NBA Comparison: Frank Kaminsky

Strengths: High basketball I.Q big … Good size for a forward/center … Solid length (measured with a 7-2 wingspan) and standing reach (9 feet, 3 inches) … Has better mobility and agility than most people think for a player of his size and body profile … Great feel for the game … Runs the floor well for a big … Versatile, can be used in either frontcourt position on offense …The definition of  a Stretch Big … Very good shooter in Spot Up actions … Has good hands … Has shown potential in Pick and Pop actions … Can be a rare case of a player who can either roll to the basket after a pick, or Pop Out … Good at doing a Short Roll after setting a pick, has quick decisions and can either shoot, make a drive or pass to the perimeter … Willing screener, with good hip mobility, can do a nice screen away from the ball and then turn and re-screen to set a quick Pick and Roll … Good at attacking closeouts, can make one or two dribbles and go to the basket … Has even scored some off the dribble shots … Moves well without the ball and makes smart cuts to the basket … Has good footwork in the post and can turn from either shoulder … Already has a turnaround one leg fade away shot in his arsenal that he uses often when he is posting up… Can punish some mismatches by facing up and shooting over his opponent … A good passer either from low post or the high post … Has shown some flashes playing flat in pick and roll actions … Knows the law of verticality when contesting a shot …

Weaknesses: An average athlete by NBA standards … Needs to bulk up … Upper body has to fill out … Not afraid of contact, but has problems against physical, more athletic opponents … Has an inconsistent motor, doesn’t always look hungry … Not a great leaper … Kind of tweener, not fast or athletic enough to play as a power forward and not strong, or mobile enough to play as a center at the NBA level … Ball handling needs some polishing if he wants to play as a power forward … Lacks reps, he has been part of established, veteran teams for years and didn’t receive enough playing time to fully develop … Doesn’t draw many fouls … Doesn’t have the core strength to force his way to the basket in post ups against miss-matches … Has a tendency to settle when Posting Up and fall in love with his turnaround fade away, which is not a high percentage shot, at least for now … Has problems finishing through traffic or against contact … Average rebounder for his position, does good box outs, but doesn’t always go after the ball … Can lose focus on defense and miss some rotations… Bigger opponents can bully him in the Post… He is foul prone … Doesn’t always have the right defensive stance … Average lateral quickness, can’t really support switch defense … Not a rim protector, he is not a good enough leaper to do anything more than just contest a shot at the rim …

Outlook: Tristan Vukcevic is a new era big … A skilled forward/center, with great feel for the game and a high basketball I.Q … Shooting is Vukcevic’s calling card and the thing that intrigues the most, since 7 footers with 3-point range are a rarity … At the same time though, he is projected to have a lot of problems on the defensive end due to his athletic limitations and thin frame … There is always room for a Stretch Big in the NBA, but for him to take the next step, he has to prove he can at least occasionally hold his ground on defense …

Notes: Measured 6′ 11.25” barefoot, 9′ 3” standing reach, 223.4 lbs and a 7′ 2.5” wingspan and a 26 inch standing vertical and a 30.5′ inch max vertical at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine …

Stefanos Makris 6/19/23