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Nikola Jovic

Late bloomer who grew up playing guard, and it shows in his game as a talented playmaker with size who’s still learning how to thrive near the rim.

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Height: 6'10"
Weight: 209
Age: 19
Year: International

Shades Of: Danilo Gallinari

PLUSES

• At his best with the ball in his hands in the open court or in the pick-and-roll. He’s capable of getting into his shot from any area of the floor. He doesn’t force it, though. Jovic has good shot selection and has the vision as a passer to make his teammates better.
• Shot creation in the open floor is his best skill. He is able to change his pace and use hesitations while taking long strides toward the basket. He has a good handle and smooth footwork, which allows him to keep his dribble alive while deciding whether to score or facilitate.
• Intelligent off-ball player on offense who has great instincts for cutting into the paint. Plus he has good hands.
• Theoretically a versatile defender if he’s able to improve his sloppy fundamentals and get quicker laterally. Right now, he is at his best defending in help situations at the rim. Even if he’s not a shot blocker, his pure size still makes him more of a deterrent than smaller players in the same position.
• With the ability to run the pick-and-roll and set solid screens at 6-foot-10, he could create major matchup advantages. Against a switch, he has the size advantage down low if he develops a post game. Against a blitz, he can pass as the ball handler or make plays for himself off the bounce. Against drop coverage, he has displayed the ability to shoot off the dribble if given space. Like many young players, he needs to improve his efficiency, but the building blocks are there.

MINUSES

• He’s an inefficient offensive player right now, including from three-point range. He struggles finishing near the rim. He lacks bounce in the paint, and though he has size he doesn’t always know how to use it. He’s not particularly physical, and he has no post game to speak of.
• Subpar defensive player who suffers through stretches of low intensity. He’s a bit sluggish, which limits him as a switch defender. And he lacks beef on his body, so battling against NBA centers is a no-go.

PTS 10.9 .529 TS%
3P% 34 on 97 3PA

Jovic, the No. 23 prospect in the ESPN Top 100, is having a productive season in the Adriatic League for Mega Mozzart, averaging 11.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 28 minutes per game. Jovic, 18, already made his debut for the Serbian senior national team, posting 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists in a FIBA World Cup qualifying game against Slovakia in February.

The 6-foot-10 Jovic helped Serbia to a fourth-place finish in the FIBA Under-19 World Cup last summer, being named to the all-tournament team alongside projected top-five picks Chet Holmgren and Jaden Ivey, as well as presumptive 2023 No. 1 pick favorite Victor Wembanyama.

Jovic's combination of size, ballhandling, passing, dynamic shot-making, confidence and youth is intriguing to NBA scouts, drawing comparisons to oversized international guards like Danilo Gallinari and Deni Avdija. Jovic is attempting to become the first Serbian player drafted in the lottery since Darko Milicic in 2003.

Nikola Jovic

An intriguing but relatively unknown prospect from Europe, Nikola Jovic is a Serbian who has immense upside at the NBA level. There is always the calculated risk of drafting a European player in an American league, but guys like Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic have proven that the European style of play can fit perfectly in the NBA. Jovic is a big man at 6-foot-10 with guard-like skills who can shoot well from the outside.

Player development and gradual progress are critical for Jovic because he still has raw talent, but it has been proven that the intangibles and fundamentals of European players are tremendous. His repertoire varies from the frontcourt rotation of John Collins and Clint Capela, so taking a chance on a young forward like Jovic must be heavily considered by the organization. Furthermore, he would not take away touches from Trae Young or John Collins because he has proven to be an effective off-ball cutter as well.

The flexibility to lean into something else than your primary skill is a valuable one, as that allows a player to keep being on the court, as he isn't just a one-trick pony.

For Nikola Jović, that too remains true. The 18-year-old Serbian is a raw talent, but projects to be capable of mostly everything. He can dribble like a wing, can initiate plays for himself and others, play like a proper big when he needs to, and he's a floor spacer. His per-game averages of 12.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists in just over 28 minutes per game isn't fair representation of the level he can reach due to age. At this point in his development, scouts are looking at skills, potential and versatility upside. In all those categories, Jović tests out well as a long-term project, who has considerable all-around potential. Whether that potential is realized is a different discussion.