Official Thread: Ante Tomic

[admin]

Ante Tomic, C
18 years old 7'2" 220 lbs.
KK Zagreb, International

Check out the complete profile at: Full Profile (http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=257)

[ukicrules]

http://goodyear.adriaticbasket.com/igraci.php?id=575

if anybody cares about his stats this is the place to look.....

[KristianH]

Tomic must gain some weight, if he want to play serious basketball. He is defensively exposed because of his awfuly weak body.

[KristianH]

Mitch Kupchak was in Zagreb to see a game againts Partizan...

[xtf]

For me, he is an big prospect, he has a terrific passing skill for a big man

[ukicrules]

last game ...19 pts in 19 min. 7 rebs. (5 off.) fg 9-12..... the reason why he did not play more is he got 5 fouls......

[KristianH]

Offensively he has repertoire that few centers can match, but he is poor defensively. Could probably be lottery pick even this year.

[ukicrules]

This boy is going straight into lottery 2007 ... his game moved on a totally new level last two weeks.... nice....

[Genjuro]

This boy is going straight into lottery 2007 ... his game moved on a totally new level last two weeks.... nice....
His game or the competition he's facing?

Anyway, he's an awesome prospect.

[ukicrules]

a little bit of both, I guess..... but it sure will help him build some confidence before U20 EC.....

[KristianH]

They play againts Cibona tommorow...

[jwfish6]

This seems like a very appropriate question concerning Tomic because of the hype he is receiving (not saying he does not deserve it): What makes Tomic any different than Perovic 2 years ago? Perovic got this same hype and they share a similar body. Do you think Tomic will wind up better, or could he fall out of draft status in 2 years? In my opinion, even if these guys are not ready, they should go to NBA. For example, Perovic and Samardziski would have been lottery picks 2 years ago, same with Andriskevecius, but they decided to "wait and develop in Europe" and in the process their draft status declinded. These players, even if they are not ready, should go to the NBA and get the money that they can and try to get better after they sign their contracts and work hard in practice and the D league like Milicic has done. I do not think it is very smart (for the individual) to wait like Perovic has and maybe not even get drafted at all, when 2 years ago he would have been a lottery. If at the very least, enter the draft and then stay in Partizan (like Krstic did). I think guys like Perovic, Samarzizki, Tripkovic, Tomic, Belinelli and other young Euros are making mistake by not putting their name in draft earlier. This is exactly why they should all put their name in this year (especially Tripkovic Belineli Tomic and Aleksandrov ) and not pull out because in 2 years they could be the next Perovic or Samardziski.

[KristianH]

Tomic is better prospect then Perovic ever was...he is much faster then Kosta, isn`t soft like Perovic, has tremendous ballhandling and passing ability, nice back to the basket game, reliable mid-range jumper. Only thing that Kosta has on him currently is strenght. Tomic is incredibly weak player, but he already has all other tools to be top center in Europe, skill-wise there are very few players his size who can shoot, pass and handle the rock as Ante.

Samardziski wasn`t ever considered lottery pick, Kosta was at one stage. Predrag is as slow as Perovic, but not so skilled on offensive end.

[KristianH]

All these guys you mentioned are making smart decision by not putting thier name in, since they can be drafted higher after more seasoning in Euroleague. They can`t improve that much by sitting on the bench of NBA club or playing in NBDL. In the long term staying in Europe will bring them more money.

[ukicrules]

He is spending all summer with Croatian SENIOR national team....
it will make him into a scary ballplayer..... watch as he dominates GYL starting this fall... of all the players on this board he is a guy to keep an eye on....GO TOMIC....GO CROATIA...

[coachjon]

i think tomic will probably go in the top 10 in 2008 if he declares. in 2007 i think he will still not be ready and he would have to compete with greg oden, spencer hawes, joakim noah, josh mcroberts.

i like him because of his versatility. i haven't seen much of him but from the few little blubs i have he seems to have a lot of potential. he just needs to prove himself for a full season in a top league overseas because a lot of potential euros aren't getting drafted now without putting up decent numbers overseas first.

