A weekend full of basketball in the Serbian capital, where LDLC ASVEL beat the hosts Crvena Zvezda in the 1st qualifier of the Adidas Next Generation Tournament. A really competitive tournament which saw no team go undefeated and where a lot of prospects showed their talent and improved their stock for the future. We’ll take a look at the best from each team, in a total of 22 prospects, with video for each of them.
1st Place – LDLC ASVEL
Killian Malwaya – 6’3″ – 2005
Stats: 20 PPG, 69% 2FG, 5.5 RPG
MVP of the tournament with a great game in the Final. Plays mostly off the ball, cutting and appearing in the open areas. Impresses with his wingspan, verticality, speed and ability to shift his body mid-air, with a great body control and above the rim play. Able to hit open three with improved mechanics (6/21 3PT). Can protect the rim both on and off the ball and also contain penetration.
Kymany Houinsou – 6’5″ – 2004
Stats: 12.3 PPG, 76% 2FG, 3.8 APG
Was the main ball handler for ASVEL and although he was really good at times, I left kind of disappointed in his lack of aggressiveness on other instances. Still, he was absolutely dominant next to the rim, showed his creation ability and tried to involve his teammates as much as he could. Was really comfortable going downhill, when he could accelerate the game. Showed high IQ and sharpness playing the passing lanes.
Zaccharie Risacher – 6’7″ – 2005
Stats: 11.7 PPG, 7 RPG, 2.3 SPG
Continues to be, in my opinion, the top 2005 prospect in terms of ceilling. Incredible fluidity to his game, with a great combination of size, wingspan and mobility. Makes great reads and is a really talented passer. Seems to be starting to develop an interesting pull-up mid-range shot, which would push his game to another level. Is also a great offensive rebounder coming from the weak side. His wingspan allows him to be a really good defender both on passing and driving lanes.
Romain Parmentelot – 6’1″ – 2004
Stats: 10.8 PPG, 4.3 APG, 2.3 SPG
Super fast player in the open court, gets out in transition and uses his frame to withstand contact and still finish at the rim. Has quick hands on defense, allowing to snatch the ball away from players in the post or his direct opponent. Shows good touch on the mid-range, comfortable pulling up. Is also an interesting passer and likes to put some flair into his assists.
2nd Place – KK Crvena Zvezda mts
Nikola Topic – 6’5″ – 2005
Stats: 10.25 PPG, 59% 2FG, 6 APG
Perfect positional size, allows him to see above defenders and have a better vision of the court. Really good as a pick and roll handler, is a willing and extremely talented passer, with both hands and off the dribble. Doesn’t show a lot of burt, but is great at reading angles and can finish with contact, knowing how to use his body to shield his shot. Can shot from outside when open.
Luka Vudragovic – 6’4″ – 2004
Stats: 17.5 PPG, 45% 3FG, 2.8 APG
One of the best shooters, if not the best, of the whole tournament. Pull ups, spot ups and movement shooting, he can do it all. Is also an interesting scorer, able to score on all levels. Can receive the ball on the low post and take advantage of his good frame against smaller and similar builds. Likes to run out in transition to collect easy scores. Can pass a bit when the defense collapses on him, but is mostly a scorer.
3rd Place – Tofas Bursa
Berke Buyuktuncel – 6’7″ – 2004
Stats: 10.3 PPG, 65% 2FG, 2 SPG
Goes to another level when his shot is falling and shows improvement in that area. Very sound with the ball in his hands, can put the ball on the floor and create a bit. Shows good footwork around the rim and knows how to use his size. Is also a really good, patient passer. Has an excellent defensive IQ, can defend both on and off the ball, be it inside or outside.
Kerem Kuthan Konan – 6’6″ – 2004
Stats: 13 PPG, 72.7% 2FG, 6 RPG
Shot at an impressive clip inside the arc, with great effectiveness and proving to be one of the bigger surprises of the tournament. Can put the ball on the floor and shows some flashes of creation from the perimeter. Is really patient with the ball. Is developing an outside shot, but his mid-range pull up game is already at a good level. Really bouncy, goes after putbacks and goes up quickly after getting the ball on the dunker spot.
Ege Demir – 6’9″ – 2004
Stats: 12.5 PPG, 58% 2FG, 3.3 BPG
Completely dominant inside. A real force of nature that coudn’t be contained, with a great combo of size, strength and mobility. Uses his strength to win position for passes and offensive rebounds and finish around the rim, but has some touch too. Good post game with interesting footwork. Developed passer off the post, specially compared to last year. Is an amazing rim protector, rarely bites on fakes and repels shots in his vicinity. Recovers quite well after having to help. Relentless rebounder (6.8, 2.3 offensive).
4th Place – Next Generation Team
Ilija Milijasevic – 6’3″ – 2004
Stats: 13.5 PPG, 40% 3FG, 4 APG
Even with only two games played, Milijasevic had to figure here. His confidence shines on the big stage. Great shooter all around, being able to pull up and spot up with equal results. Gets to the rim going left or right and can finish or assist. He’s a willing passer, throwing also some crazy passes that the defense isn’t expecting. Doesn’t really need much space to get his shot off.
