Michael Ruzic Is Slowly Working His Way Back From Injury

Michael Ruzic carries a lot of intrigue as a prospect. Standing at 6-foot-10 with a preference to spot-up and space the floor, he’s got the foundations of a modern stretch big which is one of the most desirable skillsets in the NBA. He’ll also be only 18 years old on draft day and has proven capable of starting for Liga ACB club Joventut Badalona.

But, Ruzic currently still sits in the second round of most mock drafts. He, unfortunately hasn’t been able to do much to improve his draft stock due to a thumb ligament injury he sustained in mid-October that would keep him off the court for three months. In his penultimate game before the injury, he scored 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting from deep and looked ready to burst onto the scene as a lottery lock, even in the loaded 2025 NBA Draft class.

Ruzic’s body had different plans, though, and since returning in late January, he has not looked like the same player. In four of the seven games he has played in since his return, he has played less than 10 minutes. It’s likely his fitness levels are simply not where they need to be at this stage of the season compared to his teammates and opponents who are likely in prime in-season shape.

His role for Badalona has also been very limited. He is largely a spot-up threat, standing in the corner on most possessions and occasionally lifting to the wing or drifting back for catch-and-shoot opportunities. Occasionally, he cuts when Badalona’s big men - Ante Tomic and Artem Pustovyi - who are big, skilled post players who can also pass out of the post and draw extra defenders. He will also post up if he gets a mismatch and looks to score in transition. He does very little on the ball and is seldom used as a screener.

This isn’t necessarily a critique. Young players in Liga ACB often get resigned to specific roles and duties due to the quality of competition. It’s hard to be a dominant on-ball player under the age of 23 in Spain, and Ruzic isn’t breaking the norm there, especially as a big. But if Ruzic wants to be an NBA player and take on the stretch big role. There are two key areas where he has to improve.

For starters, he has to be a true knockdown spot-up threat. If his game is as limited as it currently looks - which it may not be, as nothing is conclusive about a player who is only 18 - the way he remains an impactful offensive player is by consistently spacing the floor and being an offensive player that teams can’t leave open to help defend elsewhere.

On the defensive side of the ball, Ruzic needs to prove capable of defending on the perimeter. He’s probably not going to be a center in the NBA and thus, he needs to be able to move his feet with mobile forwards he’ll be matched up with. He doesn’t need to be an elite perimeter defender or even one capable of hanging with opposing guards. His size and length will likely help him be a plus-rebounder and capable of hanging with some opposing bigs, but he will need to be able to stay in front of teams' third and fourth options on the perimeter. Currently, that isn’t the case with him.

Ruzic is young and could be a draft-and-stash prospect for 2025, given his age and the time he missed from injury this season. If he can develop on the perimeter both on the offensive and defensive end, it feels very likely that he will develop into a reliable NBA role player and maybe even more than that.

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