BACKGROUND: Both his parents, father Boris and mother Lidija (maiden name Abrlić) played basketball. Started playing basketball when he was 8 years old in Dubrava where his father was his coach. Last season he played most of the seasons in Croatian 2nd League for Bosco and made his debut for Cibona’s first team in March against Zabok. He was also a member of Croatian U17 and U18 national teams.
PERSONALITY: Described more as an introverted personality that can open up around his friends. Was more on the lazy side during his early teenage years but has changed now and is working harder and more focused on improving and becoming a pro.
PHYSICAL/ATHLETIC TOOLS: Good positional size for a guard. Solid frame and capable of holding more muscle in the future even though his body has already improved in comparison to last season. His limbs are long and uses his length well on both sides of the court. Explosive in all directions and really hard to stop in transition when in full sprint. Moves fluidly and can shift gears smoothly. When he further develops his body and adds more muscle, he will be able to absorb more contact and be more efficient since he is not used to that level of physicality yet.
OFFENSE:
Shooting: Not the most confident as a shooter. Doesn’t take many shots and usually needs to be completely open to pull the trigger. His release could be smoother and some shots are completely off target. Also doesn’t finish the release completely with his wrists but the ball rotation looks fine. Even though the sample size is small, there are some signs of improvement in comparison to last year and he could become a decent shooter over years if he puts in the work and starts taking more shots.
Slashing: With his explosive first step and shiftiness he can blow by defenders easily. What I miss from him is more aggressiveness. He is too passive, looking too much for passes and not attacking the rim much. With his athleticism he should put more pressure on the rim and it would make a huge difference in his game. Has the ability to finish with highlight dunks on drives and also showing some solid touch around the rim. Due to his weaker upper body he struggles with absorbing contact and finishing in traffic but should get better at it when he gets used to the physical level of professional basketball.
Transition: Great in transition and on open court. With his fluidity and speed he is really hard to stop when he goes down the lane. Controls the ball well under high speed and doesn’t make many ball handling mistakes in transition. Usually makes good decisions when to go all the way to the rim, pass to an open teammate or stop and play a positional offense.
Playmaking/passing: With his size he can see above defenders and scan the floor really well. His passes are precise and accurate but sometimes wants to be too flashy which results in a turnover. Very good drive & kick game where he can attract and manipulate defense and deliver the ball to all levels. With his long arms he can go around defenders and deliver a strong whip pass. Passing touch, court vision and creativity are definitely there and with more experience added over next years he can become a really good passer on the highest level.
Ball handling: Has good control over the ball even at high speed. His dribbles are aggressive and has the ball on strings. Moves fluidly with the ball and can change the dribbling hand quickly. Has some advanced ball handling moves in his repertoire.
Pick & rolls: Has all the tools to become an elite pick & roll player. If you give him too much space, he can get to the rim effortlessly. With his great court vision he can also spot players in corners or deliver a soft and nice pass to the roll man. Could be more aggressive in attacking the rim and more confident in his shot when the defense is going under the screen.
DEFENSE:
Perimeter defense: An area where he should improve. He has the size and athleticism to be a great perimeter defender. His hips are also good and capable of reacting quickly to changes of direction. With his quick feet and good footwork he can also move very well laterally. The main problem so far, in my opinion, is his lack of focus and engagement. He can lose sight of his man, let him get by too easily and not giving much effort to recover. Also needs to become wiser when to be more aggressive and when the team is already in bonus. But when he is fully engaged and focused, he is showing that he can make a big impact on the defensive end.
Off ball defense: Similar story – can lose focus and be ball watching and losing his man. With his quick hands and good anticipation for steals he can make some interceptions and deflections that lead to easy points in fastbreak. His rotations could be better, sometimes too far away and out of rotation but still coming to help in the last seconds, thanks to his athleticism.
Pick & roll defense: Could anticipate the screens better. Should initiate the contact but he is somehow shy of it and isn’t navigating his man towards the screen and giving him too much space and time. With his footwork and athleticism he has the tools to become a good pick & roll defender when his body develops and adds more muscle/weight. Lacks aggressiveness in pick & roll defense too.
Defensive versatility: Limited to defending only guards. Maybe if he adds more weight he could defend some lighter perimeter oriented wings but on most occasions he will be defending players on perimeter.
SUMMARY:
A pass-first playmaker with high long term potential. Has a rare combination of size, fluidity and basketball skills that is looked for in a modern tall playmaker. Should be more confident in his skills and more aggressive and tough on both sides of the court. Even though he loves to involve his teammates and make assists, he should occasionally be more selfish and try to score some points. There are rooms for improvements in all aspects, mainly defense, and he will need a few more years to adapt to the physicality of professional basketball but at the end of the day, he could be the playmaker Croatian basketball is looking for in recent years.
