Mario Hezonja

[Von Bismarck]

He should have passed the ball ahead.

Why? It was the end of the game. He has been benched by his coach lately and all he got is 10 minutes. In those 10min he only shot 3 times and had 3a 3r 3s, I think he deserved a ball for himself.

[The Rebel]

I'm not a fan of Hezonja, he has JR Smith writen all over him, in both talent and attitude.

Everything I have heard and read is that he has the exact opposite attitude of JR Smith, but similar athletic ability. The thing about JR Smith is if he would have worked harder and if he had half a brain he would have been an multi-time all star. His physical talent is outrageous but he always seemed to be more interested in being a star and having fun than he ever was about working. A guy with similar physical qualities to JR Smith that is willing to put in the work, wants to win, and loves basketball and that guy has a chance to be something very special.

[Von Bismarck]

I'm not a fan of Hezonja, he has JR Smith writen all over him, in both talent and attitude.

Everything I have heard and read is that he has the exact opposite attitude of JR Smith, but similar athletic ability. The thing about JR Smith is if he would have worked harder and if he had half a brain he would have been an multi-time all star. His physical talent is outrageous but he always seemed to be more interested in being a star and having fun than he ever was about working. A guy with similar physical qualities to JR Smith that is willing to put in the work, wants to win, and loves basketball and that guy has a chance to be something very special.

Finally someone!

In terms of mentality you can compare him to Drazen Petrovic (btw, today 22 years ago, Drazen Petrovic died in a car crash). Mario only thinks about basketball, he is not social media fan nor he parties. He lives basketball and his work ethics are impressing. Pascual said once that Mario stays for 2-3 hours more than anyone in the gym practicing and that he uses almost every single free moment to improve himself.

On the court, he's passionate and doesn't like to lose. Out of the court, he's quite a nice guy. He would probably not get on with people like JR Smith. You will certainly not find him in a scandal such as DUI or you won't ever see him partying with the champagne half naked after the game, he's professional and professional only. If you talk basketball you will get on with him. I think Mario is exactly the opposite like you said. Mario and Bryant would be best friends

[EMG518]

He should have passed the ball ahead.

Why? It was the end of the game. He has been benched by his coach lately and all he got is 10 minutes. In those 10min he only shot 3 times and had 3a 3r 3s, I think he deserved a ball for himself.

Because he had a man coming to foul him and a man ahead from his team on the break with nobody infront. Doesnt matter when it was in the game, how much he played, or how many shots he took.

Edit: I take it back, what he should have done is dribble the ball out when being up 19 points with 5 seconds left in the game.

[Von Bismarck]

He should have passed the ball ahead.

Why? It was the end of the game. He has been benched by his coach lately and all he got is 10 minutes. In those 10min he only shot 3 times and had 3a 3r 3s, I think he deserved a ball for himself.

Because he had a man coming to foul him and a man ahead from his team on the break with nobody infront. Doesnt matter when it was in the game, how much he played, or how many shots he took.

Edit: I take it back, what he should have done is dribble the ball out when being up 19 points with 5 seconds left in the game.

Not in Europe. Do you hear crowd cheering or crowd boo-ing at him?

Barcelona and Malaga are rivals, it's not like in the NBA.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

He should have passed the ball ahead.

Why? It was the end of the game. He has been benched by his coach lately and all he got is 10 minutes. In those 10min he only shot 3 times and had 3a 3r 3s, I think he deserved a ball for himself.

But that type of thing is exactly what gives me pause about him as a prospect.. that he would overlook the better basketball play for his own glorification.

I can appreciate a player having a high confidence in themselves, but that same confidence can become a flaw very quickly. I remember Rudy Fernandez having some of that and he lost it after getting bumped and bruised at the next level.. His ego couldn't handle the adjustment he would have to make to continue playing at the highest level.

When Hezonja gets to the NBA and starts playing against the best, one of three things will happen:
1. He will be one of the best players ever and need no adjustment.
2. He makes the appropriate adjustments to be part of a team, putting the best basketball plays ahead of his ego and maybe eventually through hard work and development he cements himself as a star in this league.
3. He doesn't make the adjustments, maybe puts up numbers on a bad team and eventually he busts and goes back to Europe to continue living as a star.

Since I find #1 laughably implausable, if I am looking to draft him I need to know he can and will put the team first.

Edit: None of this is to say I doubt he can or will

[flipwise]

I'm not a fan of Hezonja, he has JR Smith writen all over him, in both talent and attitude.

