An aspect of NBA Draft Scouting I feel often goes under the radar is the ‘macro’ side of the game. This is something I believe to be the case when pre-NBA Tape is being analysed, but also when people try and project a players’ role in the NBA. Building a basketball team is about building a team that fits together, the goal isn’t just to collect good players and hope for the best. Similarly, I believe when analysing a prospects’ game, the rest of the team needs to be analysed and understood. This allows you to come to a conclusion as to whether the weaknesses will be alleviated with different pieces around them at the next level.

On the pre-NBA point, Mega Basket for the most part are a team built to develop prospects and showcase them in order to be able to keep running. They are a Youth Academy in a league where most teams are acquiring NBA veterans. Mega Basket by contrast had only one player over 30 years old on their roster last season. From an actual on-court perspective, Mega Basket were a team that had shaky perimeter spacing. Andrija Jelavic who will get draft buzz next year was their starting power forward. He’s a willing shooter, but shot only 28 percent from beyond the arc on the season.

From a personnel perspective, Mega Basket underwent some form of turmoil during the season when Nikola Topic left the team at Christmas. With Topic, Djurisic largely was utilised as a wing-driver and off-ball scorer. His game involves Stampede Driving (Catch and Go) and running Pick-And-Rolls after coming off a pin-down.

What was rather surprising to me, was that Djurisic’s role didn’t drastically change after the departure of Topic. Sure, he touched the ball slightly more and there was more urgency to get him touches. But he was still doing the same stuff as before. He just had more responsibility. Nikola Topic’s minutes were divided up between Stefan Miljenovic and Omer Can Ilyasoglu, leaving Djurisic free to play in his comfort zone as opposed to being crowbarred into something he’s not because he’s the best player.

Generally speaking, I project Djurisic to be a wing scorer who compromises nail help with his driving gravity and makes creative passes from the second-side. I believe the Macro to be advantageous to Djurisic as he has a good deal of experience playing in his likely NBA role, and at such a young age at a good-level of basketball. However, I also believe that the poor spacing made it difficult on him as I project him to be a drive-first wing. Interior windows were smaller than they may end up being in the NBA.

His 4.4 3PA per 36 would rank around 150th in the NBA. Some names around there include Josh Giddey, Jaden McDaniels and Jonathan Isaac. I believe him to have larger driving gravity than those names to make up for it. It must also be noted there are some very good NBA wings who shoot fewer 3s than that, so it’s not the be-all-end-all. Mega Basket were in a position where they probably could have done with him shooting more, but Djurisic drives were also arguably their scariest proposition outside of set plays.

Driving

The biggest strength of Nikola Djurisic is his driving game. His handle is good and he’s able to get where he wants to a lot of the time. He’s utilised as a slasher in the Mega Basket system, and he generally looks to drive rather than shoot when he comes off a ball-screen, though I don’t see these splits as egregious or anything.

I normally divide drives into two types. Those that take advantages, and those that create advantages. Djurisic’ is excellent at punishing tilted floors with his driving game which projects well for him being a play finisher.

Double Stagger Screen- Drive Right- Cross Over Left and get the half-dunk. Djurisic’s ability to cover a lot of ground really pops both in transition and against titled floors. Creating advantages via scheme or capitalising on the gravity of another star is obviously the easiest way to get this to pop.

His ground coverage is impressive, but what I find even more impressive is that he’s seemingly in control a lot of the time when he drives to the basket. Take the play below as an example.

Mega Basket go to Pistol Action. The opposition are going no middle and funnelling Djurisic towards the help. He breezes past his man and shows a good second-level move on his off-hand to get a layup as opposed to a floater. Something I noted throughout my scouting was how much better Djurisic got as the season went on. This was partially because Mega got better as a team and things were sped up as they got familiar with the playbook. But he just seemingly got much more comfortable as a driver.

He’s nifty in transition, and seems to have a plan. This was admittedly a sketchy take early on in the season, but he got much more comfortable as the season progressed, as if he had a better understanding of where his team-mates were going to be and where help might come from. This fuels his very impressive 0.46 Free-Throw rate.

He ends up missing the shot, but I love the process here. This was from early in the season. He attacks quickly and covers a great deal of ground. He’s good at stepping around help in the paint, it just slightly lets him down on this occasion. The reason I mention this being early in the season is because it felt as if his head was often in the right place, but he just lacked control. This was not really the case as the season went on.

This was from the February game against Zadar. It may look like a simple transition play, but the speed to adapt to the baseline being taken away into a eurostep and layup high off the glass is extremely impressive stuff. Transition isn’t the same as half-court basketball but these skills are still very valuable.

I’ve mentioned Stampeding the Catch a few times already. This is a niche strategy that has started to rise in the NBA. It involves a player attacking straight off the catch while the ball is coming to them. There are really two usages. One is to get a primary downhill momentum 30-feet or more from the basket (such as in Flip Action). The other is more of a half-court punishment to rightfully loading up help on star players. From the perspective of the player attacking, it requires a good handle and the ability to read defenses quickly.

Aggressive Nail Help is becoming more and more common, with 1 v 1 defense across the board genuinely becoming more of a dying art at the NBA level. In terms of off-ball counters, NBA defenses are comfortable leaving above average shooters open if it keeps their defenders out of rotation. Stampeding is a way of getting right back into the teeth of a defense. Djurisic is excellent at doing this due to his handle, his passing and an emerging floater and pull-up game.

