Strengths
-Extremely talented ball-handler and shot-creator. Essentially played point guard for Bosnia. Plays at a different speed than other players his age. Sees the game at a very high level
-65% of his offense came in pick and roll, isolation or transition situations at the U17s
-Can find the open man off the dribble. Good court vision and highly creative passer when he wants to be. Makes pinpoint passes into the post or pushing ball ahead in transition
-Gets low with the ball, changes speeds and directions. Solid first step. Can string together some really complicated sequences with the ball
-Can reject the ball screen and get to the rim driving either direction
-Tough shot-maker. Finds a great deal of offense pulling up off the dribble, even beyond the 3-point line. Has excellent touch
-Also makes shots with feet set
-Can rise up over the top of a defender and knock down touch jumpers
-Finishes with either hand creatively around the basket
-Tremendous overall scoring instincts. Career 28 points per-40 in FIBA play.
-Has a knack for finding rebounds coming off the defensive glass
-Hot blooded player. Extremely competitive. Teammates on Bosnia seem to like playing with him.
-65% of his offense came in pick and roll, isolation or transition situations at the U17s
-Can find the open man off the dribble. Good court vision and highly creative passer when he wants to be. Makes pinpoint passes into the post or pushing ball ahead in transition
-Gets low with the ball, changes speeds and directions. Solid first step. Can string together some really complicated sequences with the ball
-Can reject the ball screen and get to the rim driving either direction
-Tough shot-maker. Finds a great deal of offense pulling up off the dribble, even beyond the 3-point line. Has excellent touch
-Also makes shots with feet set
-Can rise up over the top of a defender and knock down touch jumpers
-Finishes with either hand creatively around the basket
-Tremendous overall scoring instincts. Career 28 points per-40 in FIBA play.
-Has a knack for finding rebounds coming off the defensive glass
-Hot blooded player. Extremely competitive. Teammates on Bosnia seem to like playing with him.
-Has developed a strange and concerning hunch in his back that could become a real issue long term. Perpetually hunched forward in his stance. Something he needs to address immediately
-Somewhat of a one man show. Wants to go one on one every time, making him fairly predictable. Struggled badly in the 1/8th finals against an unimposing Australia team that finished the tournament in 7th place (34 points on 34 possessions)
-Volume scorer. 55% career TS% in FIBA competition
-Averaged more turnovers than assists at the U17s. Career 1/1 assist to turnover ratio
-Did his best work of the tournament against the worst teams (50 points against Taiwan for example, 36 against Korea, 32 and 34 vs Dominican Republic). Was 4/18 vs France
-Lacks a degree of strength and explosiveness as a finisher around the basket in traffic. Struggles to finish over length. Will he be able to finish effectively inside the paint against legit rim protectors in the pros?
-Drives into the teeth of the defense frequently without a plan, finding mixed results
-Can he be effective without monopolizing the ball exclusively the way he did for Bosnia?
-Extremely reactive on the court. Body language is very poor. Stares down the referees every time he's unable to score. Some real concerns about his attitude. Has made some very controversial statements in the press indicating a real lack of humility and self-awareness
-Mostly indifferent defensively, which is not surprising considering the heavy load he was asked to shoulder. Wingspan (6'8 ¼) measured the same as his height. Hunched forward in his stance, making it difficult for him to stay in front of quicker players.
-Somewhat of a one man show. Wants to go one on one every time, making him fairly predictable. Struggled badly in the 1/8th finals against an unimposing Australia team that finished the tournament in 7th place (34 points on 34 possessions)
-Volume scorer. 55% career TS% in FIBA competition
-Averaged more turnovers than assists at the U17s. Career 1/1 assist to turnover ratio
-Did his best work of the tournament against the worst teams (50 points against Taiwan for example, 36 against Korea, 32 and 34 vs Dominican Republic). Was 4/18 vs France
-Lacks a degree of strength and explosiveness as a finisher around the basket in traffic. Struggles to finish over length. Will he be able to finish effectively inside the paint against legit rim protectors in the pros?
-Drives into the teeth of the defense frequently without a plan, finding mixed results
-Can he be effective without monopolizing the ball exclusively the way he did for Bosnia?
-Extremely reactive on the court. Body language is very poor. Stares down the referees every time he's unable to score. Some real concerns about his attitude. Has made some very controversial statements in the press indicating a real lack of humility and self-awareness
-Mostly indifferent defensively, which is not surprising considering the heavy load he was asked to shoulder. Wingspan (6'8 ¼) measured the same as his height. Hunched forward in his stance, making it difficult for him to stay in front of quicker players.
Outlook Widely considered the top talent in the 1999 European generation. Already saw minutes for Euroleague team Cedevita despite only being 16. Undoubtedly a tremendously skilled offensive player with outstanding instincts for putting the ball in the basket and finding the open man. Nonetheless, some real concerns about how that will translate to higher levels, especially if his attitude doesn't improve. Will his back be a cause for concern down the road?
