Nikola Đurišić Is a Lottery Pick
Occasionally taking a dive into the NBA scouting world is a fun exercise. I’d be the first to assert that I’m not a scout. I wouldn’t consider myself one, at least. The method I employ to take mental notes on prospects is watching game film on mute and blasting Amy Winehouse or Frank Ocean on my headphones. Matter of fact, I’m listening to “Rehab” right now. Scouting at 100% intensity is, to me, counter-intuitive. It leads to second-guessing and even triple-guessing, and by a certain point, one forgets what they were even scouting for in the first place. But in my searches this year, I may have found my favorite prospect: Nikola Đurišić.
The Serbian wing is being mocked as a second-round pick in the upcoming NBA draft, but I promise you, the reader, that he is so much more valuable. Đurišić has played for KK Mega Basket in Belgrade for the past four years, where he has emerged as a solid prospect and one of the best players in Serbia.
Ethnically Balkan, Nikola was born in Belgium when his father, Duško Đurišić, was still active as a professional footballer. But his father still isn’t the most accomplished athlete in the family. Nikola’s mother is a professional volleyball player who was formerly the captain of the Serbian national team.
Realistically, Đurišić could have made the jump from the Adriatic Basketball Association last year, but it made sense to wait a year until this draft class, seen by many draft evaluators (not myself necessarily) as a weaker overall group of prospects. In his time with Mega Basket, he has markedly improved as a player on both ends of the court.
His FG% has risen each full year in the ABA, going from a 38.6 FG% in 2021-22 to a 41.2 FG% mark in 2022-23 and a 45.4 FG% this past season. Listed at 6’8” (2.02 M), Đurišić is a scorer with bounds of creativity and an ability to fabricate space away from opponents on both the perimeter and interior. Đurišić’s outside shot-making was improved upon, as a not-so-great 22.0 3PT% in 2022-23 on 3.7 attempts per game rose to a much better 33.0 3PT% at an equal rate of attempts per game.
When I watch the tape, I see a very gifted offensive player in a draft class that is not filled to the brim with high-level scorers. I see a player that can immediately make a difference in the NBA. In his last six games in the ABA, Đurišić had point totals of 12, 20, 26 (twice) and 31 (twice).
Historically, March Madness has served as a propellant for plenty of prospects over the years. Why shouldn’t Nikola benefit from playing his best basketball when it matters most? In a three-game stretch in late March to early April against KK Split, KK Igokea, and KK Cedevita Olimpija, he posted three straight games of 10+ FGM after not reaching that mark once before in the 2023-24 season. In that game against KK Cedevita Olimpija in the first round of playoffs, he went 11-16 from the field with a 3-5 mark from deep while adding seven assists and five rebounds.
Defensively, there’s certainly ample area to improve. I can’t really argue that, but I will say that he is better on that end of the court than most publications are giving him credit for. With further development, he could become a solid defender at the NBA level.
There are very few players in this year’s draft with Đurišić’s combination of height and shot creation. Even if all of his other attributes were below-average, I would still consider taking a flier on him. But as it stands right now, Đurišić’s creativity is not limited to just shot-taking. He is silently a very good passer, even with a high propensity for turnovers. That is something that I have faith in Đurišić growing out of as he continues to progress as a prospect.
This draft class doesn’t deserve the amount of hate that it’s receiving. It’s not the best class, sure, but it’s certainly not the worst. There are some really special players at the top of the class, such as Ron Holland and Alexandre Sarr. But Nikola Đurišić is much closer, in terms of potential, to the lottery than he is to the second round. It’s all about ceiling, and to me, Đurišić has the potential to become a reliable offensive spark off the bench in the next couple years, with room for further growth as his career goes on. This is a player that shines on film and has a chance to become a starter in the NBA. Reader, please take a look at Nikola Đurišić.
I’ll take this opportunity to coin the phrase “Nikola Fatigue.” Between Nikola Jović, Topić, and Đurišić, there have been several high-profile prospects with the name over the past few years, along with the best player in the world (Nikola Jokić) having the name as well. This means each of the three Nikola prospects has to work harder to distinguish themselves to the casual fan. Đurišić has the tools to become the second-best Nikola in the league eventually.
In addition to shot creation from deep, Đurišić has the ability, with his size, to get to the basket and finish at the rim, a trait that is readily available to watch on his game film. Are the interior defenders in the ABA at the same level of the NBA? No, but the big men in the NCAA ranks aren’t at that level either. I hate that particular track of thought when it comes to scouting. Why is it automatically assumed by some that stats in the American amateur leagues are worth more than stats in international professional leagues? It doesn’t make sense.
I’m not an NBA general manager with a lottery pick. That’s a label that applies to only 12 people on Earth. But if I were, since we’re speaking hypotheticals here, I would select Nikola Đurišić in the late lottery. He has my vote. Flash forward five years and I feel good about my selection. Book it.