Mega Basket are in their motion offense, the ball handler draws the nail help and swings it to Djurisic who takes it straight off the catch and draws a foul. Note how the closeout was denying Djurisic the middle of the floor. This is a common NBA strategy. For the most part, Djurisic is very comfortable driving baseline which i think adds value to him as a supporting wing player. He may see slightly softer closeouts because of his driving prowess and needing to earn the respect for his jump shot. But I’m a believer in his pull-up game (more on that later).

His interior passing is also a good mesh with stampeding, as he’s able to read the floor before he takes the ball off the catch and work out where help is going to come from. Here he makes a nifty dump-off pass after attacking from the left corner.

He seemed to be pretty self-aware of the fact that his team needed his drives into the paint to create good shots at the rim on a consistent basis, especially if they were not running set plays. On the play below, Djurisic has an opportunity to shoot, but punishes the closeout and makes a nifty shovel pass. Uros Plavsic robs him of an assist on this play.

Something i want to be clear about, is Djurisic’s driving game is not limited to off-ball drives or niche tactics. It’s just an area I think worth noting when projecting his fit with other players. Djurisic improved drastically throughout the season and by the end of the season he was flashing some immense reps as a driver.

Here they deny him the baseline which is probably because he’s more comfortable as a passer when driving to the right hand-side. So he drives and explodes off the low angle when he meets resistance in the paint. It’s impressive how quickly Djurisic is able to react to paint defense, and his size opens up extra finishing angles for him. He became more adept at finishing off the glass as the season progressed.

I’ve mentioned Djurisic getting valuable reps in his potential NBA usage, the play below is another example of this.

Iverson Action. Djurisic reads his defender going under, so he rejects the action and takes it straight off the catch, using a double clutch and a eurostep to turn a floater into a layup. This was a playoff game and despite slightly reduced minutes he played very well in these games, showcasing the season-wide improvement he had.

Generally speaking, the Double Clutch seems to be becoming a favourite of his. This is testament to his handle in general. This play from the Playoffs might be his best finish of the year. Drive -> Hard Step to force the big to his right -> crossover -> double clutch to secure the ball -> finish off the glass. Absolute poetry in motion, showcasing the development all coming together.

Delay sets are a staple of modern NBA offense, here’s Djurisic showcasing his driving chops in ‘Miami’ action, which is a handoff into a ball screen.

He takes the handoff, then just makes one subtle step and eye movement inside, which changes his defenders trajectory. He then takes a wide east-west step. After this he puts his man in jail, fakes a jump pass to freeze the big man then explodes off his planted foot in the same motion and finishes off the glass. He’s one of those players who just does a lot of subtle things when he drives that turn decent shots into good shots.

These ‘Zoom’ sets such as Miami and Chicago are staples of NBA offenses, and Djurisic’s handle and passing definitely open them up to be more fruitful. They’re often a go-to action in the NBA as a way of keeping lower usage players involved, but many of the players being given the reps out of these aren’t as dynamic of drivers as Djurisic. On the play below he quickly splits the PNR in Miami Action and draws a foul.

The poise Djurisic played with as the season went on was very encouraging. Early in the year it just felt like he was always trying to drive as opposed to reading the defense. With Mega Basket’s spacing concerns, this just exacerbated his turnover issues. But by the playoffs he was consistently showing a high-level driving game.

He comes off the screen, and within a second he has the big in hell. Pushing left, then spinning him around, then exploding from a low position for a layup. Mega Basket used a lot of clearout and roll and replace concepts to make drives easier for Djurisic, but with him being this coordinated it honestly isn’t something that’s necessarily always needed.

On this occasion, Djurisic is able to get low and explode off the ground. I would however say this is the aspect of his handle most in need of improvement. He’s able to get low, but there are times when he can really overestimate how good a driving angle he has available to him.

Mega Basket reset after an offensive rebound. Djurisic has a ball screen available to him, but chooses to try and drive. He gets low, but not to much effect. It’s good defense, but rejecting the ball screen wasn’t the move here, the perimeter defender was in a better position to defend his left side as opposed to the ball-screen side.

Shooting, Runners and why Driving is still a factor

Slightly transitioning into the next section on his shooting, I believe part of these driving issues come because of his shot prep.

On this play, stampeding probably isn’t the best option. His defender is parallel to the sideline and he’s got enough space to shoot. He has to at least sell the fact he might take a jump shot. Instead he barrels into a drive, tries to get low and turns the ball over. These issues definitely decreased in frequency as the season progressed, but he does have a slight tendency to get himself into trouble by trying to get low to the ground. It’s good he’s able to get low, but overestimating driving angles is a downside of his approach.

I’ve said previously, but Djurisic took 4.4 3s per 36, which would rank around 150th in the NBA. Part of this is because Mega Basket needed him to do this as even outside of Djurisic they weren’t much of a volume or efficiency 3-point shooting team because of non-shooting centers and streaky stretch 4s. But there is no doubt he is a guy who looks to drive first.

How worried you are by these forced drives depends on how much you believe in Djurisic’s pull-up game. Even as a Djurisic believer, I have to admit that with Djurisic’ shooting, you are buying a lot into process because the results are obviously not fully there. You’re buying into his space creation and perhaps a slight change in approach when it comes to driving vs shooting.

Across the board, his shooting percentages became more respectable this year, jumping from 22 percent to 30 percent from three. His pull-up game got more prevalent as the year progressed. Per my hand-tracking via Synergy, In the first 18 games of the season, he took 2.1 dribble jumpers per game making 28 percent of them. Over the last 18 games, he was taking 3.7 per game, making 37 percent of them.

