A scouting report on NBA draft prospect Nikola Jovic:
- Position: Forward
- Height: 6-11
- Weight: 223 pounds
- Last team: Mega Mozzart (Serbia)
Nikola Jovic is nothing like two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, let’s just get that out of the way. Jovic is a pure wing at 6-foot-11 who does most of his work on the perimeter. Jovic displayed his potential at the 2021 FIBA U-19 World Cup, where he averaged 18.1 points and made the tournament’s All-Star Five, along with top-five prospects Chet Holmgren and Jaden Ivey and next year’s presumptive No. 1 prospect, French center Victor Wembanyama.
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Strengths
Even though he’s an oversized wing, you can tell that Jovic has had the ball in his hands since he started playing basketball. He’s got an array of offensive moves — he’ll show Dirk Nowitzki one-legged stepbacks, baseline fadeaways and jump hooks over shorter defenders. Jovic runs a ton of pick-and-rolls and his size allows him to see over the top and find open teammates. He makes defenders pick their poison because he’ll shoot over the top if defenders play drop coverage. He has the skills to become an excellent secondary playmaker at the NBA level.
Jovic is also an impressive shot creator on the perimeter. He can dribble into stepback threes but also can attack closeouts and get to the rim. He could be a real weapon shooting corner threes early in his NBA career because he can drive past defenders that close out too aggressively and also has the passing ability to find open teammates on those drives. He shot 36 percent from three-point range at the U-19 World Cup and 34 percent in the Adriatic League this past season. He could see more open looks in the NBA, where he’s unlikely to attract the same defensive attention he faced as a primary scoring threat.
Jovic is not an explosive finisher in the half court but will throw down dunks when he has more runway in transition. He’s also a tremendous outlet passer who could help the Sixers push the pace.
NBA
Weaknesses
I’m not sure who Jovic guards in the NBA.
Despite his height, he’s not physical enough to be a rim protector or a small-ball center. It’s easy to imagine Jovic getting muscled aside for rebounds by P.J. Tucker types.
In the third-place game at the U-19 World Cup, Canada spread the floor at crucial points in the fourth quarter and isolated Jovic on a number of possessions. Bennedict Mathurin (a consensus top-10 draft prospect, to be fair) and Creighton point guard Ryan Nembhard were both able to get past Jovic and score with relative ease.
Teams are going to hunt him until he proves he can defend. I question whether he can move laterally well enough to stay with NBA wings on switches.
Fit
If he can hold his own on the defensive end, Jovic’s offensive skills would give a much-needed jolt to the Sixers offense. Imagine him in the Matisse Thybulle/Danny Green role in the half court. When Green or Thybulle would attack closeouts from the corners, you weren’t expecting many good things to happen. Jovic is a better ballhandler, passer and finisher than Green or Thybulle and he’s also significantly taller. He could make corner threes, but he could also drive baseline to score over defenders or make plays for his teammates.
I fear his defensive liabilities might make him a one-way player and we all know the Sixers don’t need any more of those. But there’s also the chance he’s a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses with his size and skill level. He’s talented enough to contribute right away on that end of the floor. That’s not a bad swing with the 23rd pick.