David Mirkovic

17.5 points, 20/38 2FG – 5/14 3FG – 15/18 FT – 9.8 rebounds, 1 block

2006-born David Mirkovic led the Next Generation Team in Belgrade, averaging 17.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in 4 games and was named in the All-Tournament Team. Next Generation Team was short on bigs and Mirkovic played as center most of the time, competed against players that are bigger than him. Mirkovic showed once again that he is a solid rebounder, posting 3 double-doubles in the event. He’s a guy that can be used to space the floor, likes playing pick and pop and has a promising potential behind the 3-point line. He can also create his own shots and give the extra passes to his open teammates. Mirkovic has a soft touch around the rim, can play as a post scorer, finish with both of his hands and has nice footwork. His court vision and passing ability impressed me last summer but in this tournament, we just saw little flashes of them. He has what it takes to become an all-around offensive weapon in the future.

Playing as a power forward seems what is most ideal for Mirkovic, might be too slow to play small forward and not big enough to play center in the pro level, can work as a small ball five when needed. His athleticism and pace are the things that he should work on in order to become a more versatile player. Has trouble defending pick and rolls and standing against guards without fouling them. Showed some good help defense at times in the tournament, can grow into a better defender in the future. Seems more like a future EuroLeague player to me now but has a shot at making it to the NBA as long as he works on his speed and athleticism.

Before this summer, you were not one of the most popular names of your generation. Now, you are on the radar of a lot of people globally. What differences have you felt about the attention you’re getting and how do you feel in general?

Before this summer, I never had a chance to show myself and what I can do to the world. We didn’t participate in any popular tournaments since we are a small country. I worked hard without caring about my popularity. I always knew that I was the best in my country. Just kept pushing. My mother was a professional basketball player and she told me to push myself and work on my game, after that people will notice me. Everything needs time. Before Skopje, I knew I was going to be good because I worked a lot last year. I was practicing 3 times a day, 2 basketball practices and 1 workout in the gym to improve my speed and athleticism. I didn’t know I would be at the level that I was in Skopje but I knew I would be good. I still haven’t achieved anything, I am still a kid. I haven’t proved myself in the professional level but I still have time for that. I feel good about how things are working out so far.

You mentioned that your mother was a professional basketball player. How was your early childhood like? Where did you grow up, how was your first interaction with sports?

I was born in Nikšić, it is the hometown of Bojan Dubljević. I grew up there. I had one basketball rim at my apartment. At first, I didn’t like basketball at all. I was into boxing first, then football, tennis and finally basketball caught my attention. While I was playing football, I was playing with kids that are 3 years older than me but I was still taller than all of them. My mother and father were trying to convince me to play basketball almost every day. They were telling me that I was born to become a basketball player.

How did your basketball journey begin?

First, my brother-in-law played basketball before and he was a coach. I started playing with doing individual practices with him. He was putting his best effort for me to be better. We found a club in Nikšić and the team’s coach was impressed with me. I don’t know why. It was 7-8 years ago, my brother-in-law was always telling me that I was the next Nikola Jokić. Jokić was not even in the NBA at that time, he was playing for Mega Basket. It was funny for me because I didn’t take basketball very seriously, it was just a fun game but he saw something in me. The club’s name was Anagastum, I played there for 4 years. Then, I got called for a tryout to play for Buducnost. I went there and this is it, my journey began. My father gave me a speech like “Son, you are going to live in a different city and play for a big team. You need to change, you are not a kid anymore. You need to work.” and I did it. I am living without my parents, with my roommate. Buducnost gave me everything to make me feel comfortable. Going there was the best and only option for me. I also love playing for my coach there.

Montenegro is a small country, with a population of less than 1 million people. However, the talent coming out of the country is really special. How do you think you guys manage to do that?

I believe we have special talent and mentality as ex-Yugoslavian countries. We all grow up on the streets. We might not be in the best shape, we don’t jump so high, we are not the fastest but we got that special kind of talent and special minds to play basketball. I think it’s the same for most of us.

Montenegro ended the U16 European Championship in ninth place so, you managed to stay in the Division A. Most people could think otherwise before the tournament. How was the European Championship experience for you?

Normally we were going to play in Division B. We got the chance since Russia couldn’t play. I had doubts about playing the Championship in Division B since I thought it would be better for me to work on my game during the summer to improve. When we got the news that we are in Division A, we started practicing right away. It was a really good experience for all of us. We just played 4 games against Finland and Bosnia before the tournament. We didn’t have the chance to prepare a lot for the championship but we played really good games, especially against Spain and Italy in Skopje. I think we could’ve achieved more, we could go for a medal but we were not lucky enough. Overall, it was a memorable experience for me.

You played against the top prospects of Europe in Skopje and you were on of the top performers in the tournament, averaging 22.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2.1 steals and 1 block. What lessons did you learn by playing against them?

 I thought that they are like aliens before the tournament but you know what, other countries are not better than us. They don’t have wings, they have 2 arms and 2 legs just like us. Of course they are good, especially Neoklis Avdalas is really good, he is the best and toughest player to guard for me. It’s okay though, we are all humans. Playing against the best players in my generation was nice and made me realize it’s not a big deal. I believe that I can be on the same level.