Synergy has odd definitions on these, but it matched the eye test. He seemed more comfortable taking these shots as the year progressed.

Mega Basket swing the ball to the top of the key, the ’45’ cut creates a one on one for Djurisic. He didn’t create an advantage on the drive, so moves into his step-back. It’s a bit slow at first but the east-west creation at the end to the sustain the advantage is good.

Part of the reason his pull up game may have improved as the season progressed is his driving gravity opened up opportunities for him.

Mega Basket run ‘Delay Chicago Leak’ for a popping big. Jelavic dives to the rim which leaves Djurisic open. His man is clearly worried about a paint attack so Djurisic drops him deeper and then steps into a pull-up jumper. He got good separation on this shot and it’s why the process might be worth buying into.

The playoffs were difficult for Mega Basket. They played well, but the nature of this team is that they are always going to have roster turnover. So to me, it’s encouraging that Djurisic started to flash more in these games.

Crvena Zvezda are in a no middle defense. Djurisic drives to the baseline, sees a roaming defender and steps nicely into a step-back jumper. Mega Basket’s spacing on this play isn’t exactly great. It’s effectively 3-out-2-in with a 31 percent three-point shooter in the weakside corner. The spacing in the NBA should be better for him, but this doesn’t always necessarily lead to better results. With Djurisic, I’m more buying the flashes of space creation with such tough spacing as a platform for more growth.

With the shooting, you’re heavily buying two things, one is the space creation process as I mentioned above.

The other, is banking on his decision making becoming more streamlined at the next level. It’s clear he prefers to drive to the basket. But the question mark is whether this is definitively who he is, or if this is who he needed to be for Mega Basket to be the best version of themselves. Though they’re a developmentally-based team, basketball players still want to win games. He would sometimes stampede out of decent looks for Mega Basket, and that’s something teams may be slightly put off by, especially for a lower usage guy.

One notable thing from the Combine game, was how Djurisic got a heavy dosage of his probable early-NBA usage.

Here, his team run ‘Wide Reject Exit’. The shot prep is good and allows him to turn a disrupted pass into a clean look from beyond the arc. The process here looks pretty smooth.

The final thing to note in his shooting profile, is that a runner and floater game started to emerge as the season progressed.

The sample size isn’t huge, but the ones Djurisic did make were pure. His general comfort dribbling around the mid-range areas is hopefully an indicator that this floater game is here to stay.

Passing

Djurisic’ passing game and your read on it probably guages whether you have him as a borderline lottery pick, or as a second-rounder. Djurisic’ passing tape is the ultimate goldmine for a ‘risk v reward’ discussion. His passing generally meshes alongside his driving game, and he makes some absolutely beautiful passes. He manipulates defenders with his eyes, makes one-handed passes, bounce passes, floated lob passes. Whatever type of pass you like, he’s probably pulled one off.

Mega Basket run ‘Knicks Ricky’ which is a step up ball screen for Djurisic, who has initially come off a different screen in a different direction. Djurisic goes to use the screen, draws the trap and makes a quick wraparound pass to the roller who draws the foul. He’s able to think quickly and do things quickly.

It felt on film as if Djurisic was more creative as a passer when driving right as opposed to left. The sample sizes aren’t large enough to make definitive sweeping statements, but he appears much more comfortable making advanced reads when he was moving to the right hand side. On the left, we were sometimes accustomed to results such as below.

Mega Basket run ‘Strong Spain’. Djurisic comes off the ball-screen and ends up picking up his dribble. He then tries a very difficult pass with his off-hand. He overestimated the window completely. Going quicker into a pull-up jumper here may have helped, but he also should make the pass to the strong-side corner. But at the same time, the player spaced in the corner isn’t a good shooter.

This play illustrates my point, from both sides. At first, Djurisic uses a ball screen to his left, but Partizan send a trap at him. He gets stuck and resets. Next time, he rejects the screen and makes a nice pass with his off-hand which should really end in a wide open corner three.

This assist is one of his best on the year. Mega Basket run ‘Double Zoom’ action to get him downhill. He gets pushed away from the basket but makes a great pass with his left hand while he is falling over. He is capable of passing with his left hand, it just shows up a lot more when he is driving on his strong hand- this isn’t exactly abnormal.

He’s shown great potential at working with a roller. Mega’s center play was sometimes inconsistent and he probably deserved more assists, but some of his passes were very creative and well-timed. I loved this floated lob pass.

Mega Basket run a Roll and Replace type action with a player leaking out of the paint while the PNR goes. Djurisic makes a nice floated pass for an alley-oop. The pass was one that should have been made, but I liked the adjustment when the nail help disrupted him, he floated it with his wrist while low to the ground.

I think a team should tap into his connective passing if they draft him.

He likely won’t see the paint this packed in the NBA, but he’s very capable of extending windows with his handle and making nifty passes. This one was a great behind the back pass, and he had a similar one in the second combine game he played in. In an NBA where a lot of stuff can become heliocentric, I think his ability to deliver multiple outcomes off the second side is extremely valuable.

I’ve made it clear he’s a creative passer. The disagreements some may have, is whether his game is inherently too risky. He turned it over 3.2 times per game which was among the highest in the BAL.