[Hitster]

Yes, I think that 2008 will definitely be the year for Tomic, he'll only be 21 then and with another two years of playing in Europe under his belt and having the chance to fill out he could be a genuine NBA Centre. He has a real chance of being the top drafted big man in 2008 with his likely competition being Thabeet. Declaring next year would harm his draft position and could potentially cost him several million dollars in lost salary in the long run due to being drafted lower. Also as I've said on previous posts and coachjon said on the previous posts with 4 PFs/C's in the top few draft picks on most of next year's mocks and several other decent big men prospects in the top 20, it could seriously effect his draft value apart from his game not having another year to mature. Training with the senior Croatian Team will help his game to develop as well. He may still be a bit of a project when he is drafted but if he does possess the rumoured skills then given his size he could be an awesome prospect.

[DonMonte]

@KristianH

Were you at the game KK Zagreb-Partizan Belgrade on Saturday? If Tomic was defending Perovic then Perovic destroyed him totaly. I watched some games this season from Partizan and Kostas game has improved. He is rebounding better and also makes shoots in the near from the FT-Linie. But he is still making to much TO. He has problems to control the ball if he is with the back to the basket and getting then getting the pass.

[ukicrules]

He clearly plays better than at the start of the season ...so why did he drop from two to eight in 2008mock draft.... did you guys discovered some serious flaws in his game or the other guys just improved even more than him...tnx...

[Genjuro]

He clearly plays better than at the start of the season ...so why did he drop from two to eight in 2008mock draft.... did you guys discovered some serious flaws in his game or the other guys just improved even more than him...tnx...
It's more a matter of American guys stepping up. Anyway, two was a bit high, considering his physical drawback.

[KristianH]

Tomic had 11 points, 8 rebounds and a block in yesterday upset win over Cibona, today he will have a chance to gain some hype with good performance in the Final againts Zadar. I kind of disappointed with his help defense, rebounding and shot-blocking, thought he would make bigger progress so far. Today he will be matched up againts probably best center in Adriatic league - Todor Gecevski, so it will be interesting how he fares, altrought Gecevski isn`t poweful player, the kind Tomic suffers the most againts.

[Hitster]

Players move up and down any draft especially one that is still 17 months away. Tomic is very much a work in progress as the current analysis on this site of his game states. Given his size and precieved upside, I'd still have him as a likely top 10 in 2007 as big European players do interest NBA GM's. It will be interesting to see how he develops compared to fellow European Big Man Zabelin as they are similar sizes and build. If Tomic did declare in 2007, he'd risk slipping outside the top 20 and could end up being drafted but left for a year or so to get more minutes in Europe.

[coachjon]

i think as of now tomic has slipped a little bit I thought before he would be a top 10 pick in 2008 now I think he could go anywhere from late lottery to late first round. His numbers have increased this year so its not because he isn't showing development I just think there are some new names to add to the 2008 mix that have made him slip.

[Cascadia]

"Ante Tomic Likely Staying in the Draft

On the heels of signing Finnish point guard Petteri Koponen, agent Marc Cornstein returned a call from DraftExpress to discuss the prospects of his latest signing, as well as the many other international players he is currently representing in this year’s draft.

The most intriguing news to come out of that conversation is probably the fact that, according to Cornstein, 7-2 Croatian center Ante Tomic is planning on keeping his name in this year’s draft. “Barring an injury, Tomic is committed to being in this year’s draft,” Cornstein reiterated on numerous occasions. “This is not a case of a European prospect testing the waters looking for feedback. We are not looking to pull his name out.”

Cornstein and his partners at Pinnacle Management are not only expecting Tomic to stay in, they also seem to have a pretty good indication of where he’s going to land in this year’s draft. “I have a good feel for where he’s going to get picked, and I’m very pleased with it.”

