2020 NBA Draft prospect Leandro Bolmaro will seek to begin to rewrite the history of Argentine basketball in the NBA.
Manu Ginobili's retirement in 2018 created a void that Bolmaro will seek to fill in the 2020 NBA Draft. All projections not only indicate that the Barcelona guard will be chosen, but that he is seen as a sure-fire first-round pick.
If the Mock Drafts are correct and Bolmaro does end up being selected in the first round, he'll become just the second Argentine player in history to do so, adding his name next to Carlos Delfino's (No. 25 in 2003). Regardless of where he's picked, be it the first or second round, Bolmaro will be the ninth Argentine selected in the draft. Juan Pablo Vaulet was the last Argentine chosen in the 2015 NBA Draft.
The 20-year-old guard has long been considered one of the best prospects in Argentine basketball, one of the key players of the 2000 class, a group of players with a ton of potential and a real buzz in Argentina. Bolmaro only had to play a few games in the Argentine National League and it was enough to be signed to a multi-year contract by Spanish side Barcelona in 2018.
After a solid debut year with the club showing glimpses of his talent and potential, the Argentine earned a spot on Barcelona's first team in 2020-21, averaging 4.2 points, 2.0 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 13.5 minutes in La Liga ACB.
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To get a sense of what Bolmaro is now and can become, Pepe Sánchez, former NBA player and President of Bahía Basket, told NBA.com Argentina: "Leandro's case is one of the few natural cases we have in Argentina. His physical tools and his game are already wired to play in this type of basketball. He is probably the most natural prototype when it comes to being in the NBA. In that sense, he breaks the mould of the Argentine player, who has a lot of construction and process."
Talent, athleticism, defensive potential and a natural feel for the game — Leandro Bolmaro has excited Argentina, and the 2020 draft seems to be just the beginning of his path in the NBA.
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