This play is a good example of Djurisic’s risk taking. He comes off a wide-ball screen on an empty-side. The roller is open, but Djurisic tries a bounce pass. In my view, the center should catch this ball. But the other view is that this type of pass probably wasn’t necessary to produce a good result.

Djurisic’ passing depends on the team and the fit. As a believer in the passing, I think the creativity is welcomed and stops the ‘Academy Brain’ type plays that can make half-court offense predictable and easier for the defense to stop. However, some teams and scouts simply are less forgiving to players that needlessly turn the ball over.

It does appear his approach to the game is to take risks and do high risk-high reward type plays. But there is a possible chance this scales down when he has better spacing and is asked to do less. Upon speaking to people who are less high on Djurisic than me, I think this is normally the point where we start to lose each other.

Defense

This section isn’t going to be as long as the others. This isn’t because I’m overlooking defense or because he is outrageously good or outrageously bad. There just doesn’t feel like a great deal to say.

This also isn’t my selling point. I project him to be a passable defender at my highest level of evaluation. His feel is enough for me to think he won’t be a liability off-ball which means he isn’t going to overly compromise your scheme.

One reason for my hesitance to talk in great depth about the defense is because of the role he was utilised in.

Mega Basket were an aggressive defense that overloaded the strong-side of the court and liked to mix in traps at the top of the key. Djurisic wasn’t consistently utilised on the ball, so he spent the majority of the time playing as the weakside low-man. This is quite a tough ask for a 20-year old wing with just 6’7 wingspan. NBA Teams will often use half-court offense to isolate and pick their preferred choice at low-man, but it’s also highly unlikely an NBA team would leave Djurisic in that role early in his NBA Career.

Within this role, his job was to split the difference between protecting the rim and playing to the corner. The results were inconsistent. Sometimes such as on the play below, he was able to execute every part of his job as a low-man.

Here, Djurisic contains the baseline drive and rotates all the way out to the corner, blocking the shot. But there were plenty of other occasions where his help inside was minimal or he left the corner wide open.

I’d say the part of the defense I’d bank on most is the feel.

This clip is from the second combine game. His team overload the strong side which is largely what Djurisic played with in Serbia. He shows good reading of the game to sink at the right time and take away the layup. It’s simple stuff but when he knows his role, I think he can make good plays. It just needs to be way more consistent.

I also like the play below, where he blows up Bilbao Action.

But again later in the play, the resistance isn’t exactly domineering. He’s in the right place, but Vojvodina still get the exact shot they want. Knowing where to be and disrupting the shot are separate things.

On the perimeter, he lacks discipline at times. He can surrender decent driving angles to his matchups. This was extra problematic at times because he was often isolated on a side, which meant there wasn’t always help to bail him out. But we also didn’t see a great deal of him on ball because of the nature of Mega Basket’s defensive scheme. Whether they were hiding him or preserving him is in the eye of the beholder. The likely answer is it’s a bit of both.

My Ideal Fits and Development Plan

A lot has to go right for a prospect to work out in the NBA. It isn’t always as simple someone being ‘destined’ to make it at the next level. It’s something I feel needs more discourse. In my eyes, building a winning team isn’t about just stashing as many theoretical primaries as you can, it’s about fitting things together and answering hypothetical questions about the pieces you do have.

Nikola Djurisic is a prospect I’d feel comfortable taking in the mid-teens in the right situation. But I’m unsure giving a player a ‘grade’ really matters in the grand scheme of things, because his fit on one team might not be as good as a fit on another.

The asterisk to the ‘fit’ debate is that of course, rosters can change. But generally speaking, front offices will always try and build around what they do have, even if popular opinion deems the core to not be worth it. Their job often depends on it.

Here are some things I’d like to see in the team that Djurisic gets drafted by

• Have at least average team three-point volume
• Have a player who draws nail help
• Have size in the frontcourt

The three-point volume is important because even if Djurisic becomes a more consistent shooter, he’s a guy whose best skill is the ability to drive and be creative as a passer. Ensuring he doesn’t just need to become a spot-up play finisher is important. If a team is in need of three-point volume, I have concerns that his game would become heavily geared towards shooting and the stuff I consider to be his swing skills will not be given room to flourish and grow.

I’ve mentioned part of my process is answering ‘hypothetical’ questions. The part of the game I spend a lot of time on is the ability to beat specific defensive coverages. For example, I want to know how my roster or primary ball handler would react to a trap or a hedge. Can the wings shoot, if not, can they drive to the rim and get the defense back into rotation. Does my big man have a good understanding of where to make himself available for a pass? Can my big play on the short roll? These are the types of questions I seek to answer when analysing rosters, because sometimes you cannot X’s and O’s your way out of a situation.

I bring this up, because of my desire to see Djurisic alongside a team that draws nail help. It’s very specific and niche, but the type of thing I care about. Djurisic is an excellent driver and finisher who can punish the defense and get them back into rotation. If a team just wants someone to spot-up, there are better options. But if a team has a primary who plays more in isolation, I feel the off-the-catch game is a nice supporting feature.

Though I’d say I’m not a doomer on Djurisic’ defense, I have to admit the lack of size is a potential issue. So I feel a team with a smaller front-court might not get the most out of him.

This section might feel a little niche to some, but I just think it’s important to outline what you are scared of with a prospect, and more often than not I end up scared of the developmental situation a player ends up in as opposed to flaws in their own talent.

The three teams I feel he fits with are Memphis, Portland and New York.

