Czech Ondrej Hanzlik from the 2002 vintage is one of the 48 international registered players of the NBA Draft 2023 early entry list. The wing (SG/SF) was already part of headcoach Ronen Ginzburg’s Czech team in the last national team window. However, while he was a key player in Spain’s second division last season, he is going through a mixed season in which he is getting little legitimate playing time from Coach Aito, at least in recent weeks. And that has to mean something, as Coach Aito is well known for giving young up-and-coming players opportunities to develop.

Good physical prerequisites and general background

First of all, Hanzlik has good prerequisites to become a prototypical three-and-d wing at the European level with a tall build of 6’6” / 200cm, coupled with a slender but not lanky body shape and solid athleticism. On top of that, he has two former professional basketball players in his own line, his father and brother, who put being a pro in his cradle. Hanzlik grew up playing for Baskonia before deciding to make the move to Girona last summer to develop under Coach Aito and with teammate legend Marc Gasol.

What can he do?

Obviously, his biggest strength is the catch and shoot and making the field wide all the time. With the help of his quick release, he always gets his shot off, albeit with occasional unsteady leg balance. His ball handling is also solidly developed and allows him to push the ball in fastbreaks or to break up pick-and-roll situations at times. When it comes to rebounding, he shows equally mature anticipation skills and is definitely proactive in this category for a wing player.

What can’t he do?

Definitely he doesn’t show a mature feel for the game yet, makes classic mistakes of young players (turnovers due to poor / predictable passing, gets beat on defense, etc.). Defensively, he doesn’t always manage to stop his opponent from driving because his ease in his feet often seems too static. Also, he is not the most committed defender generally speaking. Noticeably often Hanzlik’s body language and frequent lamenting towards the referees does not speak for him and should be changed urgently. Especially for a player of his age in such a strong league as ACB, the energy level and behavior on the field must be constantly at the highest impeccable level, because few can compensate for this with individual skills and add value to the team.

Outlook

Much like Sananda Fru, Ondrej Hanzlik probably won’t hear his name called in this year’s draft, as he offers NBA franchises too little for that with his on-court demeanor coupled with his apparent but not elite shooting skills. For the upcoming season, the Czech is advised to switch to a smaller team in a somewhat weaker league in order to get playing practice and responsibility on the one hand and to continuously work on the obvious weak points on the other hand. As soon as his defensive level has above-average energy, Hanzlik won’t be able to avoid being put on the field by the coach in crucial minutes to provide space for his team’s shot creators.