

With a small forward build, the Serbian can also pass incredibly well and has good court vision. Jovic is an anomaly for his height, a 6-foot-10 shooting guard who can stretch the floor – he shot a 35.6 percent from beyond the arc last season. Could they double-dip? Nikola Jovic Photo by David Grau/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Nikola Jokic Getty Images 21 pick. And Denver brought Jovic in for a workout in the pre-draft process. The 19-year-old Serbian product Jovic (born in Leicester, England) is predicted to be selected around the mid-to-late first round of the 2022 NBA Draft. In fact, he even played on the same Serbian pro team as Jokic, the Adriatic League’s Mega Basket. Nikola Jovic is Serbian, just like the back-to-back MVP, and also works as a playmaker and scoring option for the squads he’s played on. But he also has great touch around the basket as a slithery finisher," writes Irving. "He is coming off of a strong season with Mega Basket in the ABA, where he proved he's more than capable of holding his own against other pros.The Nuggets may be getting another player similar to Nikola Jokic next season – so similar that you only need to switch out one letter. "Jovic is at his best playing on the perimeter with crafty passing skills. SN's draft expert Kyle Irving had Jovic ranked 21st on his most recent big board and had him going to the Grizzlies with the 22nd pick in his most recent mock draft. Where is Nikola Jovic projected to go in the 2022 NBA Draft? Jovic is often compared to skilled European wings such as Hedo Turkoglu, Danilo Gallinari and Deni Avdija. Jovic also has room to improve as a finisher around the basket and can be turnover prone at times, coughing the ball up 2.7 times per game this season. He has shown signs of growth lately, bodying up forwards like Rodions Kurucs on penetration and using his positional length to change shots in the paint. Evolving his off-ball defense and stabilizing his often-fluctuating motor will really help him win the margins, as he's likely never going to quite have the range or flexibility to be a 1-on-1 stopper. Jovic will have to improve drastically on defense, as he's a bit too upright to consistently stay with perimeter players yet not quite physical enough to bang with true bigs on the interior.

The biggest knock on Jovic is that he needs to add some size and improve as a defender. While he might need to bulk up to play power forward in the NBA, it's not hard to see Jovic eventually playing the role of a stretch four or point forward. He's not considered to be an elite athlete, but he runs the floor well in transition and is capable of finishing at the rim. Jovic has a smooth shooting stroke with range that extends out to the 3-point line, flashed some potential as a shot creator, handles the ball well for his size and is a legitimately good passer. Jovic is a 6-foot-11 forward with guard skill and a good feel for the game. Jovic also earned votes for best international player not in the NBA by some of the league's general managers ahead of the 2021-22 season. Previous winners include Dario Saric, Ante Zizic, Goga Bitadze and Jokic. Jovic was named the ABA League Top Prospect at the season's end, an honor that goes to the league's best player aged 22 and under. 428/.356/.754 shooting splits (field goals/3-pointers/free throws). In 25 games (19 starts), he averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists on. Jovic spent the 2021-22 season playing for Mega Basket's senior men's team in the Adriatic Basketball Association. In fact, Jovic hasn't ever met Jokic, though he hopes that'll change soon.Ī player by the name of Nikola Jovic is making some shots at the pre-draft workout. They're both Serbian and all but one letter in their names is the same, but no, Nikola Jovic and Nikola Jokic aren't related. Jovic measured at 6-foot-11 in shoes with a 7-foot wingspan at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine. Jovic was born in England but is from Serbia. How old is Nikola Jovic?īorn on June 9, 2003, Jovic is 19 years old. Now, Jovic is expected to hear his name called in the first round of the draft.įrom his background to his strengths and weaknesses, here's everything you need to know about the top European prospect in the 2022 NBA Draft. According to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, he switched from playing water polo to basketball as a teenager, and it wasn't until March of 2021 that he was considered to be a major prospect in Europe. Jovic only recently burst onto the scene. The most interesting one in the group? Nikola Jovic. There isn't an international prospect in this year's draft projected to go as high as Giddey or Wembanyama, but that doesn't mean there isn't any international talent to get excited about. Next year, France's Victor Wembanyama is expected to be the No. Last year, Australia's Josh Giddey was selected in the lottery.
