2022 NBA Draft Profile: Nikola Jovic

A tantalizing but raw big man with a developing jump shot, could Nikola Jovic present the rare opportunity for a high-upside draft-and-stash for the Knicks at pick 11?

Position: PF, KK Mega Basket

Age: 19

Height: 6 ft 10 in

Wingspan: 7 ft 0 in

Weight: 220 lbs

The Sales Pitch: Nikola Jovic combines exciting pick-and-roll passing acumen with a viable pull-up jumper and a fairly advanced arsenal of dribble moves, all wrapped up in a mature 6-foot-10 frame. Only turning 19 a few days ago, he was already a productive role player this past season for the Mega Basket pro team in the Adriatic League, where he showed off newfound consistency from deep (35.6% from three in 25 league games). In his time playing at youth levels, Jovic proved to be a dominant on-ball creator, and his performance in the 2021 U19 FIBA World Cup last summer launched him into the conversation as a lottery pick in this upcoming draft. Jovic has a fairly polished perimeter skillset for a 19-year-old, and he’s shown the outline of a versatile secondary creator who offers premium second side initiation capabilities and off-ball shooting value. 

Elite Traits/Skills: Passing and shooting versatility at 6-foot-10

The Devil’s Advocate Argument: On paper, Jovic seems like an excellent bet as a dribble/pass/shoot big wing — unfortunately, his athleticism will likely hinder his functionality in two of those facets. Although he’s able to occasionally access some flashier dribble moves, his slow first step and hunched-over posture make his transitions in and out of moves incredibly slow. He struggled to generate clean rim attempts for himself all year, especially at the aforementioned U19 World Cup, where he was often forced into tough runners and floaters on his drives (a red flag for a 6-foot-10 ball handler at a youth tournament). This inability to create space off the dribble will also limit how much value he can generate as a passer: if he can’t create advantages for himself (even with a ball screen), then Jovic won’t be able to fully leverage his passing as an on-ball threat. He’s also a poor defensive prospect, as his foot speed, motor, and leaping ability are all well below average. He’s fairly strong for his age and has flashed strong rim protecting help instincts at times, so it’s possible that his length and frame will allow him to tread water on that end. Still, it remains to be seen if Jovic can be survivable enough on defense to stay on the floor in the playoffs.  

The Misconceptions: None, really. I don’t think there's much of a consensus idea of Jovic to misconceive.

Important Numbers: 

• 18: How many points per game Jovic averaged at the FIBA U19 World Cup this past summer, third among all players

• 0.62: Jovic’s points per isolation possession for Mega Basket this past season, a worrying number for his space creation viability 

• 1.2: Jovic’s points per possession attacking off the catch for Mega this season, a much better number that suggests good closeout attacking potential

• 0.4: The number of blocks per game that Jovic averaged for Mega this season (he played about 28 minuter per game). This is an extremely scary number for a 6-foot-10 player, and suggests that he won’t be much of a factor as a secondary rim protector in the NBA

• 50%: What Jovic shot on twos at Mega, a poor number for such a large player

Knicks Fit: Jovic will almost certainly be a 4 in the NBA, and the Knicks have a logjam at the position with both Julius Randle and Obi Toppin deserving of extended minutes. Bearing this in mind, the only angle that Leon Rose and Co. could use to rationalize Jovic at No. 11 would be as a draft-and-stash player. It’s almost unprecedented for lotto picks to be stashed nowadays, but with a bloated young core that already features eight players on rookie contracts, the front office could opt for a stash player, rather than further diluting precious development minutes. As a 19-year-old who’s considered one of the best international prospects in the class, it would make sense to loan Jovic back to Mega and give him ample space to develop at his own pace, instead of fighting for scraps in the rotation alongside other young players.