Aleksej Pokusevski

Aleksej Pokusevski, Oklahoma City Thunder – 17^th overall

45 G, 8.2 PTS, 4.7 REB, 2.2 AST, 0.4 STL, 0.9 BLK, 2.2 TOV | 34.1 FG%, 28.0 3P%, 73.8 FT%, 41.2 eFG%

Possibly the most fascinating player in the league, Pokusevski caught many people’s attention with his skillset and body frame. He shot the ball poorly and seemed to lack confidence at the start of the season, while mainly contributing as a rebounder and defender. His season turned around after coming back from the G-League bubble. Pokusevski played with more confidence and his shooting improved, especially from beyond the arc. He even ended the season with a 29-point performance in which he made six three-pointers. The G-League bubble gave him the opportunity he needed to gain confidence and work on his game, which is understandable since he is the youngest player in the NBA and never played at the senior level in Europe. Pokusevski is a lot of fun to watch and does a little bit of everything. He is far from a finished product and will have to get physically stronger in the offseason, but he has an intriguing offensive and defensive skillset for someone his age. With added strength and continued overall development, the sky seems to be the limit for Pokusevski.

Phenomenal and pure basketball talent. Super tall, long and can do it all. 7 footer who can bring the ball up, lose defender with behind the back dribble, pulls up off the dribble like a guard or come off screens, run PnR as a point forward, makes advanced stationary passes, rebound like a PF and finally block shots like legit rim protector. Possess elite instincts, very good understanding of the game and can put on a clinic against peers. A bit mixed results statistically. Tremendous defensive impact (how good is his projection on that end on next level though? Deflects the ball, challenges around the basket but in space it really gets worse + average motor) but on the other hand some shooting inefficiency too (should be fine in time with his natural touch). Biggest problem may be his frame which is just very narrow and doesn’t have much room to fill out. While he may always struggle to play through contact, his ability to operate over defenders or long strides in open court (grab and go artistry given handle for size and vision on the move) is something that he will rely on. Coordinated but has some concerning athletic limitations. How good can he be now vs energetic and physical freaks who often display versatility close to his own? His size doesn’t give him much advantage given interior offensive finishing limitations. It can obviously get easier for him if he becomes very, very good shooter.

Aleksej Pokusevski / 6’11, 2001 / Olympiacos 

Easily, the biggest potential in the tournement was Serbian physical wonder Aleksej Pokusevski. Olympiacos player has an interesting body, a bit narrow frame but winspan and the size of his hands are mesmerizing. Even though he lacks strength big time, he showcased his skillset in Belgrade. Very decent athleticism, good leaper and runs the floor very well. 6'11 player has instincts like a guard, can dribble the ball good for his size, shoot off the dribble. Has soft hands finishing around the rim and smooth touch from outside (52.6% 3pts). Shot release is quick and fluid, looked very comfortable especially shooting off the catch. Struggles inside due to his frail body but it will come together in the future. Can pass out of dribble nicely but still has to learn to play off the ball better. What was a bit troubling was his low effort in the tournament. On defense he was not focused on help defense most of the time, except the time he rose for weakside blocks.

ALEKSEJ POKUSEVSKI (6’10, Forward, Olympiacos) – You cannot only stay indefferent but it’s hard not to love the combination of size and skills that belongs to Pokusevski. At 6’10 he possess real playmaking qualities and reliable, good looking spot up & pull up stroke. Handles are really nice and he shares the ball with vision and proper timing. However his tendency to become one dimensional outside oriented player doesn’t really help him. He is very narrow in shoulders and definitely not built to fight. At this point is unable to use his height more as the advantage. Not an energizer type.

Aleksej Pokusevski (2001, #25) – Novi Sad native joined Greek team nearly two years ago. He possess incredible combination of height and skillset. Has amazing handles and pull up repertoire for 6’10 guy. On the other hand Aleksej is not so explosive and very skinny. That would be just too much if he was good athlete but still he is candidate to bring a lot of attention during 2017/2018 AdidasNGT season.