Norel, taken much later than Rubio or Eyenga, only came into Joventut's first team this season. He'd played with CB Prat for a few seasons, after moving from a Dutch club.

So, wait. DKV Joventut are bringing in foreign kids? THIS IS LIKE FOOTBALL?! Yes, exactly. Just as you hear about Arsenal or Real Madrid bringing in the latest wunderkind, DKV Joventut appear to be scouring the globe for the next big thing. And doing a damn good job, it seems. I'm sure they aren't the first to come up with this idea, but at the very least they seem to be doing a better job of it than everybody else. Somewhat similar to Villarreal in La Liga, La Penya have stayed relevant despite few resources, and a relatively small fanbase. They've done this by staying a step ahead of the competition, spotting talent early, and doing a better job of cultivating that talent than most anybody else.

Which brings us back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Christian Eyenga. Now, this guy may not turn out great for them. I have no idea. But a few things are clear about the pick. First, they didn't want to bring in anybody new this season. Eyenga will likely stay in Catalonia for a little while, honing his skills without counting against the salary cap. But this wasn't a case of taking a guy because they had to. Clearly, the Cavaliers had their eye on Eyenga. The Lakers sold their pick for $3 million, and the Kings traded the 31st pick for Sergio Rodriguez plus stuff. But the Cavs kept the pick, taking Eyenga because of what he might become. And the hope that he might become the next (whoever) comes from the player's association with a club that seems to be showing the way forward in European basketball. Without great resources, or a huge fanbase, they are staying relevant by thinking a step ahead of the opposition. And, at this point? That seems to be enough for Danny Ferry. Just as Barcelona seemed to buy Martin Caceres because they assumed Villarreal knew what they were doing (that didn't go so well), Cleveland are more or less indicating that they trust La Penya on this one.