NBA Draft Scouting Report: Serbia’s Nikola Djurisic
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Nikola Djurisic
Guard | Serbia
Height: 6'8” | Weight: 215 lbs
2024 Draft Age: 20.32
Brad Penner / USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
The uptick in NBA talent coming out of Serbia has been interesting to watch over the past decade. Especially over the past several years, Serbian talent appears to be on the rise.
In the 2024 NBA Draft, the prospect that could continue this trend is Djurisic. A hybrid player that can handle the ball or play on the wing, his offensive versatility is special. He’s got great positional height and is a legitimate shot maker. While Djurisic isn’t the greatest athlete, he has a great frame which makes up for it. He’s strong enough to play physical on both ends, even having the ability to back down smaller defenders in mid-post offensively.
With the ball in the Serbian prospect’s hands, good things tend to happen. He’s got a great handle and attacks well off the dribble. With that in mind, he’s got a lot of work to do as a finisher near the rim. Djurisic has improved as it relates to his change of speed and is starting to look like a really effective midrange shooter, especially in pull-up situations.
In general as a shooter, Djurisic uses his height and release point to shoot over defenders. He’s got a solid strong that looks effortless, but there’s still improvement to be made. He needs to become much more efficient as a scorer overall, but that should come with time.
Not only can Djurisic score the ball, but he’s also got a ton of upside as a passer. He’s inconsistent as a facilitator today, but it’s very easy to see what he could be in the future. He’s spectacular in transition and sees the floor in the half-court well, but is fairly turnover prone.
As the young prospect continues to get more experience, the hope is that he begins to process the game more quickly and will make more consistent decisions. Until then, we wouldn’t call him a legitimate facilitator, but he’s certainly on his way to becoming that.
Defensively, Djurisic has the build to be effective on wings and smaller forwards, but lacks the quickness for smaller guards. It will be interesting to see at the next level how he settles in on that end of the floor. Defense will likely be something NBA teams are taking a close look at between now and the draft.
Overall, the young guard has the tools to be a great shooter at the next level, but needs to become a more efficient scorer overall. He needs to maximize his production even with limited shot attempts.
Last season at Mega Basket, Djurisic did show quite a bit as a prospect and will now follow in the footsteps of Nikola Jovic, who was selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat.
Both of Djurisic’s parents were professional athletes overseas, so he’s got the genes to play at the highest level. He has experience playing against adults, and has even competed for the Serbian National team. He was named 2022 EuroLeague Next Generation Tournament MVP, proving to be one of the best young international players.
In the summer of 2022, Djurisic had the chance to play in front of quite a few NBA scouts in a matchup against Overtime Elite. The Serbian played well, showing off the versatility he has to offer on the big stage against other quality draft prospects.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Late First or Early Second-Round Pick in 2024 NBA Draft.
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