Luka Krajnovic – 6’5″ – 2004
Stats: 13.8 PPG, 44% 2FG, 4 APG
Probably the best player for the NGB team in the four games played. High IQ, knows how to drive and finish, using a good 1st step to get to the rim. Has a nice hesitation move to trick defenders and can finish acrobatically at the rim. Great at playing the pick and roll, reads the game well most times and discovers teammates. Interesting pull up mid-range shot.
Filip Jovic – 6’8″ – 2005
Stats: 11.5 PPG, 61% 2FG, 1.5 APG
Can finish and create for himself around the paint, with an interesting post game and footwork. Uses his body really well to protect his shot, mainly his opposing shoulder to park the defender under the rim before going up. Although undersized, his post game is really advanced for his age and guarantees him easy shots at the basket. Likes to spin towards the baseline and use his body to shield the defender behind him.
5th Place – Valencia Basket
Sergio De Larrea – 6’6″ – 2005
Stats: 17.5 PPG, 63% 2FG, 5.5 APG
Improved so much from what we saw last season. Likes to play on the break and in transition, finding pathes to the basket. Is really quick and agile getting to the rim, creating finishing chances out of nowhere. Can shoot from outside if given the space.Isn’t afraid to get creative with his passes, but gets the ball to where he wants it. Smart defender, reads attacker realy well both on and off the ball to stop penetrations or steal passes.
Lucas Mari – 6’5″ – 2005
Stats: 11.3 PPG, 67% 2FG, 7.3 APG
Such a good, on point passer. Can pass from a stationary position or on the move and always finds a teammate. Patient with the ball, doesn’t force penetrations, choosing to wait for paths to the rim to open. Good outside shooter, if he has the time and space to prepare. High levels of activity on defense, specially with his hands, always leaving attackers second guessing when he’s off the ball.
David Barbera – 6’9″ – 2005
Stats: 12.3 PPG, 62% 2FG, 1 BPG
Good roller and cutter, makes himself available to receive the ball and has good hands to catch it. Good combination of height and frame. Likes to run on the break and get the ball to finish. Has really good touch inside.
6th Place – Mega Mozzart
Bogoljub Markovic – 6’9″ – 2005
Stats: 9.5 PPG, 50% 2FG, 4.5 RPG
Really thin frame, but uses it really well, plus his mobility and vertical reach to get shots off over defenders. Good cutter, getting to the open space and making himself a target. Likes to finish and play around the rim and is a really good and smart passer.
Asim Djulovic – 6’7″ – 2005
Stats: 20.8 PPG, 64% 2FG, 1.8 SPG
One of the best scorers present in Belgrade. Likes to go left and has great touch finishing with his left. Likes to attack closeouts and uses the spin a lot to win position inside. Has a really good pull up mid range shot that he can go to and can play off the ball, appearing in open spaces when the defender isn’t looking.
7th Place – Lietkabelis Panevezys
Rokas Jocys – 6’5″ – 2004
Stats: 25.5 PPG, 58% 2FG, 5.3 APG
Highest scorer of the tournament, playing at his own pace. Has the IQ and patience to play the pick and roll and decide well and can also create his own shot. He’s not as flashy as other creators at ANGT, but is equally effective at it. His outside shot is really good and got back to his usual, after not seeming as comfortable this season.
Kristupas Keinys – 6’7″ – 2004
Stats: 9 PPG, 53% 2FG, 2.3 BPG
Good overall off-ball player, does a good job cutting and getting behind the defense and hits outside shots off the catch. Can work as a secondary initiator with his ability to get to the rim and assist colleagues on the move. He’s also a really good help defender. His size, quickness and verticality allow him to come off the ball to block shots and protect the basket.
8th Place – Partizan NIS Belgrade
Viktor Mikic – 6’11” – 2005
Stats: 15.8 PPG, 10 RPG, 2.8 APG
Good size and mobility. Excellent rebounder, has good timing and boxes out well. Has a really developed inside game, can pass off the high and low post and create from there for himself too. Understands angles and uses that to win position inside. Is also a good rim protector, times his jump well.
Ognjen Stankovic – 6’6″ – 2005
Stats: 14 PPG, 70% 2FG, 2.8 SPG
Mostly a driving finisher, is really good at attacking closeouts and taking advantage of an off-balanced defense. Can also play has a ball handler in pick and roll situations. Has the ability to shift his body and avoid contact when going to the rim. Can also shoot from outside with space. Reads defensive plays well and comes up with steals on the passing lanes.
Efe Tahmaz – 6’7″ – 2004
Stats: 7.3 PPG, 2.5 APG, 1 BPG
Tahmaz is another big surprise from this year’s edition. Showed some flashes of creation potential, can drive to the rim or assist an open teammate. Has great positinal size and moves with fluidity. Off the ball, has a nice looking shot and is a good shooter off the catch.