Last season, the Adriatic League produced some of the top talents in the NBA draft, with Dario Saric, Jusuf Nurkic, Bogdan Bogdanovic going in the first round, and Nikola Jokic, Vasilije Micic and Nemanja Dangubic being selected in the second round.
While we likely will not see six more NBA draft picks this season from the Adriatic League, there is little doubt that with the rich basketball tradition in the former Yugoslavian countries, it is no surprise that again young talent is emerging throughout that league this season.
So let’s take a look at two front court prospects currently playing for the two top clubs in Serbia, who could possibly hear their names called in this June’s NBA draft.
Luka Mitrovic 6’9” Power Forward, 1994
Team: Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)
A soon to be 22 year old forward, Mitrovic is having a breakout year in his third season with Red Star Belgrade. After playing less than 15 minutes a game last season, Mitrovic has been Red Star’s second leading scorer and rebounder in both the Adriatic League (10.7 PTS, 6.4 REB, 62.3% 2PT) and the Euroleague (11.8 PTS, 5.5 REB,3 AST, 61.9% 2PT), proving himself as a dependable commodity for a Top 16 team in Euroleague.
Mitrovic has looked impressive as a finisher this year, showing craftiness with his right hand along with a great awareness by consistently being in the right place at the right time. Mitrovic benefits greatly playing with former UConn guard Marcus Williams, who finds him for easy baskets on cuts, or open catch and shoot situations, an area in which Mitrovic has shown some marked improvement this season (38.5% 3PT in Euroleague). At this point in his career, Mitrovic doesn’t have the ballhandling or explosiveness to create his own shot off the dribble, which limits his upside a tad as he doesn’t really have any potential to play at the wing.
Defensively, Mitrovic has shown versatility, being able to guard both the 3 and 4 in Europe’s top level. His does a decent job keeping perimeter players in front of him, and has shown he is capable of being a part of a team defense, making his rotations and closing out on shooters. He still needs to prove he can be more aggressive defending the paint, but his basketball IQ and willingness to be coached give him some room to improve in that department.
At this point, Mitrovic is a likely second round pick, but with a chance now to play in the Euroleague Top 16, a few big performances can put him in the conversation to being a bubble first rounder. He will never develop into a go-to guy, but if he can show that he can be a dependable quality role player he may find some interest from the teams picking at the end of the first round.
Nikola Milutinov, 7’0” Center, 1993
Team: Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
A lanky seven footer with a 7’3″ wingspan, Milutinov has been one of the bright spots in a rebuilding year for Partizan. After playing a minor role in his first two seasons with the Serbian powerhouse, Milutonov has been playing 28.4 minutes per game in Adriatic league, as Partizan has drastically cut their budget this season, opting to build a team with no Americans, built around Milan Macvan and young guys, and the recently signed Serbian vet Sasha Pavlovic.
Milutinov has responded to his expanded role by producing 8.4 rebounds per game, good for 3rd in the Adriatic league, while shooting an efficient 57.4% on 2 point shots. Milutinov has earned his role with activeness and aggressiveness, averaging 4.3 OREB per game, and doing a great job moving without the ball, and finishing in the pick and roll. He is displaying the kind of hunger and aggressiveness required in a young big man, and his combination of length and mobility make him a handful to deal with for opposing big men in the Adriatic League.
In Eurocup play, Milutinov struggled with the more physical front courts at that level of competition, fighting for position on the low block against the stronger big men he faced, and looked overwhelmed at times on both ends of the floor. Milutinov finished the competition shooting 44.2% from 2PT, struggling to finish due to his inability to establish position and find his comfort zones at that level.
While Milutinov is a clear cut NBA prospect due to his size, mobility and touch around the rim, his lack of a true presence offensively is glaringly obvious in half court settings. While the game today has adapted to be more pick-and-roll oriented and centers are becoming less of a solely back to the basket presence, Milutinov will still need to show some consistency establishing position in the block, and creating for himself quality looks in the paint if he wants to take the next step in his career. He may not have the frame to ever be a low post brute like Nikola Pekovic, but his soft hands give him the potential to be a very solid low post player if he works on his footwork and lower body strength.
Last season, Dario Saric, Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic were able to significantly raise their draft profile over the second half of the season in the Adriatic Leagu. Playing for a young team, Milutinov will have the opportunity to showcase himself the rest of the way, and a strong finish to the season could put this seven footer in the mix come draft time in June.
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AJ Mitnick is an American living in Israel and working as an assistant coach in the Israeli Basketball Winner League. A graduate of IDC Herzliya, Mitnick is an assistant coach with Bnei Herzliya, following three seasons with Maccabi Rishon-Lezion. Follow him on Twitter.