Tomic is planning on coming to the States once the Croatian league playoffs are over, if his team makes it. His buyout situation will not be a problem according to Cornstein, as him and the team are likely to work something out for the standard 500K, plus a percentage of his rookie contract."

http://www.draftexpress.com/blogs.php?blogid=3

So where does Tomic go in this year's draft? late first/early second?

[coachjon]

if his agent is pleased where he is going to be picked and that is why he is staying in it would seem his agent is trying to say they have a promise already which you would have to assume is in the first round. i would have to think it is late first round, but who knows potential bigs go in the late lottery a lot. i have a hunch maybe phoenix with one of their later first rounders could take a fly on him i mean they do need size and he is a skilled bigman that can run the floor. whoever takes him i would keep him overseas for at least a year or two.

[KristianH]

Im not surprised by his decision, since his team is not in place to qualify for regional Adriatic league Tomic did a reasonable thing. Without exposure in the Adriatic competition, his stock would certainly fall not matter how much he could dominate againts mediocre Croatian league competition.

My bet is that he gets selected in the latter half of the first round and plays major part of the next season in the NBDL. A very intriguing project, with great potential for a middle-first round, if he gets picked in that area.

[nextstar1019]

i agree
i think he will be slow to develop and will play in the d-league next season but he very well could become a good player in the future

[Hitster]

Seems like a no brainer choice for one of the teams with multiple picks in the first round, Phoenix could leave him abroad or in the D-League, Detroit could afford to do the same as they can bring on Johnson, Maxiwell more and even Philly with 3 choices could afford to take him with a later pick as he'd potentially give them something different.

[Matiz]

Tomić is a nobrainer- leaving for DLeague after this season, he'll return to europe in 4 years period, no matter his upside...
Doesn't matter who drafts him or which Dleague team he is sent to, I think there are european clubs willing to pay that buyout and he should clearly go to ACB, Lega or Russia to develope further and than decideing for NBA if he really wants to. With that scenario he could succed getting a rotation spot in some team, otherwise as I said, I give him 3-4 years before returning to europe...
I don't really know what most of these guys are thinking

[Hitster]

A team will look to own his draft rights but will most likely leave him abroad for a year like Washington have done with recent draft picks and the Spurs tend to do. With certain teams having multiple picks it becomes less of a risk as they already have players who they have drafted and can bring onto the rota straight away. A team may be tempted to bring him over even this summer, the Lakers have done a nice long term development job on Bynum and if Mihm leaves and with Brown being out of contract in 2008 then they could have a look at him as Kareem would be the perfect mentor. Also if the likes of Miami or Houston decided to draft big he'd be a nice fit long term behind Yao or Shaq with Mutombo/Lonzo also around as mentors.

He could of course move to a bigger European Team if they would pay his buyout as Matiz says and then move to the NBA in a few years as virtually a free agent as say Garbojsa did with Toronto. So it works both ways.

[KristianH]

Tomić is a nobrainer- leaving for DLeague after this season, he'll return to europe in 4 years period, no matter his upside...
Doesn't matter who drafts him or which Dleague team he is sent to, I think there are european clubs willing to pay that buyout and he should clearly go to ACB, Lega or Russia to develope further and than decideing for NBA if he really wants to. With that scenario he could succed getting a rotation spot in some team, otherwise as I said, I give him 3-4 years before returning to europe...
I don't really know what most of these guys are thinking

In priciple i agree with you, but in this particular case we are speaking about player whose biggest flaw is lack of physical strenght. Europeans aren`t known for thier weight program and while playing experience at high level in Europe surely would be valuble, i think Tomic would gain more by going overseas and working on his body. His skill-set is very polished through.

As far as Tomic goes, he has the size, athleticism and skills to be one of better Centers in next decade, however the big question surrounding him is will he be able to gain enough weight to hold his own in the post? That is legimate concern and he is high risk pick, but if he develops NBA body we are speaking about guy who can shoot, pass, handle the rock and has nice post up game.

