https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/37757403/2023-nba-mock-draft-post-combine-pro-day-impacts-draft-classThey have us taking
Tristan Vukcevic | Partizan | PF/C | Age: 20.2
Team: Partizan Belgrade (Serbia) | Position: PF/C | Class: International
Height 6-11 | Weight: 220
Potential NBA roles: shooter, stretch big, finisher
Draft Projection: Mid to late second round
Strengths:
Good mobility and agility for size
Offensive versatility – he can play both in the high or low post
Shooting ability – potential as a floor spacer
Good hands – feel for the game
Concerns:
Average rebounder for size/position
Lacks physicality – plays smaller on defense
He is not much of a rim protector
Doesn't finish well with contact
Questions:
Can his body develop well enough to compete at the NBA level?
How tough is he?
Bottom Line:
Tristan Vukcevic struggled to get on the court in Euroleague. Still, he got regular minutes (he started several games, too) in Adriatic League and played quite well when given the opportunity.
Vukcevic is not ready to compete at the NBA level yet, but he has some legit potential thanks to his size and skill set. Above all, he needs to work on his body, as he has a long but weak body with limited core strength and lacks muscle tone. However, he possesses a decent wingspan. He is mobile enough for his size, can get up and down the court well, and can score 1-on-1, but he needs to add some power to his game and perhaps a bit more pop in his legs.
A modern big man with a polished skill set, Vukcevic should translate well to the NBA level as he can play in both the high and low post, and more importantly, he can face-up and shoot it well from out to three-point line helping space the floor. He has a smooth and effortless stroke from long range and a quick release on his shot. He can also put the ball on the deck and drive to the basket quite well, but he needs to finish better with contact. He is a good finisher off cuts to the basket, and he can pick and pop too. He runs the court well and can finish plays in transition.
He showed some nice low post-scoring moves at the youth level, but he has played mostly away from the basket at the pro level. He has an excellent turnaround fadeaway shot but often lacks the strength to finish when you put a body to him. In addition, he doesn't seem to get to the free-throw line much for a big man.
A good passer from both the high and low post, Vukcevic reverses the ball well and is a good passer big-to-big. In addition, he has good hands in general and an excellent feel for the game.
As polished as he is on offense, he still struggles on the defensive end, not just because of his thin build. To begin with, he does not look like a physical player and comes off as too much of a finesse player. He can get overpowered quite easily in the low post. He moves his feet pretty well but does not have much lateral mobility/quickness. He is very foul-prone because of his lack of strength and inexperience. And he is not much of a shot blocker, even at this level.
He is an average rebounder for his size – he rebounds his area well enough. Still, he does not go after the ball aggressively.
Vukcevic still needs time to finish his development and would probably benefit from at least another year in Europe, but this makes him a great stash guy with a 2nd round pick: the fact that he is going to be working under the tutelage of all-time great European coach Zelijko Obradovic makes this an even more intriguing situation for a team willing to roll the dice.
By
Jason Filippi brings 19 years of NBA scouting experience to Draft Digest Pro and serves as a scouting advisor keeping a keen eye on international prospects. Before joining Draft Digest, Filippi held positions as an international scout for the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat. He also served as the Director of International Scouting for the Portland Trail Blazers. He is from and currently resides in Bologna, Italy.
https://www.si.com/nba/draft/newsfeed/nba-draft-former-nba-scout-evaluates-tristan-vukceviche sounds like a draft and stash guy if there ever was one.