As we continue on this trek of breaking down the international 2022 NBA Draft class, the 20-year-old Gabriele Procida makes for one of the more interesting evaluations from overseas. Procida is a 6-foot-7 wing with some true shot-making potential and is somebody who could transform into a three-and-D piece for the right team.
Procida averaged seven points and three rebounds per game, shooting 38.3% from downtown this past season in just 18 minutes per game. This is Procida’s second straight season of shooting over 38% from deep in limited minutes and he’s a fun catch-and-shoot prospect.
While he’s not a consistent off-the-dribble scorer, Procida has the potential to become just that with a decent handle and a knack for playmaking. Procida doesn’t just exist as a wing shooter, he can initiate fastbreak situations or get down the court quickly for a dunk. At times, Procida is a highlight-reel athlete, getting up above the rim and playing with some infectious energy. Procida does a great job of getting into his spots and getting open for threes, he’s an intelligent all-around offensive player.
Because of that energy, Procida is an intriguing defensive player. He hustles for loose balls and goes hard for steals, averaging 1.6 per 36 minutes. Despite this, Procida can be a bit erratic on the defensive end as we’ve discussed with other wing prospects in this class like Aminu Mohammed. Trying too hard can sometimes be a bad thing and when Procida reaches in for fouls, it’s a reminder of how far off he is from being elite in that regard just yet.
Procida also needs to work on getting more consistent with creating his shot. Though he showed flashes of becoming that as mentioned before, he thrives much more as a guy that relies on others to create for him.
The 6-foot-7 Italian prospect is a likely stash option in the second round for these weaknesses. The best justification for stashing Procida is the fact that he weighed in at under 193 pounds at the NBA Combine. Without an elite wingspan, Procida desperately needs to add strength to his game so that he doesn’t get bullied in the NBA and can actually demonstrate the explosiveness he flashed to the fullest level. Procida shined in every other regard at the combine and his competitiveness likely rubbed off on coaches. It wouldn’t totally shock me if a team took Procida at the end of the first if they buy him adding bulk.
One of my favorite things to do with international prospects is to look at random former NBA players that played with the prospects. In Procida’s case, he played six games with legendary Charlotte Hornet Malachi Richardson.