Memphis

Memphis have reportedly worked out Nikola Djurisic. I feel he’d be a great fit. Memphis overhauled their offensive scheme this year, moving from a more rigid and traditional system to one that inverted the floor more often and utilised creative sets to generate three-pointers. They likely did this because they felt their rigidity worked against them in playoff settings.

A lot of their sets are for Desmond Bane and other shooters to emerge at the top of the key for three-pointers, but they are also adding Ja Morant to the mix whose gravity as a driver is incredible. Djurisic would slot in well in this ecosystem, utilising his driving ability to finish plays later in the clock and punish early loading up on Ja Morant. Sure, schemes can change. But Morant and Bane are locked in, and regardless of how they run offense, space is going to be there for off-ball players to exploit off the catch

Portland

Portland’s young core is intriguing. Scoot Henderson’s rookie year was up and down but I still buy the driving talent and gravity this will create. In Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons they have two off-ball threats, and Duop Reath might be the most underrated player in the entire NBA as of now. Djurisic is a guy who needs some work, and I feel Portland is perhaps the best fit for him to iron out some of his kinks. Chauncey Billups is a creative tactician who can draw up some sets for him to work on the empty-side alongside the young core they have in place.

Of the three teams I’ve named, this is the only one where Djurisic would be entering a rebuild. The reason I love this fit is because he has a great opportunity for play time, and if Scoot Henderson pans out I feel he’s a player who can fit alongside him.

New York

I think of the three teams I’ve named, the Knicks might be my favourite. Firstly, they have arguably the premier primary player at drawing nail help in the NBA in Jalen Brunson. Tom Thibodeau is underrated as an offensive coach, but more often than not he does like players who can create something from nothing, or at least from the more traditional sense. Djurisic’s driving game could pop in the future alongside Jalen Brunson.

I also think Tom Thibodeau gives his players defensive structure. He can alter his at-the-level coverages but for the most part, his wings do the same thing each game. They hustle, tag the roll and fly out to corner shooters on the weakside. Djurisic has a decent feel for the game defensively, and I think giving him a very specific role will be beneficial to his overall development. Thibodeau can be willing to play defensive neutrals or even negatives if they give him something unique offensively, and Djurisic definitely fits the bill here.

If Djurisic does choose to stay overseas, I like this fit the most of the three. The Knicks are largely locked in with a lot of their core, and bringing him into the fold in say 2026 after two more seasons of developing as a lead guy could be hugely beneficial to the Knicks and Djurisic.

Conclusion and Developmental Thoughts

Overall, I’ve probably made it clear I’m a believer in Nikola Djurisic. I buy the driving game as being a difference maker at the next level, and the pull-up game is one I’d buy into. The biggest concern offensively is probably the spot-up shooting. Though I’ve said ideally I want him to drive to the rim at the next level, at some point he will have to shoot. Part of the work needs to come in his shot approach, at times he decides to drive from good shooting windows. This is partially what makes him valuable as a driver, but balancing it will be key. I also believe his athleticism is hugely undersold.

The passing is good, it’s whether the playmaking potential will be anchored down by the turnovers. He may turn the ball over at a lower rate in a lower usage role, but the creativity does seem to be part of who he is as a basketball player. Your read on this probably signifies how much you believe in him, because the driving game looks to be good. It will also be interesting early on to see the types of closeouts he receives. Guys low in the rotation normally aren’t featured on the scouting report, but I expect people to work out early on that he prefers to drive. Teams may want him to work more on his shot approach and be selective with drives.

Though a ‘grade’ can be different for each team, I’d say generally speaking I believe Djurisic should be a first-round pick. I think his experience in an off-ball role gives him an advantage over many others who will be adapting from being primaries into lower usage players. Defensively, I think you are banking on him not being a negative. The main work needs to come on the perimeter, where he does have a tendency to surrender good driving angles to his opponents. I’d also recommend streamlining his role, giving him a specific duty like Mega Basket did, albeit a different one as I question the viability of him as a low-man helper against NBA level athletes.

The post Scouting Report: Assessing Fit and Maximising Nikola Djurisic in the NBA appeared first on Swish Theory.

The Lakers have developed a positive reputation around NBA circles for their drafting in recent years, picking up Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Josh Hart, and Kyle Kuzma with late first or second-round picks. And maybe even more impressive, have signed and developed undrafted free agents like Alex Caruso and Austin Reaves that have shown great promise to have long, sustainable NBA careers.

Team Needs

With the Lakers being in a win-now mindset with an aging LeBron James and Anthony Davis, for the #17 pick, the team should be looking for short-term fit prospects with upside alongside the two stars instead of long-term projects. 

As far as on-court fit, in the playoffs we saw some holes the Lakers should be addressing in the off-season, and here’s how I would rank them.

1. More size among frontcourt
   • To close out games, Lebron and AD as your two frontcourt options make a formidable backline but across a full 82-game season, it would be the wrong move to put all of the interior burden on them. We also saw in that Denver series, playing with more wings and guards led to LA getting obliterated on the boards and this would help with that.
2. Backup center (can also play with AD)
   • If the Lakers could find a consistent option to back up AD while also being a solid enough option to play alongside Davis, it would do wonders for the team’s depth and rotations while also alleviating some size concerns as well.
3. Overall shotmaking
   • We saw D’Angelo Russell, Dennis Schröder, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, and Troy Brown Jr. shoot below league average from three in the playoffs and it cost the team in the long run. On paper you should be able to trust Russell, Beasley, and Brown Jr. but the Lakers just may need more reliable shooters than that group. 

