Every Wednesday during the NBA season, interbasket takes a closer look at ten international NBA players that has caught our eye. (This week is for period 11/22 – 11/28/2007)

We start with some big news out of Toronto. Spanish small forward and Toronto Raptor Jorge Garbajosa is going to have another surgery on his leg.

Ok, that’s not news. That happens all the time in sports, Stuart.

True, but there’s an added layer to the situation; Garbajosa played in the European Championships this past summer despite the Raptor’s strong advice to skip the qualifier and have surgery done on the same injured leg that wasn’t healing correctly according to the Toronto’s medical team.

Instead, Garbajosa chose to represent Spain, backed by Spanish doctors that claimed further surgery was superflous. The Spanish team wanted him so much that they took out a $1 million dollar insurance policy that would cover his $4 mil salary had Garbajosa injured himself during National team duty. Looks like the Raptors might be filing a claim against that policy soon.

That’s only the tip of the iceberg right now. With the Memphis Grizzlies coming into Toronto tonight, it would have brought four Spanish players in one NBA game — Pau Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro, and Jose Calderon with Garbajosa on the sidelines. What should be a celebratory photo-op at mid-court, has become a huge controversy in Spain and with one Pau Gasol.

Pau Gasol and the Spanish press feel as if the Raptors don’t have Garbajosa’s best interest in mind by sending him off to surgery, but rather they’re punishing him for going against their will this past summer. Stay tuned…

On a sidenote: Would this have been the first time that four international players from the same country played in the same NBA game? I know the Houston-San Antonio game last week brought three Argentines together, but can anyone remember four players? Maybe those Sacramento Kings with Vlade and Peja?

For all our Spanish readers, there is a lighter side – Juan Carlos Navarro is finally finding his groove. In the last three gamee, the Spanish superstar has played his 34, 37, and 38 minutes — by far his highest total minutes logged this season. During that span, Navarro has averaged 20 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, has shot 55% from the field and 45% from three. Navarro had his first NBA double-double last night, 16 points and 11 rebounds (his previous high was 4 rebounds!). It seems as both La Bomba and his coach are finally gaining confidence in… well, Juan Carlos Navarro.

Is this really Desagana Diop‘s seventh NBA season? Yeah, I guess it is. The 25-year old came straight out of high-school and was drafted eighth overall in the the 2001 high-school-crazy draft (that saw Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler, and Eddy Curry go 1, 2, and 4)

The 7-foot center from Senegal has finally found his niche averaging great numbers (also career-highs) in rebounds (7.8) and blocks (2.4) for the Dallas Mavericks – holding down the middle for the Dallas Mavericks… what’s even more amazing, he’s usurped Erick Dampier as the starting center, the self-proclaimed second-best center in the league (after Shaq)! Make that the third, Damp.

Vladamir Radmanovic was never the face of consistency. Despite his shooting touch and agility, Vladimir’s career thus far had been marred by a reputation of a bad work-ethic, whining on his national team, and inconsistency. Add all that to his lying about how he got a leg-injury last season (he hurt himself snowboarding). Not a great legacy thus far.

Despite all that, Radman has started out the season with perhaps the most promise. His points per game were holding steady at double-digits, is hitting the long ball when he open, and the Lakers are wnning games in the West. Radmanovic is shooting at a career-high clip almost across the board.

And then it all came the 102-100 loss to the New Jersey Nets in which he shot 0-7 from three and a combined 0-10 from the field. He was 1-2 from the free-throw line and had 3 turnovers, all this in just 24 minutes. Even with his performance, Radmanovic is still shooting 44% from three.

On the other side of the shooting spectrum, Steve Nash hasn’t missed this season from the free-throw line. Nash is 40-40 on free throws this year. The only other player that hasn’t missed a free-throw this season is another international player – Darius Songaila of Lithuania. Songaila is 21-21. Previous to Nash’s season-record, Yao Ming had a streak of 30 straight free throws made.

When Luis Scola scored a then career-high 20 points against the Spurs last week, I dismissed it as a mere coincidence. Though he was a Spur, Scola was traded away before any real hard-feelings could be accumulated. Now, when Beno Udrih went for 27 points (8-12FG, 9-9 FT), 5 assists and 4 rebounds in a win vs. the Spurs. I have no doubt that Beno had a little more jump to his step before and after the game against his former team.

Nenad Krstic returned from his leg-injury this season and has been slow-going. The Serbian center is averaging career lows in all categories and has played only 3 minutes in the last four games. It doesn’t look good for Krstic since the struggling Nets have won three of the four games.

Speaking of struggling Nets players – Bostjan Nachbar is averaging more minutes, points, assists, steals, blocks, FG-attempts, 3pt FG attempts and FT attempts this season but hasn’t been able to carry-over his efficient shooting percentages from the previous year.

I respect Scott Skiles coaching, I do, but with the Chicago Bulls struggling, why isn’t Viktor Khryapa playing more? Or why was he not even activated? I am not one of those guys that blindly love-on all international players, but did anyone in Russia send Skiles a tape of what Khryapa did this past summer?

In the one game that Khryapa has played in this season, he scored 7 points (3-5), grabbed 5 rebounds, and blocked 2 shots in 21 minutes (he also was 1-4 from FT and had two turnovers). This guy can play, plays hard, and hits open shots, I really believe he needs another look. Thank god he isn’t Spanish, or Skiles would have Pau Gasol on his back…

NBA Notes: Man, that Golden State vs. Phoenix Suns game was fun to watch. Monta Ellis was the man in that game, blowing by Steve Nash like a statue and hitting multiple jumpers over Shawn Marion. Baron Davis has nothing to worry about just yet (he’s playing like a beast), but we’re seeing a star in the making with Monta Ellis