Welcome back Hoop Ballers to our International Spotlight weekly feature where we will be taking a deeper look into the two best shooters in this year’s International rookie class.

This is part of a series of installments where I will break down the top international prospects with in-depth scouting reports and early projections about their statistical impact. You can check the complete international class here.

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Dzanan Musa

(KK Cedevit, Adriatic League ABA), 6’9” 195lb. SG/SF

Musa took his game to another level this year by solidifying himself as a top offensive option for one of the best teams in the Adriatic League, even though he is only 19 years old. During the current season, he was named the ABA League’s Top Prospect while also being voted to the All-League First Team. He became the ninth-youngest player in EuroLeague history to make his debut as a 16-year-old a couple years ago and just like Luka Doncic, he is very experienced for someone his age.

His team is the Croatian club of KK Cedevita Zagreb, which competes in three separate leagues:

1. The domestic Croatian league, a tough-nosed league full of veterans and young prospects who try to make a name for themselves.
2. The Adriatic League (ABA), a regional men’s professional basketball league that features clubs from the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYROM, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia) and ranks in the top-10 of leagues around Europe.
3. The EuroCup, the second-tier continental league, behind the EuroLeague.

Overall, in 67 games so far, he is averaging 12.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 23 minutes per game, shooting 48 percent from the field and 32 percent from behind the arc.

Here is how his stats break down:

Croatian League: 13.5 Points, 4.0 Rebounds, 2.8 Assists, 47.7 percent and 30.1 from behind the arc in  24.2 minutes per game

Adriatic League: 12.5 Points, 3.3 Rebounds, 1.6 Assists, 47.7 percent and 30.1 from behind the arc in 23.7 minutes per game

EuroCup: 10.5 Points, 3.2 Rebounds, 0.9 Assists, 47.5 percent and 36.4 from behind the arc in 20.2 minutes per game

You can tell how, even though his numbers were pretty consistent, they did fall a little bit at the highest level of competition (EuroCup) where defenses are harder to break but the fact that he finishes the season having played almost 70 games is a great indicator of his durability in the NBA.

Scoring Variety and Strong Mid-Range Game

Musa is a skilled offensive talent that has shown the ability to score in a variety of ways. An excellent catch-and-shoot player, he can light it up from three, he has good open court speed that helps him get easy transition buckets, he takes advantage of mismatches on the perimeter and uses a combination of shots to attack the basket (Euro step, floaters, step-back pull-up jumpers). A scoring wing who sometimes struggles with his decision-making and has trouble competing against bigger and more physical opponents, he has been surprisingly consistent for a 19-year-old this season and he is a solid shooter with NBA range. Even though he has a quick release, his stroke is somehow unorthodox and needs some refining as he is not overly reliable from deep and he doesn’t always get great balance and solid mechanical, repeatable motion.

What makes him a skilled scorer overall is how he can get his shot off the dribble and drive to the basket and finish through contact with either hand, even though he prefers attacking from the left side. Obviously, this will be harder to do in the NBA against bigger and more athletic opponents but he doesn’t show any hesitation and he has been successfully at drawing plenty of fouls and getting to the line frequently where he is automatic, shooting a combined 81 percent this season.

Dzanan spends the majority of time with the ball in his hands and even though he still needs to work on his pick-and-roll skills overall, he is better at scoring rather than creating for his teammates. I noticed how he tends not to share the ball and make the extra pass, choosing instead to finish with a questionable drive or shot but his team has given him the green light to do so and he responded by becoming their main offensive weapon.

The Bosnian swingman fits the model of a modern NBA wing with his above average scoring instincts and decent size, items that make him an attractive prospect in today’s NBA, as he has proven capable of sliding into different lineup configurations and operating anywhere from the shooting guard to the power forward position. Still there is plenty of room for development as he is not much of a back-to-the-basket player, doesn’t mix it up in the lane and sometimes struggles to contribute when his shot isn’t falling.

Not Athletically Gifted & Below-Average Defender

Musa’s draft stock is heavily affected by the fact that he has below-average length for his height and good but not great athleticism. His lack of length limits his defensive upside and his ability to contribute in the rebounding area. His explosiveness and bounce are simply average and he has to compensate for that with his craftiness but I strongly believe that he could pick up bigger players on switches down the line. He lacks the strength for that right now but has shown some tenacity looking to front the post in instances where he found himself guarding a big man. His long, thin and short of unusual body frame is a concern for some scouts, however this is an area where he could see improvement by working with the staff and the resources of an NBA team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqu5cXIFJ_A

Watching more film on him in the last couple months has me worried regarding his defensive consistency though, as despite some solid stretches where he is locked in and aggressive while investing the necessary amount of energy on the other side of the ball as well, he shows a continuous lack of concentration and questionable flashing for steals that only translate to easy opportunities in transition. He loses his man a lot on the weak side, especially in ball screen situations and this could cause him serious problems at the next level where players are much quicker and more athletic than the opponents he currently faces.

