European Prospects

In their first season in the ABA League, the team from Mega Vizura is one of the most exciting ones to follow for talent scouts. Next to a multitude of interesting prospects, the team also features three high-level talents in their back court combo of Vasilije Micic and Nenad Miljenovic together with the upcoming inside presence of Nikola Jokic. I took a look at the latest developments of their talents recently.

Vasilije Micic has been featured on this website already several times but it is always interesting to see his current status and how he is progressing in his game. Micic was dominating the U19 World Championship and gained experience at the Eurobasket this summer and he is now competing on his highest professional level of his life in the Adriatic League. The 1m96 tall guard is clearly the head of his team that is now playing in Smederevo where he controls the offense like a veteran. With the presence of Miljenovic, Micic has a good support on the PG position so that we could see him also going for the SG position occasionally. However, Micic is clearly a PG with his cerebral game and Pick and Roll virtuosity.

Micic reads so well what the defense is doing and he seems to have a brain similar to chess players as he understands ahead of others what will happen on the court. In Pick and Roll situations, he has some kind of peripheral view in a way that he sees all four players on offense and their movements but also how the 5 defenders are moving and if there are any openings to get to the rim or for a good pass. With his strong body, Micic can attack the basket and also score from close in multiple fashion from both sides. With his size, he is also posting up smaller defenders if the situation is given and he scores on them mainly with turn around jump shots.

His overall shooting is also becoming more and more fluid. His mechanics are fine and the quickness of his release seems to have improved over the last months as well. He is dangerous from behind the arc even though he has a preference for attacking the basket in the Pick and Roll situations where he can also stop in the mid-range territory to finish from there. Micic excels in attacking the defensive gaps and provoke help situations that he can use with his precise passing for easy baskets for his team mates.

On the defensive end, the Serbian guard is present without being a real stopper. His physical body helps him to avoid being overpowered which he underlined especially well during the last summer against the US U19 National Team. He overcomes his lack of top-level lateral speed with his understanding of the game and positioning and reads the passing lanes quite well without gambling too much. Micic looks to be at least a high-level Euroleague PG of the future. With his body structure, he certainly can also become an option for NBA teams in the next years. The growing numbers of Europeans on PG positions is also helping him and his good English language skills are also speaking in his favor to make the step to the NBA in the future.

The second part of the Mega Vizura back court is Nenad Miljenovic. After being hyped from a very young age, Miljenovic seems to have found the way back to the right track after two a little bit more chaotic seasons. Still gifted with that natural talent of creativity and flow in his game, Miljenovic is putting up serious numbers in the Adriatic League as a puncher coming from the bench playing either the PG or the SG role depending on the situation. The former Serbian Wunderkind has grown into a man now even if he still looks fragile from a physical point of view. Nevertheless, Miljenovic showed that he can draw the contact when attacking the basket and even finishing with the foul.

The 1993 born combo guard is doing a great job driving to the gaps especially when he can go on his stronger right hand. With his creativity, he can not only find his team mates quite well but also find angles and holes to score that are not that usual. His ball handling remains one of the best of his generation and he can beat nearly any defender with his cross over moves. He reads the defensive help situations so well that he can find the open players easily and in a more “highlight” fashion than Micic. Miljenovic has really improved in taking care of the basketball as he is only averaging 1.9 turnovers in 27 minutes on the court and handling the ball a lot even if he is used during long stretches as SG when Micic is on the court too.

Another backcourt player on the Mega Vizura team is the athletic Nemanja Dangubic. The 2m04 tall swingman oozes with potential as he has a great wingspan, a three point shot and can also attack the basket. However, Dangubic struggles with decision making and is not that effective from outside. He likes to attack the basket and is also a good finisher close to the rim because of his physicals but he sometimes loses control when the help defense is coming. His three-point shot is not really regular even if he can score both in catch-and-shoot situations or out of the dribble. The shooting mechanics could be more fluid as well as he is somehow doing a snapping movement with his arm when he is shooting. Nevertheless, Dangubic is certainly a player to follow who should find a spot on the next level because of his athletic abilities and scoring potential.

The biggest potential on the inside positions or even overall might be Nikola Jokic. The 1995 born center who has turned 18 this year is having his breakout season on the senior level. Jokic is the modern type of inside player who has all the tools to develop into something special. The 2m10 tall Serbian kid can shoot from outside, is a good finisher in the paint and has tremendous passing skills. Additionally, he has correct athletic abilities, can run the court and seems also like having a good work ethic and a superb upside potential. His footwork is looking very interesting as well as he can move his feet really well and fast for a player of his size. With the next two years, Jokic will certainly develop into a Euroleague player first and the NBA does not look out of reach for him at the moment.