Six Fits for #17

Jordan Hawkins, 6-5 SG, UConn

Hawkins is an off-ball gunner. The way UCONN used him endlessly running around off-ball screens to get open and knock down shots drew comparison to a former UCONN great, Ray Allen. Hawkins has great deceleration and footwork coming off of those screens to stop on a dime and knock down deep contested looks. While that is his selling point, the slim shooter hailing from Maryland has an array of moves off the dribble as well. Whether its step backs, sidesteps, or pull-up midranges, do not think Hawkins is just a one-trick pony. He can also attack hard closeouts or good back pressure from defenders very well and get to the rim for floaters, dumb-offs, or finishes at the rim but this is a big area for him to improve on. Hawkins only shot 55% at the rim this season, which is below average and on film, he can produce some wild attempts at the rim trying to finish through defenders (which is a plus) but with his slim frame, he’ll lose control of the ball or just get overwhelmed by the defender.

As far as defense, Hawkins is a very attentive defender that does his job and can play with a physicality that some may not expect with his frame. He is comfortable going chest to chest with ball handlers and walling them off and also has the foot speed to stay with plenty of guards. He defends with high and active hands which can throw off defenders even with a mild +2 wingspan at 6’7. Hawkins is a defender that you won’t really notice when watching and that is a good thing! His ability to execute the team’s scheme and stay locked in while rarely having slip-ups or miscues can go a long way. 

I could see Hawkins fitting into Malik Beasley or Lonnie Walker’s role like a glove and with his movement skills, it could open up an array of attacks that the Lakers could exploit on the opponent’s defense. 

Kobe Bufkin, 6-5 PG/SG, Michigan

Not to mention him being named after a franchise legend and attending Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka’s alma mater, but Kobe Bufkin fits the “guards with high feel for the game” mold the Lakers have shown to value in the draft with the acquisitions of Austin Reaves and previously Alex Caruso. Bufkin is trustworthy and steady with the ball in his hands while being a quick ball mover and decision-maker. Bufkin has shown to be a three-level scorer as well, although on low volume. The lanky lefty shot 36% from three, 55% from two, and 69% at the rim (!!). His craft around the rim is very impressive as he can make finishes over contests at obscure angles and use his long wingspan to get around the limbs defending the rim. His offensive play style suits either being off the ball, playing next to high-usage creators where he can fill in where needed, but he can also up his own usage if need be and still leave a positive and efficient impact on the game. 

This is where context should be added to Kobe Bufkin’s sophomore season at Michigan. As his teammate and projected 1st rounder, Jett Howard, slowed down in production and dealt with injuries later in the year, Bufkin’s offensive load increased tenfold along with his production which didn’t come with a noticeable drop in efficiency either (very much a green flag). In his last 10 games, Bufkin had six games where his usage rate was over 25%, compared to his 23 previous games in the season where he had a total of three games with that high of usage rate. And over those last 10 games, the former four-star prospect averaged 18 ppg shooting 56% from two and 44% from three. 

Bufkin is a pull-up threat from two and three, uses long strides and advanced angles to get to the rim but is a bit better off of actions rather than creating from a standstill in isolation. A wart in Bufkin’s offense is his burst and explosiveness off the dribble which can limit his on-ball effectiveness. His shot will also need to be sped up at the next level, but it is clear the shooting touch is present. 

Where Kobe Bufkin really excels though is the defensive side of the ball where, in my opinion, he is in the top class of perimeter defenders in this draft class. Bufkin’s screen navigation and footwork is just elite on and off the ball. He can slither around screens and recover to get back in front of the ball handler with ease. His 6’8 wingspan mixed with his tenacity at the point of attack can really harass opponents and force misses. His off-ball defense is supreme too, where he is a great communicator, very attentive to all actions on the court, is a good chaser, and an even better rotator. A couple of holes in his defense though is his strength as he can get powered through and sometimes is a bit too aggressive on-ball when defending fast guards and can get burned. Bufkin is pretty much an all-around prospect and will impact winning wherever he lands. 

Leonard Miller, 6-10 PF, G-League Ignite

A year ago, the draft community was saying Leonard Miller had an unorthodox, funky, and questionable play style in terms of translatability to the league. Now, after his instrumental stint with G-League Ignite, I can see crystal clear how Miller can potentially have a big role impacting winning at the next level.  

Standing at 6-10 with an already defined frame, Miller’s work starts in the paint where he is as physical a 19-year-old you’ll see. Miller loves engaging in and playing through contact while going up strong each and every time. He has impeccable touch around the rim with either hand and can make tough layups look easy. With that touch, he also has an impressive floater game that he uses from time to time and again, with either hand. As a natural lefty, you would think Miller would shy away from using his right hand but after watching him finish with his right so many times, I always come back questioning if he really is left-handed. His good touch is also exemplified by his 79% shooting at the free-throw line. Another place Miller thrives is the offensive glass, creating and maintaining good position on the boards to get 2nd opportunities which he makes the most out of. 

That is what he can produce with his eyes closed but where the intrigue comes with Miller is his ability to create advantages from the perimeter at his size plus his finishing ability. He’s still raw in this area of the game and can produce some ugly turnovers and bad possessions, but the flashes are very real. Attacking closeouts for turn-around jumpers, going coast-to-coast in transition after defensive rebounds, and sometimes even creating rim looks from a standstill is why Miller’s stock has continued to rise throughout the year. Also given his proven touch on the interior and at the line, there is hope that one day he’ll be able to stretch that out to three. He does have a pretty wacky form but shooting 33% from three for the year gives a solid floor that teams can trust to work from. 