You are considered as a power forward / center but you are only 16 years old and have already played almost every position. In which role do you see yourself playing in the future and you feel most comfortable?

Last year, I was playing point guard in the second division Montenegro league. But I can’t play guard in the EuroLeague, EuroCup, NBA etc. I also think if I work on my footwork and athleticism, I can play small forward at the pro level. I feel the most comfortable attacking as a small forward and guarding the other forwards. I believe it is the best for me but if my team needs me to play power forward and center, I can do it as well.

New prospects have joined SC Derby this summer like Demir Doğan and Kerem Kuthan Konan. You’re having a good season so far in ABA U19 League. How is the team chemistry and what are your goals for the remainder of the season?

Kerem and Demir have been with us for only 2 months but they are really nice guys and we became like brothers in such a short time. We have really good relationships with each other as a team. We lost our first game but it is okay, this is sports. It happens to everyone but next year, we will play against 2005 born players and also participate in ANGT and we will show the things we can do to everyone.

You have games or practice most of your days. Do you have time to watch basketball? How important is watching basketball for a young player like you?

I don’t think you can play basketball without watching a lot of games, it is one of the most important things you can do to study the game. I practice a lot but still have time to relax and watch the games. I also love watching basketball documentaries like the Last Dance, Last Chance series. I watch EuroLeague games of Partizan and Crvena Zvezda since they are our neighbors. The atmosphere in their games are crazy. I am a fan of Red Star and went to see a lot of the games. It’s so crowded and everyone is so passionate, your legs are shaking. You feel like fans are all going to fall down from the stands. I try to watch NBA games too. Watching basketball games really helps me to be better and find out about new moves. Each game that I watch gives me new ideas about the things I should or should not do. In the morning, I can’t dribble the ball without watching Kevin Durant, it’s also a habit for me to watch tapes before practice.

You can shoot behind the 3-point line, from midrange, around the paint and create for your own. You can also pass the ball and create for others. There are some Nikola Jokic comparisons as your first coach also did? Do you agree with them? How would you define your own game?

You almost said everything. I do believe that my game is similar to Jokic but you know, he is 2-times MVP so, the level he is on right now is almost impossible to reach. I might be a faster and smaller version of him in the future. I watch him a lot and try to learn from every step he takes and every decision he makes on the court. I might be a Jokic type small forward.

Who are your favorite basketball players?

Man, it’s of course Kobe Bryant because of his mentality. Every young basketball player has to love Kobe, he should be their favorite. I also like Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. In EuroLeague, I really like watching Nikola Mirotic. He is injured now so we can’t watch him play but even off the court, he has a very good personality. He spends a lot of money for charity, always cares for others. I believe he is the best player in EuroLeague.

Jokic, Doncic and Antetokounmpo all played in EuroBasket this summer but none of them have managed to reach the final. What do you think about the tournament?

I watched every game of the tournament, it was an unforgettable EuroBasket, might be the best ever. It was a real pleasure watching. I think it was shocking that Serbia could not win it all, they were the best team. I don’t know what happened. They were playing Round 16 but in their heads, they were already in the final and wearing the gold medal. In sports, you can’t win those 4 games if you don’t focus on each one of them. It was the first time that Spain was not one of the favorites but they won the gold medal. You can never count Spain out. I felt that in my skin in Skopje, we had a huge lead against them and lost. They are a real basketball country. Their roster might not seem as the best one but anything can be expected of them.

What are your future goals? Where do you see yourself in the short and long term?

If I work hard and keep the mentality that I have, I can go play in the NBA, why not? NBA is the biggest goal. In 3 years, maybe I will not be able to play basketball, nobody knows. But I think I can achieve my goals. I just have one dream. I want to go to the NBA and before retiring, I want to come back to Europe and play for Crvena Zvezda. This would be a dream come true.

Do you have any interests beside basketball?

I practice 6-7 hours a day so I don’t have hobbies like I used to nowadays. I just want to relax and sleep. I also love playing NBA 2K and video games. Other than that, I only focus on my basketball career.

David Mirković (PF | 205 cm | ’06) ~ Montenegro

22.1 pts, 10.3 reb, 3.0 ast, 2.1 stl, 1.0 blck, 1.9 to, FG 46.7%, 3P 36.1%, FT 71.8%

Watching David Mirkovic play in the tournament made me feel like I’ve accidentally clicked on a NBA2K MyPlayer video. His basketball knowledge and IQ is unbelievable considering he is only 16 years old. Mirkovic can dribble and shoot the ball, make plays for himself and his teammates, also it’s hard to stop him when he gets the ball in the post. It’s not a good idea to double him since he is pretty good at finding the open man. His defensive instincts make him a decent help defender and he seems like he’s consistently in the right place at the right time thanks to his timing on deflections. Mirkovic is not very athletic or fast and he can face some problems against good rim protectors and athletic wings but it all comes to his intelligence in the end. His rebounding skills were also impressive in the tournament, especially against North Macedonia (19 rebounds) and Italy (15 rebounds) and we saw him run the floor in transition after grabbing rebounds a lot. We still need more tournaments and clips to talk about his potential but his game seems to fit in the “European player who is likely to be the steal of an NBA Draft” type. Still, It’s too soon.

(Written by Doruk Karaca)