Strengths: An extremely efficient and consistent player … He is an underrated athlete, possessing nice length and the ability to get off the ground quickly … His touch around the basket is very soft, where he prefers to turn to his left shoulder, but is still comfortable going to the left hand … In the post he is extremely patient, he seals well and fights for position … His post-up game mostly consists of drop steps and mini hooks … He is also very dangerous with his faceup game, because he can take slower defenders off the dribble or use his consistent jumpshot … For a big man, he has an extremely effective midrange shot, with a smooth stroke and high release, this could help him in screen and roll situations at the next level … He is a very smart and active rebounder, he attacks the offensive glass, and he reads the bounce to get into good position … His length is also a great weapon defensively, combining with great timing to make him a very good shotblocker … He has great hands, runs the floor well and shows an impressive motor for a big … He has played a secondary role throughout his collegiate career, but he continues to work hard and his improvement is evident …
Weaknesses: He is a bit undersized for the post, but more importantly his body is very frail … Through his time in college, he has failed to add any substantial bulk to a somewhat soft looking frame … At times he becomes robotic in the way he operates, seeming unsure of his moves … Instead of just playing naturally and taking what’s open, he thinks the game too much … His back to the basket repertoire is fairly limited, especially when he faces bigger defenders, he resorts to shooting tough and offbalance shots … He needs to become more comfortable putting the ball on the deck, because with his size he will surely be asked to attack from the high post … His FT shooting has improved, but he still has games where he is inconsistent … He has not shown the demeanor and killer instinct to carry his team in crunch time, he seems content with taking a back seat (part of the problem is the fact that he gets looked off on numerous occasions by his teammates) …
Borko Popic - 2/1/2009