Brooklyn Nets

Draft prospect George Lucas De Paula says Deron Williams had an influence on him

Published Jun. 12, 2015 3:53 p.m. ET

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George Lucas De Paula is probably years away from making contributions in the NBA even if he is a possible first-round pick in this season's draft. At just 19 years old, the Brazilian is raw both mentally and physically as a prospect. But that doesn't mean he shouldn't be studying the NBA already.

De Paula worked out for the Nets this week and had a few things to say about his basketball inspiration. Here's some of it from a Devin Kharpertian piece at The Brooklyn Game:

Click here to read the full article.

De Paula could very well be who the Nets end up drafting. He projects to go either in the late first round or early second.

(H/t to Devin Kharpertian of The Brooklyn Game.)

Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The 19-year-old de Paula is seen as a project with huge upside. He’s a 6’6″ point guard with a seven-foot wingspan (the first ever in DraftExpress’s combine database for a point guard) and sound passing instincts. But there’s a language barrier for the Brazilian guard, and he’ll take time to adjust to the NBA game.

He did mention one Nets point guard as a player he tried to model his game after. “When I was 12 or 13, I watched players like Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Allen Iverson,” de Paula said. “But now? Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving, Deron Williams, and Chris Paul, I like all those guys.”

The Nets have seen de Paula at numerous stops: Chicago’s NBA Draft Combine, the Nike Hoops Summit in Portland, and at the Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy last week. “I think he’s really improved, just picking things up and (with) structure,” Nets director of player personnel Gregg Polinsky said.