Everything I have heard and read is that he has the exact opposite attitude of JR Smith, but similar athletic ability. The thing about JR Smith is if he would have worked harder and if he had half a brain he would have been an multi-time all star. His physical talent is outrageous but he always seemed to be more interested in being a star and having fun than he ever was about working. A guy with similar physical qualities to JR Smith that is willing to put in the work, wants to win, and loves basketball and that guy has a chance to be something very special.

Finally someone!

In terms of mentality you can compare him to Drazen Petrovic (btw, today 22 years ago, Drazen Petrovic died in a car crash). Mario only thinks about basketball, he is not social media fan nor he parties. He lives basketball and his work ethics are impressing. Pascual said once that Mario stays for 2-3 hours more than anyone in the gym practicing and that he uses almost every single free moment to improve himself.

On the court, he's passionate and doesn't like to lose. Out of the court, he's quite a nice guy. He would probably not get on with people like JR Smith. You will certainly not find him in a scandal such as DUI or you won't ever see him partying with the champagne half naked after the game, he's professional and professional only. If you talk basketball you will get on with him. I think Mario is exactly the opposite like you said. Mario and Bryant would be best friends

Agreed. From everything I've heard and seen his personality seems more like Kobe's than JR Smith's.

[HeartBreakKid]

He should have passed the ball ahead.

Why? It was the end of the game. He has been benched by his coach lately and all he got is 10 minutes. In those 10min he only shot 3 times and had 3a 3r 3s, I think he deserved a ball for himself.

But that type of thing is exactly what gives me pause about him as a prospect.. that he would overlook the better basketball play for his own glorification.

I can appreciate a player having a high confidence in themselves, but that same confidence can become a flaw very quickly. I remember Rudy Fernandez having some of that and he lost it after getting bumped and bruised at the next level.. His ego couldn't handle the adjustment he would have to make to continue playing at the highest level.

When Hezonja gets to the NBA and starts playing against the best, one of three things will happen:
1. He will be one of the best players ever and need no adjustment.
2. He makes the appropriate adjustments to be part of a team, putting the best basketball plays ahead of his ego and maybe eventually through hard work and development he cements himself as a star in this league.
3. He doesn't make the adjustments, maybe puts up numbers on a bad team and eventually he busts and goes back to Europe to continue living as a star.

Since I find #1 laughably implausable, if I am looking to draft him I need to know he can and will put the team first.

Edit: None of this is to say I doubt he can or will

Rudy Fernandez was older than Mario when he came to the NBA and had more success though. Rudy had a reason to be hit with the culture shock.

Mario is just a rotation player who barely gets minutes, I don't think he would go into the NBA thinking he's going to be destroying everyone right off the bat.

[bleedblue3303]

I didnt follow Mario like some of you. But am curious is it possible he will be the best player in this draft?

[blackham9258]

I read something somewhere yesterday that he was an arn tellem client and that he I is who Detroit is hoing will fall to them. As a jazz fan I wanted us to move up to 8 to get him.

Thoughts?

[mandurugo]

So, did he ever post any video of himself replicating LaVine's dunks? Always seemed a weird thing to claim to be able to do without ever proving it... or maybe he has?

[Johnny Firpo]

I didnt follow Mario like some of you. But am curious is it possible he will be the best player in this draft?

I think he has the talent to achieve this, yes. Wouldn't bet on it, I think Towns will be great, and I am high on Porzingis as well, also on D'angelo Russel. This draft should have some all-star players in my opinion.

[Westbreezy]

He'll probably be a slightly better Zach Lavine to be honest. That being said I hope someone quotes me on this if I'm incredibly wrong and he's a top 10 player in the league

[SelfishPlayer]

He'll probably be a slightly better Zach Lavine to be honest. That being said I hope someone quotes me on this if I'm incredibly wrong and he's a top 10 player in the league

Zach Lavine is actually younger than Hezonja. I would think that Zach has more value than Hezonja at this present time. I don't think that they compare because Zach is faster and has played PG on the high school and NBA level while Hezonja is a wing player that rarely drives to the basket in half court offense. Zach right now is more creative with the basketball, and that's as a guy that's younger than Hezonja even with a year of NBA experience already under his belt.

