San Antonio Spurs Draft: Nikola Topic Not the Answer at Point Guard?
It’s no secret that the San Antonio Spurs need a point guard, and it’s no secret that they’re bad enough this season to land another top pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
The Spurs seem committed to the Jeremy Sochan point guard experiment, but it has not resulted in wins. The best-case scenario is pretty simple: next year the Spurs have a real starting point guard, and Sochan feels more comfortable with the ball in his hands.
Head and shoulders above everyone else so far in the 2024 point guard class are Isaiah Collier from USC and Nikola Topić from Mega Basket in Serbia. Nikola Jokic also played for that club.
USC's Isaiah Collier is also listed as one of the 2024 NBA Draft's best guards.
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Some are claiming that Topić is the ideal pick-and-roll partner to complement Victor Wembanyama moving forward. Honestly, the 7-4 phenom could probably run the pick-and-roll with any point guard with experience, but I digress.
In 10 games so far this season, Topić is averaging 18.9 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.2 rebounds. He boasts 1.1 steals but shoots only 26 percent from three. That being said, he gets to the rim rather well and acts more as a floor general than a scorer.
Topić’s strengths are easily apparent: he is 6-6 and is one of the best players in the Adriatic League at age 18. He is strong enough to absorb contact in the paint and finish through physicality and can sink the free throws that he earns. His vision is unquestionably elite, but he is far from the perfect prospect.
Topić is not a terrible three-point shooter, but there are concerns about whether or not he can improve his shot to the NBA level. He is physically gifted with a seven-foot wingspan, but his lateral quickness has been difficult to project against his Adriatic League competition. If his defense can translate to the NBA, more power to him, but if it can’t, then the Spurs will be left with an oversized point guard with solid vision and an ability to get to the rim, but with a shaky jump shot.
As one of the youngest players in the upcoming draft, the comparisons to Josh Primo pretty much write themselves. Off-court issues aside, it was pretty clear by the time that he was waived that Primo was not a franchise savior, despite the optimism surrounding him.
Topić’s offensive floor is comparable to Killian Hayes's, which is never a good thing. Sure, Hayes has never had any talent surrounding him (sorry, Detroit fans), but he is not a scorer and is readily left open behind the arc.
While Topić is climbing up draft boards, the Spurs would do much better drafting Collier from the Trojans if given the chance, as he is a much more well-rounded prospect heading into the draft, with better physical tools.
