:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56924247/IMG_0855.1506778001.jpeg)
Aleksandar Vezenkov, the 6’9” forward the Nets took at No. 57 in the June Draft, scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds in F.C. Barcelona’s opening night victory in the Spanish league.
Vezenkov played 28 minutes, shot 8-of-13 overall, including 3-of-7 from three, as Barcelona defeated Baskonia, 87-82, in the Catalan capital. Vezenkov, who just turned 22, plays power forward in Spain, but would likely move to the wing in the NBA. He still has two years left on his contract with Barca.
The Nets drafted Vezenkov primarily because of his scoring ability. Sean Marks called him an elite shooter on Draft Night. Brooklyn took Vezenkov with Boston’s second rounder, part of the swap of picks between the Nets and Celtics. Over the summer, he averaged 16.8 points and 10.8 rebounds for Bulgaria in the FIBA World Cup pre-qualifying tournament
Meanwhile, in Argentina, the Nets other stash, Juan Pablo Vaulet, is getting closer to a return to action for Bahia Blanca. The 6’7” small forward underwent foot surgery (his third in three years) in the offseason.