[CoreyGallagher]

He'll probably be a slightly better Zach Lavine to be honest. That being said I hope someone quotes me on this if I'm incredibly wrong and he's a top 10 player in the league

Zach Lavine is actually younger than Hezonja. I would think that Zach has more value than Hezonja at this present time. I don't think that they compare because Zach is faster and has played PG on the high school and NBA level while Hezonja is a wing player that rarely drives to the basket in half court offense. Zach right now is more creative with the basketball, and that's as a guy that's younger than Hezonja even with a year of NBA experience already under his belt.

Interesting that you assume that Lavine currently has more value than Hezonja, I genuinely wonder what the consensus would be.

[UcanUwill]

I didnt follow Mario like some of you. But am curious is it possible he will be the best player in this draft?

I don't see it, I think he is overrated. He lacks elite skill IMO, people say he has elite athleticism, but I disagree. They alos say he has elite shot, but I am not sure about that either. His D and handle are mediocre at best, and to me, he looks kinda stiff in the air if you know what I mean. Some players are just fluid and seems very natural, can use their hangtime in the air, finish acrobatically avoiding block. I am not sure Hezonja can do that.

[Teen Girl Squad]

Its hard to get a read on him because there is so much hyperbolic hype/homerism/national pride going on in this thread. I somehow doubt that he's as good of an athlete as Smith, has a good jumper and Kobe's work ethic is coming off the bench and playing 15 mpg.

[EMG518]

Its hard to get a read on him because there is so much hyperbolic hype/homerism/national pride going on in this thread. I somehow doubt that he's as good of an athlete as Smith, has a good jumper and Kobe's work ethic is coming off the bench and playing 15 mpg.

Different athlete. I would say Smith has the quicker feet and is more agile while Hezonja is faster, more explosive, and powerful. He has a great shot, cant speak to his work ethic.

[doordoor123]

I didnt follow Mario like some of you. But am curious is it possible he will be the best player in this draft?

I don't see it, I think he is overrated. He lacks elite skill IMO, people say he has elite athleticism, but I disagree. They alos say he has elite shot, but I am not sure about that either. His D and handle are mediocre at best, and to me, he looks kinda stiff in the air if you know what I mean. Some players are just fluid and seems very natural, can use their hangtime in the air, finish acrobatically avoiding block. I am not sure Hezonja can do that.

Lol what are you talking about? His elite skill is shooting (he's one of the best shooters in this class) and his athleticism gives him depth. He's also not played enough for us to judge his defense, but in a recent game where he had something like 5 minutes on the court, he had three steals. I don't think Europe does a good job at teaching athletes and most players are not locked in when they play Euro-ball defense. Once he reaches the NBA, he'll be fine. Won't be a bust, but I'm not sure he'll be a star either. If he learns all the stuff Klay Thompson had learned in the NBA, he can be much more superior to Klay Thompson.

[Novocaine]

Sorry for late response but i dont think he will leave Barcelona anytime soon.I even heard some rumors few days ago that he is gonna get multi years extension(2019).As a player i kinda never thought highly of him but unless he improves in next few years i dont think that he is worth bringing to OKC.Not much of a defender, he would probably be spot up shooter in NBA, lacks strength to be a slasher(he is like 190-200 lbs SG/SF), solid handles but nothing spectacular that he could run the offense or make some plays.cant create his own shot, streaky shooter.

190-200lbs LOL, where did you get that info? please if you dont know his weight even remotely close don't just put random numbers.
He was actually at 220lbs 6months ago, and before that even 225(he said that himself i can find you the video if you want)
Idk what is he at atm, but i highly doubt he is below 215.
Can't create his own shot? First time i see somebody says that, im not saying he is great at that but for a guy that young he is pretty solid at it.

Man sometimes it feels, half the people discussing here, went on youtube, watch a 2min clip, and then come spreading their knowledge on the player here. Give me 2 min i'll go discuss Emmanuel Mudiay.
Yea very turnover prone, only 6-3 and 216lbs, i think his conditioning will be an issue in the nba, and his ball handling could use some work.Does he even speak english i see he is born in Kongo, i must say he will have communication issues and i don't think he is ready for NBA

" "

I see dozens of Barcelona games every season and I agree with everything MrTwister said. I don't know if he's at 200lbs but there's no way whatsoever he's at 200/225. I'd like to see that video where he claim he said that.

And he rarely ever creates shots - partially because Barcelona wings rarely are asked to do so; but he lacks the advanced ball-handling or footwork.

Really doubt he's joining the NBA any time soon anyway.