NBA Comparison: Jiri Welsch

Strenghts: Standing 6’6” he has a perfect size for the position … With his solid structure and athletic abilities he can definitely adapt his game to the NBA level, with the potential to defend both on guards and small forwards … He possesses natural game comprehension and poise which allows him to play the role of offensive facilitator and game distributor (4 assists of average thus far) … During this season he started playing as a secondary ball handler, but after the injury to Leo Westermann he has been forced to play as a point guard, showing remarkable passing skills and court vision, even if he’s not perfectly suited for the role … He has a slashing style of game, and with his solid structure he’s really effective in drawing contacts when attacking the basket or posting up other backcourt players, exploiting his size and physical strength … This combined with his instincts allow him to also be a reliable rebounder and a consistent defensive presence … On the defensive side he shows great attitude and quick hands, with the ability to put a concrete pressure on his opponent especially in 1vs.1 situations … He’s also effective in the passing lanes, with almost 2 steals per game this season … He has constantly improved his game since his debut at the senior level, becoming an ideal glue guy for a contending team …

Weaknesses: He lacks elite explosiveness, especially when he has the ball in his hands, which limits his ability to create his own shot from the dribble in ISO situations … Lacks a quick first step, needs screens and off the ball game to create space to beat his defender … He’s still stuck in the middle of two roles, since he lacks elite playmaking skills, as well as remarkable scoring instincts, and this could limit his NBA appeal … Solid ball handler but his decision making is affected when forced to play against press defense … His shot is still not consistent yet, especially his pull up jumper in pick and roll situations, he’s a streaky shooter and he could encounter scoring slumps … He’s not the kind of player that’s able to change the rhythm of the game coming off the bench, and this is in contrast with the role he could be requested to play at NBA level ,,. On the defensive side he has poor lateral speed, he tends to struggle against quicker and smaller guards …

Notes: After a solid European Championship with the Serbian National team (9.3 points 4.3 rebounds 2,0 assists), Bogdanovic has been showing significant improvement from the beginning of 2013/2014 season … He has been in the starting five of a Partizan team which is in the first positions of  ABA League and playing an amazing Top 16 in Euroleague, playing more than 30 minutes per game and averaging almost 21 points per game … Look for him to be a possibility as a mid-to-late second round pick.

Davide Bortoluzzi 3/9/14