Statistical Projection

Finding himself in the right situation could be a key to his development as he could either develop into an efficient scorer for a championship contender or struggle to translate his game due to his lack of strength and explosive athletic ability.

NBA teams have to be hopeful that Musa’s strength on offense will outweigh his defensive deficiencies as

Europeans are having more and more success transitioning to the NBA game today than was the case a few years ago. He will most likely spend his first couple years in the league trying to add strength and catch up to the more complex offensive and defensive schemes so I don’t expect him to have a ton of impact immediately unless the opportunity presents itself.

MIN    FG%        FT%       3PT%      3PM     REB       AST       STL       BLK       PTS       TO

10       44%         75%        28%         0.9       0.7         0.5         0.3         0.2         6.0        1.5

Projection: Mid to late first round

Svitoslav Mykhailiuk

(Kansas) 6’8” 211lb. SG

Svi has been a well-known prospect to scouts after impressing with the Ukrainian national team in the 2013 FIBA European U-16 Championship where he was selected in the All-Tournament Team, completing an outstanding championship with averages of 25.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He followed up that performance with an equally impressive showing next year at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit where his size and shooting ability were in display as a lanky 16-year-old-kid. He committed to Kansas where he earned valuable experience after playing all four years but his decision took a toll on his draft stock which consistently declined over time after failing to earn the necessary playing time. His senior year was sort of a breakthrough as he played almost 35 minutes and averaged career-highs in points, rebounds and assists, putting himself in the radar of NBA teams.

2018 Draft Combine Winner

Mykhailiuk was measured as a negative three last week at the combine, as he was 6-7.75 in shoes with a 6-4.75 wingspan. (If your wingspan is longer than your height you will have a positive index but if your wingspan is shorter than your height you will have a negative index).

Regardless, that didn’t really affect his stock as he put an impressive showing during Day 1 of the NBA combine and he was hands down one of the top performers in the five-on-five scrimmages, leading all scorers while chipping in six rebounds as well.

His performance validated the fact that he has shown steady improvement over the years while expanding his game and becoming a better passer and decision maker to go along with developing a nice shooting stroke. Take a look at his performance from day one where he shot a decent 7-of-17 and 6-of-9 from 3-point range (he is number 66 on the Grey Team):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgFx4sRqteU

A Capable Spot-Up Shooter

Svi has evolved into a deadly knock down shooter with deep range and a mechanically sound stroke, hitting nearly 45 percent of his shots from 3-point range as a senior. While there are limitations to his game, as he’s pretty one dimensional offensively, his ability to come off screens and hit pull-up three-pointers off side pick-and-rolls or spot-ups makes him a valuable commodity as he shows the potential of becoming a 3-and-D guy.

His ability to make plays at the rim has also improved the last couple years but he will most likely struggle to get to the line at the NBA level. While his exceptional height and length for a shooting guard allow him to see and pass over the defense and get his shot off against smaller defenders, I’m skeptical about how this skill will translate in the NBA.

His basketball IQ is above average as he frequently makes the right play, whether it’s the extra pass, attacking the basket, or taking the open shot. He needs to improve his playmaking and creating abilities since, as for now, he is simply a spot up shooter who will occasionally cut to the rim.

Defensive Versatility

The Ukrainian wing has average athleticism and a minus wingspan but he has been tested against bigger opponents at the collegiate level after logging almost every single minute at the four last year, playing against some of the nation’s best talent at that position. He did really well for most of the part, including a terrific effort against Marvin Bagley to help Kansas beat Duke and reach the Final Four.

Svi is a decent defender and has the lateral quickness to stay in front of similarly-sized players but he struggles containing dribble penetration and lacks the length to contest shots effectively. He does offer upside but a lot will depend on whether he can avoid getting exploited in potential mismatches.

Statistical Projection

The 20-year-old senior is in the conversation for the best shooter in the draft but his upside is affected by a lack of potential development as it’s hard to believe that he will actually add a great deal to his game. He will likely be a target for teams looking to add players ready to contribute now and even though he is still young he could find himself in the right position to contribute.

MIN    FG%         FT%       3PT%      3PM     REB      AST       STL       BLK       PTS       TO

15        37%         65%        34%         1.2       1.7        0.9         0.5         0.4         9.0        1.1

Projection: Late first to early second round

Thank you for reading this article and please make sure you check us back again next week and throughout the offseason as more player breakdowns are coming up. Stay up to date on all the breaking news and rumors posted on our website and on our Twitter account @HoopBallFantasy.

Stats are courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com and are accurate as of May 24^th.