Miller’s biggest drawback however is his defense where he has grown throughout the year to be fair but can look lost on defense a lot of the time. His defense will potentially limit him from sliding down and giving positive minutes at the center position because his rim protection skills, well they just aren’t great to say the least. And if you want to switch with Miller, he has shown of bad possessions just not being able to stay with smaller players on the perimeter and giving up drives way too easily. 

As far as his fit on the Lakers, Miller would slot in as a bigger forward off the bench who would help a ton with rebounding and just potential size mismatches. He could play alongside Anthony Davis where Miller’s defensive miscues won’t be as detrimental with Davis on the backline. While the Toronto product is not the shot in the dark he once was, he will still command a lot of development time for him to reach his fullest potential.

Maxwell Lewis, 6-7 SG/SF, Pepperdine

Hailing from the Lakers’ backyard in Southern California, the team should be very familiar with Maxwell Lewis and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he is the name called at pick #17 on draft night. At a macro-level, Lewis looks like your prototypical, long and rangy 3nD prospect with a bit of upside but looking closely, it’s not as black and white as it may seem.

The intrigue with Lewis is his offense and how he has the ability to do more than your prototypical 3nD role player. Lewis already possesses a solid handle with a silky-smooth jumpsuit where he loves to pull up from midrange and beyond the arc. Lewis only shot 35% from three this year which is a bit on the lower side for a prospect that’s shooting is supposed to be his strong skill, but the touch on his jumper and ability to get them off quickly has given me faith in the shooting in the long run—also Lewis shot an impressive 43% on catch and shoot threes this season. He also can shoot off of a variety of looks with the pull-up being his go-to but can also shoot off of step backs, sidesteps, PnR, and off of movement off-ball.

Lewis works well as a secondary/tertiary player in the offense attacking bent defenses where he can exploit the creases and get good looks. He is a solid passer in these situations and has some burst and explosiveness to attack the rim in these situations as well. Lewis shot a really nice 61% at the rim this season and with his frame, it is a bit surprising, but he uses his length really well around the rim and takes long, unorthodox strides to throw off defenders when finishing. He is another player where he is much better when getting looks off of actions and attacking off of other player’s primary attacks rather than creating something alone from a standstill. He’s not going to generate that much separation off the dribble but he’s adept enough at scoring to put the ball in the basket either way.

On the defensive side is where Maxwell Lewis falls short of that 3nD label. Lewis’ consistency and attentiveness on that end of the court is definitely something he will have to improve upon throughout the course of his career. His technique can be refined a bit as well, as he can let ball handlers drive too easily without much resistance which will be something he could get subbed out for immediately in the NBA. Lewis has the frame and solid enough athleticism to be a plus defender but is missing a few key intangibles that people can take for granted with great or even good defenders. But with the coaching in this league, I would expect Lewis to improve upon his defense rather quickly upon his arrival in the big leagues.

As a fit on the Lakers, Maxwell Lewis provides another option in the wing room which the team has desperately needed for a couple of years now. With one year of NBA development already down for Max Christie, it would be fun to see those two on the wings alongside the superstar duo with Lewis being the more offensive-inclined wing and Christie being more defensive-inclined.

Cason Wallace, 6-4 PG/SG, Kentucky

With the departure of Alex Caruso in the 2021 offseason, the Lakers have had trouble replacing the defensive presence the former fan favorite brought to the team at the guard position. But getting Cason Wallace a few years later would be a hell of a replacement in that area. 

Wallace is a tough, rugged 6-4 guard with all of the hustle intangibles you can think of. Fights for every loose ball, is the first one on the floor, knows where to be at all times, and is just a smart and physical defender. With Wallace’ frame, it allows him to guard up in position so that he can take on taller wings and even some forwards and still have success defending them. Where Wallace really excels on the defensive end though is off of the ball where he can be a nuisance to the opposition at all times. He’s an elite weakside rim protector for the guard position and is seemingly always in position to make a play on the ball no matter where he is. He is that rare mix of always being a steady, smart defender while also being a defensive playmaker which just leads to him being a massive positive whenever he’s on the court. A couple drawbacks on his defense though is his screen navigation as he can get caught up on more screens than you would like and also he isn’t as nimble to stay with super quick guards which could hinder his versatility on that end. 

Now onto the offensive end where the totality of Wallace’s game really shines and makes him such a good guard prospect. Wallace can operate on or off the ball and spent a lot of time doing both throughout the year. As Kentucky starting point guard, Sahvir Wheeler, got injured midway through the season, Wallace, who was starting at the shooting guard position, slotted down to play point and his impact remained large. After averaging 3.5 assists per game to 1.9 turnovers playing alongside Wheeler, in the last 10 games of Kentucky’s season with Wheeler out, Wallace averaged 5.8 assists per game to only 2.6 turnovers. His already solid playmaking was able to perk up without also seeing a spike in turnovers as well which is a great sign.

Wallace is very comfortable operating in the pick-and-roll game making reads, or being a scorer. He has a professional midrange pull-up game he loves going to and is a great finisher as well, shooting 71% at the rim (!!!) this season. His steady rim pressure he can provide is what also makes him a constant positive when on the court. His 3PT shooting will be a talking point as that part of his game fluctuated a great deal throughout the season. In his first 16 games of the season, Wallace shot 42% from three but in his last 16 games of the season, he shot 25% from three so the truth is in the eye of the beholder. And from going on priors and what I’ve seen from Wallace going back to high school, I am a firm believer that he’ll become at least an average shooter at the next level (which is 36% from three). 

