Date: 11th November – 13th November 2022
Location: Zlatibor, Serbia
The second part of the U19 ABA League Championship recap and this time the focus is on the two groups that played in Zlatibor, Serbia.
In Group A Mega Mis showed their dominance with two easy wins against Borac and Mornar. Mega is in general the main favorite to win this competition so this came with no surprise even though their main player (Nikola Djurišić) was not even playing at this tournament. In Group B Crvena zvezda won both of their matches but SC Derby fought well against them in the first match but that was not enough. The clear outside in this group was MZT Skopje that lost both matches with 30+ points difference.
Here are the players that stood out in Zlatibor:
Lazar Gačić (PF | 210 cm | ’05) ~ Crvena zvezda
Great showing for Lazar Gačić in this tournament. The talent was never in question but in previous games that I watched him, he has rarely shown it and was usually playing bad or in a minor role. But at this tournament, he was clearly the best man in his team and scored 27 and 22 points respectively and showed a much better version of himself. He played mostly on the perimeter and was attacking with straight drives from top. He was aggressive in them, used his long strides smartly to get the separation and showed soft finishing touch at the rim. Shots from deep were not falling in but he was very efficient from the free throw line in the two matches – 23/24 (95.8 %). Run the floor like a gazzele and was efficient in transition plays. Needs to improve in defense and step up his game on that end of the floor.
Lazar Gagić (SG | 195 cm | ’05) ~ Crvena zvezda
NBA has Nikola Jokić and Nikola Jović while Crvena zvezda has Lazar Gačić and Lazar Gagić to confuse foreign language speakers. Gagić played in the swingman role and showed great energy on both ends. He was very active in defense and made life hard for offensive players while in offense a lot of his points came in transition. He was aggressive at running the floor and used his athleticism well on open court. Solid spot up shooter. Not really a creator in offense and made a few bad decisions and passes in half court offense. His energy and defensive versatility make him a player to watch in this team but more for regional than top or NBA level.
Andrija Jelavić (PF | 210 cm | ’04) ~ Mega Mis
Dominated in the first match vs Borac but there was no need to use him much in the second one since the game was decided early. Andrija is an inside & outside forward that understands the game and situations well and uses his versatility for his advantage. If a smaller player guarded him he went to work down low but if he saw that he has an advantage in speed, he moved outside and played face up or took a shot. He was also able to show his advanced instincts for blocks and rebounds and that he can an impact on that side of the floor even though he is an average athlete. Technically very skilled player with high basketball IQ and there is always room for players like that in scout’s notebooks.
Bogoljub Marković (F | 210 cm | ’05) ~ Mega Mis
Bogoljub was one of the biggest prospects in Zlatibor. He moves so fluidly for a player his size and loves to run the floor. He is usually the first one in transition and scores a lot of points that way. Moves very good without the ball and has great feel for baseline cuts. He made a lot of easy finishes just because of those reads and perfect timing for cuts. He was a constant mismatch and teams had a hard time of guarding him. Body control and balance in his finishes was good even though his body is not fully developed and there is room to add more muscle. He is not that strong in upper body but he was not shying away from contact and went to the free throw line often. Showed good rebounding instincts. Room to improve in shooting from deep and defense but definitely a player worth monitoring for teams at the highest level.
Abdramane Siby (C | 211 cm | ’06) ~ Mega Mis
Limited but efficient minutes for Abdramane at this tournament. This is his first season in Mega and it looks like he adapted well to the new environment. He brought the athleticism and mobility to the big man spots. He was often used as an above the rim lob target and it was not hard for him to dunk the ball. Abdramane used his length well in defense too with covering space but the insticts for blocks could be better since timing was sometimes way off. But he elevates of the ground really quick and sometimes managed to block the shot that way. Great at running the floor and changes ends quickly. Otherwise still raw skill set and a lot of stuff needs to be molded but the athletic tools are there and he has the upside to make it as a pro in the future.
David Mirković (PF | 206 cm | ’06) ~ SC Derby
David struggled in the first game vs Crvena zvezda but bounced back in the second match vs MZT where he showed a dominant performance with 25 points and 12 rebounds. A skilled big that can play on both big positions. He is versatile and has the tools to play face up or post up and attack with back to the basket. Showed his advanced understanding of the game and made a lot of high IQ plays on both ends. Average athlete and struggled a few times with defending on perimeter but he defended good in the paint and closer to the rim. Can imagine his as a pick & pop or playmaking big in the future on pro level.
Demir Dogan (PF | 208 cm | ’06) ~ SC Derby
Demir did not stand out with his stats at this tournament and he had a smaller role in offense but there were some improvements in his performances in comparison to the tournaments before so he deserves and update. His body language was better and he was way more active and focused in defense than before. He made a lot of good defensive plays which is positive for his future. In offense he played mostly on perimeter and attacked with drives where he showed decent handles and mobility. There were some sloppy mistakes like bad passes or he stepped out of bounds on drives and he needs to become more careful and limit those mistakes. It looks like the decision of moving to Podgorica worked for him and that his development goes in the right direction.
Honorable mentions:
Pavle Nikolić (F | 200 cm | ’05) ~ Borac Mozzart
Ognjen Srzentić (SG | 198 cm | ’07) ~ Mega Mis
Petar Kosović (G | 193 cm | ’05) ~ Mornar Barsko Zlato
Marko Radunović (SG | 200 cm | ’06) ~ Mornar Barsko Zlato
Vasilije Todorović (SG | 196 cm | ’05) ~ SC Derby
Luka Đurović (SG | 200 cm | ’06) ~SC Derby
