January 26, 2022: (Mock Draft) -- Although this international class doesn't have an elite passer (Josh Giddey) or a low-post savant (Alperen Sengun), there are still several prospects bound to develop into productive NBA players. None of them intrigue me quite like Serbian forward Nikola Jovic (No. 22 in Givony's latest mock), who has as good a chance as any to be the first international prospect to hear his name called on draft night. Due to COVID-19 cancellations in the Adriatic League, we weren't able to see Jovic play in a game like originally planned for Mega Mozzart in Serbia. But we did see him practice with the team and conducted a 30-minute film session with the 18-year-old after diving deep into his game tape, continuing to build our scouting file on him that began in 2019.
Of all the international prospects in this draft, Jovic has the most seamless NBA fit as a modern forward who can shoot, handle and pass. Every bit of 6-10 with an improved 215-pound frame and a 7-0 wingspan, Jovic's measurements are similar to forwards ranging from Michael Porter Jr. to Kevin Knox to Sam Dekker to Darius Bazley. With the size to function as a four once his body matures, the late-blooming Jovic looks the part of a legitimate NBA floor-spacer with the shooting stroke to back it up, as he's now up to 40% from the international line through 14 games, often earning comparisons to Nemanja Bjelica (drafted No. 35 in 2010) in the process.
But what makes Jovic a bit more intriguing than your typical catch-and-shoot forward is the potential he shows off the dribble, regularly bringing the ball up the floor for Mega Mozzart, displaying sharp pick-and-roll vision going to his right while also knocking down several deep hesitation pull-up 3s with bigs switched onto him. His high center of gravity with the ball and finishing struggles in traffic (46% at the rim) limit him as a primary shot creator. And teams have also found quite a bit of success just defending him with small guards and daring him to punish that mismatch on the low block, which he hasn't done with much success. But because Jovic can make hesitation and step-back 3s, find his teammates on the move when willing and occasionally drop in Dirk-like fallaways from inside the arc, it's not out of the question that, in time, he can eventually evolve into a Danilo Gallinari-style second or third creator who can function as a big wing or a mismatch four.
To earn those reps, Jovic will have to improve drastically on defense, as he's a bit too upright to consistently stay with perimeter players yet not quite physical enough to bang with true bigs on the interior. Evolving his off-ball defense and stabilizing his often-fluctuating motor will really help him win the margins, as he's likely never going to quite have the range or flexibility to be a 1-on-1 stopper. He has shown signs of growth lately, bodying up forwards like Rodions Kurucs on penetration and using his positional length to change shots in the paint. After a slow start to the season, Jovic has turned into a valuable player for Mega, scoring 14 points and dishing out 4 assists in just 22 minutes in a huge upset win over Partizan, showcasing character and fight in the road win with a much younger, undermanned team. Although he was off for a month due to COVID and an ankle injury, Jovic has now reached double figures scoring in each of his last six games. He's made at least two 3s in eight consecutive contests, shooting 18-for-42 from 3 (43%) during that stretch.
Displaying outright horrible body language at times during the U19 World Championships last summer and not always managing his emotions in the best way in other events, the 18-year-old Jovic is starting to show more signs of maturity both in his game and demeanor, which will play a big role in the type of NBA player he can become.
"I want to be consistent through the second half of the season," Jovic said of his goals for the season, and five years down the line. "The thing I'm trying to accomplish is go to the NBA ... stretch-4 with a lot of dribbling. I don't know, we'll see, I hope All-Star." -- Mike Schmitz
Follow Us On Insta📷 : [ Ссылка ]
Business Inquiries☎️ : swishsports6@gmail.com
