Nikola Jovic: why hidden Serbian gem could become a steal in 2022 NBA Draft?

2022-06-23 12:20

6'11 Nikola Jovic is one of the most talented international players in this year's NBA draft. He is from Serbia, likes to play the point-forward position, and has guard skills offensively.

It does sound intriguing, and we know the comparison to another Nikola might pop in your head immediately, but this Serbian talent is different. Post-ups aren't the first option in his playbook, and we can't compare Jokic's court vision with almost anyone in the world.

But projected to go between 15th and 25th pick in the draft, Nikola Jovic can become one of the steals in the draft. Let's analyze the upside he has and what kind of a role he could fit in.

Jovic enjoys pushing the pace after getting defensive rebounds, occasionally going coast to coast. Transition is his most used play type offensively, and he is super solid in it.

Excellent speed combined with extraordinary ball-handling abilities allows him to maneuver between the defenders effortlessly, and sometimes, he doesn't bother shooting threes in transition as well.

According to InStat, he scored 1.1 points per transition this year, which is quite good.

However, in transition, you could start to see the first improvement areas for Nikola. He is an average finisher around the rim for someone his size, and that's because he sometimes prefers to avoid contact near the rim.

That's also a theme on his drives in pick-and-roll situations. He rarely stops on two feet inside the paint, sometimes resulting in tougher shots.

It would be ideal for his effectiveness if he could add more two feet jump stops in the paint, as it would give Jovic more options whenever he doesn't have a clear advantage over the defender.

What made NBA scouts fully fall in love with the Serbian is the skill he showed in Iso situations. Standing at 6'11, Jovic doesn't have too many problems creating space for his own shot, already showing off a diverse bag of dribble combos combined with elite footwork.

Yes, Jovic lacks elite athleticism and a first step for the NBA level, but it's not a big problem as he can just rise over pretty much any defender. We saw glimpses of NBA range and NBA-level confidence during this season.

He sometimes takes too much time to get into the action after switches and lacks consistency in finishing after great moves. But the scouts and GMs see the separation he can offer at the elite size. Consistency should come with hard work.

Just as he struggled with the contact in the paint, the Serbian talent could tighten up his dribble when guarded aggressively. He lost quite a few basketballs this season when being pressured high up the court, and it showed in the wing's turnover rate, where he averaged 2.6 turnovers in 26 minutes of playing time.

Obviously, for someone who is 19 years old and was the first creator/scorer on the team, this ratio is not that bad, but Jovic should also improve protecting the ball better, especially when posting up.

Jovic was the most effective on catch and shoot opportunities, scoring 1.34 points per possession on those. The mechanics are nice, and although the release is not the fastest one, that's where his size comes in handy.

Sometimes, he can wait and explore opportunities to pass inside before rising up without dribbling over the defender. The NBA range is also there as he tried to make it evidently clear throughout the season, waiting for kick-outs way behind the European line and stretching the floor insanely well.

It's still hard to say which position he will be used in the NBA, but the teams for sure will have to respect Jovic's ability to shoot.

He isn't the fastest player, but he sure can dribble past you if you close out too hard. He loves to attack on the left, and he doesn't have a problem finishing, especially if he has the defender on his side and not in front, as opposed to when he is driving on pick and rolls or isolations.

Oh, and that's not all. He can read the game and create for others as well. And he can do it in various situations. In transition, he will be a huge weapon since he can dribble, give great outlet passes or recognize teammates running in front and put them in ideal situations to score.

On pick and rolls, Jovic's height helps to read the help defenses, resulting in wide-open three-pointers for others.

He was able to find open guys even with 2 or 3 people around, and that's an encouraging sign coming to the NBA, where you must be able to make split-second decisions or else the advantage is gone.

Credit Partizan NIS/Dragana Stjepanov

The biggest question mark and a worry about Nikola's game lie on the defensive side. Which position can he guard in the NBA? Or maybe, where his liabilities would be exposed the least?

At this moment, he is not quick enough laterally to stay in front of guards in Europe, and it's probably not going to get better overseas.

In help and recover situations, he rarely affects the closeout drives, making the shooter put the ball on the floor but almost never closing the first step. Sometimes it comes from wrong positioning, where Jovic defends the guy in front like he's a right-hander, while it's the opposite.

One thing is for sure - contesting shooters on spot-ups should be his strength. But that's not enough - because if he's put up against bigger forwards, not sure about the probabilities of him dealing with it alone.

With all that being said, Jovic possesses the skill and talent to become a second or third option offensively in the near future. In our eyes, he would complement perfectly with a scoring guard, giving additional options to create off the dribble against bigger guys.

He can initiate the offense in the fast break, stretch the floor, attack on the catch, and he is a smart pick and roll player that has the intelligence to involve others in favorable spots.

He will have to figure it out on the defensive side, but in the middle of the first round, he could become one of the steals of the 2022 NBA draft.

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