By Kostas Psimoulis
Last week we were in Belgrade to cover the NIJT which determined the fourth team that will participate in Milan. Many kids showcased their talents in front of gyms packed of fans, NBA scouts and media. Here’s a look at the top performers during the three days of the event.
Best guard: Radovan Djokovic (Guard, 6-7, Mega Vizura, 1996)
The 6-foot-7 point guard from Mega Vizura impressed with his ball and passing skills. Djokovic averaged 5 assists per game to come along with 5 rebounds and 1.5 steals. He shot the ball well displaying promising pull-up jumper and stroke. He sports every quality you’d expect from a modern point guard; excellent size, playmaking abilities, Pick N Roll potential and defensive upside thanks to size and quick feet. Indeed Djokovic lacks experience and offensive polish, nevertheless in Belgrade left us with the impression that he’s one of the best point guards of his generation.
Most promising guard: Ognjen Carapic (Guard, 6-4, Buducnost Voli, 1998)
Carapic played almost 30 minutes per game in the NIJT even though he was one of the youngest players of all the event. He played mostly away from the ball and got most of his touches on secondary actions. Carapic wasn’t ready to compete body wise, as he was easily out-muscled by stronger guards and struggled to finish around the rim. However, this year’s experience would be valuable for him and after twelve months of further body maturity, Carapic would have the chance to showcase why he’s the best point guard of the ’98 generation. Carapic possesses nice handles and shooting stroke off the bounce, quickness and leadership qualities.
Best offensive big: Ante Zizic (Center, 7-0, Cedevita*, 1997)
A legit 7-footer with a broad and strong body, Zizic -at the pic- impressed in Belgrade as a legit post player with NBA potential. Zizic showed good footwork in the paint and a nice pair of hands, but it’s his body that made him hard to play against. Once Zizic received the ball with a foot or two feet in the paint he was able to out-muscle his opponents, while staying big and wide, and find a good angle to finish around the rim. Zizic’s current potential isn’t limited in the half court set, as he runs the floor hard and gets to preferable spots right under the rim. The young Croat is mobile, strong and smart and his upside is really high considering the fact that he’s just 17 years old.
* On loan
Best defensive big: Ywen Smock (Center, 6-8, INSEP, 1996)
With an average of three blocks per contest, Ywen Smock displayed solid defensive potential in Belgrade. Capable of making hustle plays, covering ground defensively and protecting the basket, Smock was one of the better players of a mediocre talent-wise INSEP team. Smock possesses nice physical tools with a strong body and excellent length, even though he’s undersized as a potential five. He’d try to make up for lack of size with hustle, toughness and defensive upside.
Promising shooter: Vuk Karadzic (Guard, 6-6, Mega Vizura*, 1996)
Karadzic played on loan for Mega Vizura as currently belongs to Vrsac. The lefty 6-foot-6 guard is a pure shooter in terms of confidence, mechanics and shooting stroke. He showed that he can shoot the ball well off the bounce either from the three point range or from mid areas. He connected on 38% of his threes in Belgrade, a solid percentage but definitely not great. Anyways, playing for a team which lacked reliable screeners, Karadzic took many questionable shots throughout the weekend. Nevertheless, Karadzic’s mechanics and feel for the game suggest that he can be a very good shooter down the road.
* On loan
Best energy/motor guy: Stefan Lazarevic (Forward, 6-7, Crvena Zvezda, 1996)
Lazarevic made his name in Belgrade as one of the best European athletes of his generation. Along with Vojislav Stojanovic, he was the most important cog in Red Star’s system. Lazarevic brought incredible energy, being able to be always first to the ball in terms of rebounding outside of his area or picking up 50/50 balls. Lazarevic is incredible in the open floor, has a well-filled out body and strong defensive fundamentals. However, it’s his attitude to out-work and out-hustle everyone on the floor that makes him so special compared to the others.
Best long-term prospect: Milos Glisic (Forward, 6-9, Partizan, 1998)
Every time we watch Milos Glisic it becomes more obvious why he’s considered the best prospect of all the ’98 generation. Glisic was two years younger than most of his opponents but that didn’t stop him of dominating against them. He’s skilled, possesses an unmatched feel for the game, excellent size, length (6-11 wingspan) and mobility for a player his age. Glisic plays the game with a feel far beyond his age, he’s craft and fundamentally sound. Of all the players who participated in Belgrade, Glisic was the one who displayed the best potential. Finished the tournament with an average of 15.5 points, 8 rebounds and 19.3 PIR.
Most ready to play right away: Lovro Mazalin (Forward, 6-8, Cedevita, 1997)
If we could pick a player who could play at the senior level right away, Lovro Mazalin would have been our pick. He’s smart, mature, possesses an expanded skill-set and a good body for a 17 year old. He’s just too good for the junior level. Everything he does translates very well at the pros, as he doesn’t dominate his junior peers with sheer strength or early body development. He can create with the ball in his hands, shoot the ball from mid range, rebound and run the break. Mazalin is also very good at attacking the basket as he displays excellent balance, hands and nice use of his size. If Mazalin manages to improve his shot mechanics and expand his range, he would be very hard to play against. With the rare combination of a solid inside and outside game, Mazalin would have all the tools to attack every defense at the senior level.
Twitter of the author: @Gus_bball
