NBA Comparison: Ante Tomic

Strenghts: He has an impressive frame at 7-2, with a solid structure and some late developing muscular development … He has a remarkable wingspan, combined with solid mobility … With his size and mobility, he’s the ideal target in the paint area in P&R situations, both for lobs or put backs … He has a nice handle for his size, with the ability to challenge the defender off the dribble and to finish with either hand … He has also shown intriguing potential as a shooter, since he is able to hit shots from behind the three-point line in catch and shot situations … He shows flashes as a defender, both in close outs and as a rim protector, thanks to his footwork and explosiveness … His ability to shoot elevates his stock some as a player teams are looking for … Even though he will turn 22 in December, still seems to have more potential left to develop than the average draft eligible player …

Weaknesses: Despite his frame, he still needs to add some pounds of muscle and work on his physical toughness, since stronger opponents in the painted area often bounce him back … He lacks positioning and defensive fundamentals, especially in P&R, where he’s not able to properly exploit his potential yet … He’s often late on defensive switches, losing his direct opponent … Offensively he lacks solid post skills, despite having shown a nice touch and a solid hook shot with both hands … Furthermore, he has to work on his release, which is currently too slow …

Notes: He can be considered as a late bloomer, he had his breakthrough performance during the 2013 U18 European championships, when he was included in the top 5 of the tournament … Since then he spent the first years of his professional career in Latvia with VEF Riga, playing in VTB league. In the summer of 2015 he moved to Gran Canaria, playing 2015/2016 with the reserves team (EBA Spanish fourth division) … He debuted this season with the first team of Gran Canaria in ACB, averaging 8 pts and 3 rebounds thus far and elevating his status as a legitimate draft pick …

Davide Bortoluzzi 2/20/17