BACKGROUND: Comes from a basketball family. Both his grandfathers, his father and mother and also his sister and brother played basketball (his brother, Sergej, is still playing in Baskonia’s youth program). Started playing basketball when he was 7 years old, played in Ljubljana for Slovan and Olimpija and when he was 14 years old he went to Baskonia. When he was younger he was also practicing judo.
PERSONALITY: Well behaved and not problematic. Described more as an introvert. Has the mindset to take the ball in his hands when the game is on the line. Professional, focused on the goal of becoming a pro.
PHYSICAL/ATHLETIC TOOLS: Good frame with long limbs. Not fully physically developed and could carry a few more pounds of muscles on his frame in my opinion. Mobile for his size, has good footwork with pretty quick feet. His balance and body control on drives are on pretty high level too, showed some eurosteps with decent speed. Runs the floor well and capable of outrunning other bigs. Even though he has a decent vertical leap, his leap is not explosive enough, should transfer more energy from his legs/hips. His hips also look pretty tight which is mostly noticeable on the defensive end.
OFFENSE:
Shooting: Should give more attention on improving his outside shooting. Under 25% three point shooter over his career and clearly has room for improvements in this area. Most of his shots behind the three point line are spot up shots, out of pick & pops or spacing the floor, not taking many off the dribble shots. Left hander with a pretty high shot release, looks like he doesn’t complete the release with his wrist completely and the ball rotation is wrong. Should bring more energy from his legs and hips to the shooting motion, occasionally the shot looks out of sync. Room for improvement also in the quickness of release, needs a little too much time to make a dip and go to the shooting motion.
Pick & rolls: Even though pick & roll game is an important skill set for a big man nowadays, Jurij is not really a good pick & roll player. Played more as a screen setter and roller in Slovenian U20 national team and last year in Mega Bemax than this season in Primorska but still wasn’t really efficient in those situations. His screens are too narrow and soft and has a bigger upside as a pick & pop target than a roller, especially if he improves his outside shooting.
Interior offense: Jurij has a high basketball IQ and follows plays in offense instinctively. Knows how to get open, when to cut to the rim to get easy shots. As a finisher around the rim, he is way better with his stronger left hand. Has a pretty soft touch and can absorb some lighter contact but still lacks a little more strength in the upper body to be even more efficient. His post up game is too predictable, usually looking for his left hand finishes and needs to improve his right hand game for a higher level. When double teamed on post ups, he can have some troubles with not being patient enough resulting in a turnover.
Playmaking/passing: Shows some promising court vision and passing game for a player his size. Scans the floor well from low post, can spot shooters in opposite corners and deliver precise passes, right in the pocket. Again, most passes are with his dominant left hand and can become too predictable. Also having a great eye for cutters when he is operating from the top or high post. Makes strong and precise passes and shows good passing touch. Underrated as a playmaker/passer and could excel in a good system with a correct role.
Ball handling: Can bring the ball over but not really reliable ball handler under pressure. His handles are solid for his size but dribbles are too high and can lose balls against aggressive and quicker defenders. Capable of putting the ball on the floor and attacking the rim with drives. Most drives are to his left, mostly going head through the wall and not showing much feel or reading and adapting to defense.
DEFENSE:
Rebounding: Active as a rebounder, willing to jump to the ball and not waiting for the ball to come to him. His rebounding instincts are good, positions himself well and is catching the ball at its highest point most of the time. Lacks explosiveness off two feet but can still pick up some rebounds with his high reach even in traffic. Shows some good second jump ability in comparison with his explosiveness.
Rim protection/interior defense: Contests shots with his length around the rim. Struggling a little against stronger bigs who can push/seal him on post ups but should improve when he develops more strength in the upper body. Has great instincts and timing for blocks when he is coming from the helpside. Rotation coming right on time and able to contest or block shots.
Perimeter defense: Has some limitations here due to his tight hips. Struggles against quicker players with change of direction, his reactions could be better. His gravity point is usually too high, standing too tall and again showing some hip mobility and flexibility issues. Could also hedge more aggressively since he is giving too much space to the operator in pick & roll situations. Not the best pick & roll defender in defending the roller neither. Definitely a lot room for improvements in this aspect of his game.
Off ball defense: Can lose focus and be ball watching, let some easy cuts to his man or leave him too open. Another big issue in his off ball defense is that he is over-helping too much and leaving other shooting bigs too open at the three point line. He is usually too slow in close outs and better shooters can punish that. But since he is playing in a poor team, it could be a tactic from the coach to protect the rim and let open shots from distance so further evaluation in this defensive aspect is necessary for better conclusion.
SUMMARY:
One of the most talented Slovenian bigs at the moment. Definitely not a done product yet with room for improvements in all areas. The most obvious and necessary ones in my opinion are his shooting from distance and pick & roll game on both sides of the floor. Even though his primary offensive role should be as a stretch big, pick & roll game is too important for a modern big man. In Primorska he will get enough opportunity and space to make mistakes and improve in most aspects. Physical and mental tools are there, showed some promising games this season already and I’m sure we will see even better performances from him during the season.
