International big men rule NBA with their all-around skills – Associated Press

Atlanta Hawks coach Nate McMillan believes big men entering the league from other countries thrive because they were taught the fundamentals of the game at a young age.

That grasp of the all-around game has helped international big men dominate the NBA.

Last seasons MVP voting confirmed the return to prominence of big men in the NBA. The voting also highlighted the dominance of big men from other countries.

Denvers Nikola Jokic of Serbia was the MVP winner, followed by Philadelphias Joel Embiid from Cameroon. Milwaukees Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece finished fourth in the voting and was the NBA Finals MVP. Golden States Stephen Curry was third as the only guard in the top four.

Meanwhile, Utahs Rudy Gobert from France won his third defensive player of the year award. Atlantas Clint Capela from Switzerland was the NBAs top rebounder.

McMillan says some U.S. players are missing the lessons of the triple threat skills of shoot, pass and dribble toward the basket that were learned by the players in other nations.

I just think they come in with the basic fundamentals, more so than our players do, McMillan said Tuesday.

It used to be a lot of that, but now our guys are not spending as much time in those types of programs. ... You dont spend four years in college anymore where coaches can develop those basic fundamentals of the triple threat.

McMillan then paused before asking, You know the triple threat? You say that to one of our guys and its like Give me the ball and let me just ...

McMillan didnt have to finish the sentence. He could have said Let me just dunk or let me just score.

Jokic, who averaged 8.3 assists while also posting big scoring and rebounding numbers, flourished while also making his teammates better.

Jokic isnt motivated to dominate the spotlight on the court. Thats also the way he lives.

I dont want to raise my celebrity status, Jokic said. You can control that in some way. I dont have social media. ... I would rather nobody knows me than everybody knows me, you know. So, its much better if nobody knows me.

Embiid couldnt escape the spotlight while averaging 28.5 points last season. He added 2.8 assists per game and wants to be known for his play on the other end of the court.

I have aspirations to be the defensive player of the year, Embiid said at the 76ers preseason media day. I think I have to be more active and its hard to do because offensively Im also asked to do a lot. I dont mind. I love it. I love carrying a team on both ends. I think thats what probably makes me special, because I do it on both ends.

Capela led the league with 14.3 rebounds while making almost 60% of his shots from the field and adding two blocks per game. Capelas rebounding and defense were big reasons the Hawks beat Embiids 76ers to reach the Eastern Conference finals.

The wave of international big men also includes such players as Phoenixs Deandre Ayton from the Bahamas, Chicagos two-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic from Switzerland and Dallas center and power forward Kristaps Porzingis, who is from Latvia.

Capela said international big men embrace our role.

Capela said his role is, Make sure that I do my work. Make sure I finish whenever I get the ball inside. ... You rebound, you create extra possessions. You erase mistakes with blocks. I take pride in that.

The international big men also support each other.

Ive know Jokic since I was in high school, Capela said. Joel for a long time. Rudy since I was back in high school as well. Weve known each other and support each other.

Capela hasnt played this preseason while having treatment for a sore left Achilles. He participated in live drills for the second time on Tuesday and expects to be ready for the season.

Some U.S. centers and power forwards still rank among the best in the league. McMillan included Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers with Jokic and Embiid in his list of top big men before adding that Miamis Bam Adebayo has turned into an unbelievable player.

Indianas Domantas Sabonis is a Lithuanian-American who was born in Portland. Minnesotas Karl-Anthony Towns is a Dominican-American who was born in New Jersey.

Theres no denying the impact of international big men.

You see the skill level, the feel of the game, McMillan said. Those guys come into our league with all of that.

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AP Sports Writers Dan Gelston and Arnie Stapleton contributed to this report.

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International big men rule NBA with their all-around skills - Associated Press