His fit on the Lakers would be very seamless as the roster has needed some defensive size and athleticism in the backcourt which Wallace definitely brings. Whether it would be to outright take Dennis Schroder’s backup PG role or play him next to a PG, Wallace should fit in where needed and LeBron should be more than welcomed to add another quick processing athlete to the team.

Jett Howard, 6-8 F, Michigan

Who would I be the absolute least surprised to hear the Lakers choose with the #17 pick? That would be nonother than Jett Howard, who attended Rob Pelinka’s alma mater and is also a son of Juwan Howard, Pelinka’s former teammate on the “Fab Five” Michigan teams in the 90s. Over the past couple of years when it comes to adding people to the Lakers organization whether it’s in the front office or on the court, the Lakers have shown to go with people they are familiar with and those who already have ties within the organization. I mean Rob Pelinka himself got the general manager position with his most prominent prior experience being that he was Kobe Bryant’s agent.

However, that isn’t to say that Jett would purely be a nepotism pick because he gives the Lakers one specific skill they have and always will desire—shooting. Jett Howard is one of the premier catch-and-shoot players in the class, shooting 39% on catch-and-shoot 3s this season. At his height and at the forward position, this can be a luxury to have slotted in between two rim pressure gods in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Howard is also able to excel with shooting off of movement in screening actions which can warp defenses to a certain degree and open up offenses to new possibilities. Along with the shooting, Howard has shown the capabilities to be a good secondary playmaker as well, being able to make nice dump-off passes or make solid kick-outs for threes.

His on-ball game is a bit divisive in the draft community though as he does possess a nice handle to create a solid amount of looks on his own, but the drawback is those looks are mostly all tough shots over defenders. Howard does not possess a great deal of burst at the point of attack, and it limits him in situations where he is looking to create. This also limits the range of shots at his disposal where most of the time, he resorts to tough midrange or 3PT pull-ups instead of getting good looks at the rim because his athleticism just doesn’t allow him to in standstill isolations. With him being a 6-8 forward, it was surprising to see Howard with only six total dunk attempts this season and only 47 attempts at the rim overall.

And while offensively he wasn’t perfect, defense should be Jett’s main priority in terms of what to improve over the course of his rookie NBA season because it was rough. With Jett already not being the best athlete, it would need to take a lot of clever technique, effort, and engagement to overcome that deficit and Jett really didn’t show much of those three essentials. Howard really struggled to contain drives on the perimeter and at times was a target for opposing guards to go after and attack. Already not having the best foot speed, Howard compounds that by having poor technique when defending the ball, not being in a proper stance when guarding and subconsciously giving up a lane that guards can attack. Howard also doesn’t provide much resistance when defending the post and can be moved around pretty easily there as well.

And the last thing that Howard will have to improve upon is his rebounding. Averaging 2.8 rebounds per game for the full season is just not acceptable for a 6-8 forward who will be depended on to help with rebounding no matter what team he goes to. Howard had poor box-out tendencies throughout the year and let his man easily get around him for offensive rebounds a number of times. While Jett Howard in theory would be a great fit between LeBron and AD with his shooting and secondary playmaking, it would be instrumental for him to improve his game around the edges so that he isn’t just a one-trick pony.

Fits for #47

• Amari Bailey, 6-4 G, UCLA
  • Local freshman product whose potential was being untapped throughout the year. Dribble/pass/shoot guard with athleticism and good defensive frame.
• Jalen Slawson, 6-7 F, Furman
  • Savvy upperclassman with great defensive instincts and 7-0 wingspan. Above average ball-handler and decision-maker for his size, great passer in DHO, Delay, Elbow actions.
• Mouhamed Gueye, 6-11 F/C, Washington St.
  • Fluid athlete for his size. Developing shot with nice form, solid ball skills for size and solid rim protector with 7-3 wingspan. Live athlete as well, gets off the floor quickly.
• Toumani Camara, 6-8 F/C, Dayton
  • All-around, modern PF. Great interior finisher and offensive rebounder with solid outside shot and can attack closeouts. Great athlete with defensive mobility.
• Nikola Djurisic, 6-8 G, Mega Basket
  • Great tools and feel being a 6-8 guard but underwhelmed statistically overseas. In theory, is a dribble/pass/shoot tall guard but is a bet on development.
• Julian Strawther, 6-7 SF, Gonzaga
  • Knockdown shooter at the wing position and is a great rebounder. Average across the board pretty much everywhere else though.

It should also be mentioned that this could all be for naught if the Lakers end up trading their pick(s) for a proven rotation player. Given LA hasn’t picked in the 1st round since 2018 (Moritz Wagner being the pick at #25), it definitely wouldn’t be shocking if they elect to go the trade route again, but I also could see them wanting to get back to drafting high-quality young talent. As Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported, “The most likely outcome is the Lakers keeping the No. 17th pick, according to multiple team sources not authorized to speak publicly.” At the end of the day though, the Lakers’ front office and drafting department hasn’t done much wrong in recent years, so I trust them to make a good selection no matter who it is. Whoever they see worthy enough to fit in and develop alongside the two stars, I have full confidence in that player just like the front office will. 

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