Event Recap: Adidas Next Generation Tournament Belgrade
The fourth and final qualifying leg of the Adidas Next Generation Torunament, the top club competition in the world when it comes to the Under-18 age category, took place over the weekend in Belgrade with hometown team Mega MIS taking the title and securing an automatic berth for the ANGT Finals, which will be held in Kaunas, Lithuania during the month of May.
Here are the prospects who made an impact in the tournament and should be considered as potential picks in the 2024 and 2025 NBA Drafts:
Nikola Topic
6’6” Guard | 17.7 Years Old | Serbia | Crvena Zvezda
Topic had an impressive tournament, leading all players in both points and assists while being tremendously efficient in both areas. He scored 26.8 points per game on an incredible 75.9% True Shooting and averaged 7.2 assists against just 3.5 turnovers per game.
Topic’s combination of 6-foot-6 size, strong frame and speed with the ball in his hands, made him almost unstoppable in transition and allowed him to create advantages nearly at will in the half-court with his quick first step. His ability to beat his primary defender allowed him to attract help defenders on drives, which he exploited consistently with drive-and-kick passes to open teammates.
Despite not being the highest level of competition, Topic’s breakout performance at Belgrade which included a 49-point, 12-assist outburst against Next Generation Team, puts him in the conversation ahead of the 2024 Draft, among an international class that doesn’t seem to have a ton of depth at the guard position.
David Mirkovic
6’9” Forward | 16.8 Years Old | Montenegro | Next Generation Team Belgrade
Mirkovic stood out immediately at Belgrade with his mix of 6-foot-9 size, strong frame and impressive coordination and body control for his size. The tools, combined with a tremendous level of touch from multiple levels of the floor made him a threat both in the paint and in the perimeter.
Mirkovic can play as a traditional big on offense, being able to create his own shot with his back to the basket against opposing bigs, using his strong frame, footwork and touch. In the perimeter, he’s a threat in pick-and-pop situations while also showing some moments of shooting off the dribble. While he’s not extremely quick, he’s able to put the ball on the floor and attack closeouts, having the ability to convert tough finishes against contact.
While Mirkovic’s projection as a facilitator and defender are still a question mark, it’s rare to see someone with the level of polish at Mirkovic’s size and age. When considering Mirkovic’s versatile scoring ability for his size and the fact that he played one year up in age, it’s easy to envision him developing into an NBA-caliber prospect by the time the 2025 NBA Draft rolls around.
General Notes of the Tournament
The final leg of ANGT was also the one with the least amount of NBA talent in my opinion, there were, however, a multitude of players who are relevant from a college and non-NBA professional standpoint, who could realistically develop into NBA-level prospects at some point during their careers.
- Valencia had the most interesting backcourt of the tournament. Sergio De Larrea is a 6-foot-6 combo guard who can score from the perimeter and make plays for teammates. His teammate Lucas Mari is more of a traditional half-court initiator with good positional size and strength and some moments of versatile shooting. Both struggled to score efficiently in the tournament, but they remain interesting prospects to follow.
- Topic was not the only relevant prospect in Crvena Zvezda. Andrija Vukovic was impressive as a traditional 6-foot-10 big who can set hard screens, finish pick-and-roll plays around the rim and create his own shot with his back to the basket. The most interesting long-term prospect, however, was Lazar Gacic, a lanky 7-foot-1 forward who was tremendously efficient as a scorer, shooting 71% from the field and 46.2% from 3 point range. The defensive fit is a concern but the combination of tools and perimeter skills are intriguing.
- Nolan Traore, Noa Essengue and Mohamed Diakite from Pole France all played one year up in age and won’t be eligible until the 2025 NBA Draft. While they are not surefire NBA prospects as of this point, they showed intriguing sides to their games and it will be interesting to see them develop during the next few years. Pole France also gave minutes to 14-year old Hugo Yimga Moukouri who impressed with his physical tools and some flashes of on-ball defense and play-finishing at the rim.
- ANGT Belgrade champions Mega MIS brought two prospects to track for the future. Filip Jovic made an impact as a prolific 6-foot-9 scorer who put constant pressure on opposing defenders with his combination of size and ball-handling ability, while 6-foot-11 Bogoljub Markovic was able to contribute with his flashes of ball-handling and his impressive tools as a defender.
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