[In_JoeDs_Head]

IMO he is going to rise up the draft boards as the weeks go on based on his potential. I could see Joe D snagging him if Law is unavailable. The pistons need a legit C. Joe would be willing to leave him overseas to develop. He is known to gamble on big Euros. :)

[CV3bandwagon]

The best situation for him would be to drafted by a team this year, and still be allowed to develop and play overseas for a few more years. That way he can get experience in Europe and keep developing his game, and be assigned a weight trainer by his team. He's physically probably not ready to play in the leauge, and the D-leauge is a joke.

[11player]

I think this kid will not have that many problems to reach 250lbs, which is enough to play in the NBA.

He should wait another year to come. Could even compete for the first pick in 2008.

[DonMonte]

I think this kid will not have that many problems to reach 250lbs, which is enough to play in the NBA.

He should wait another year to come. Could even compete for the first pick in 2008.

Are you kidding? He has no chance to be one of the first 5 picks in 08. The 08 draft will be also very good with some very nice guard players. The best case for me he could be a late lottery pick 12-14. But i believe that he will be drafted from position 20 or later.

[wombat6802]

His draft status/situation is beginning to sound a lot like those of Perovic (once top 5, drafted middle second round), I can't spell it, but Andriuscevicus (once top 3, drafted middle second round), Alexandrov (once top 3, projected middle second round), and a host of others...


Is it safe to advance the opinion that there is a chance he may go middle second round in the future?

[coachjon]

he looks like a late first early/early second guy to me and I think he is going to stay in this year.

[Hitster]

Some team will take a look at him, if one of the top teams don't take a chance on him with a single pick, the likes of Phoenix, Philly, Detroit all have two or more first round picks and could maybe take a gamble on him. Also Seattle have 31st and 35th pick and given their ability to stockpile big men could be interested in him.

[11player]

Are you kidding? He has no chance to be one of the first 5 picks in 08. The 08 draft will be also very good with some very nice guard players. The best case for me he could be a late lottery pick 12-14. But i believe that he will be drafted from position 20 or later.

Well, you know, I said he could, not that he will. He's still young, could develop his game significantly, have a dominant Adriatic league in 2008, who knows, but it's within reach.
Bigmen are always more valuable in the draft than Guards.

I just saw him listed at his team website, at 237lbs (108kg). Is that true? If it is he is not that far from an ideal NBA playing wheight.

[coachjon]

UPDATED TOMIC
Likely a late first to early second round pick in 2008 or 2009 when he is automatically eligible. i think he is a guy that is an end of the bench guy in the NBA (unless he gets in the right system)/ better off overseas.

he is a inside/outside bigman that is a good low post scorer, good midrange shot, good passer, good ballhandler, runs the floor good, good wingspan, needs to add weight/strength which may be a problem, poor post defender, not very athletic.

His combination of lack of strength and lack of athleticim is really going to limit his NBA potential. He needs to get in the right system in the NBA to have success which would be on a uptempo team where he can be a finesse bigman that can utilize his faceup skills.

[ukicrules]

http://www.adriaticbasket.com/player.php?id=575
just take a look at how his rebounding improved and how he plays on the very high level game after game after game... Must be he has some skills after all...

[Hitster]

Tomic doesn't really seem to have developed given that he was seen as a late lottery pick in a couple of drafts. I'd guess that 2009 could now be his year and unless he can step up his form he'd be a late first rounder as some team might take a punt on him but he maybe doesn't have the game which suits the NBA but could be a star in a good European League then consider an NBA run later in his career.

[Hitster]

Good you see him having a couple of nice games, he does look an interesting finese big man prospect but rather like say Zablin he has done so for a couple of years and has been around the draft board radar. Unlike Splitter who is fairly NBA ready but had buyout issues Tomic has this percieved need to develop especially bulkwise combined with a nice upside. In this situation I think he almost needs to declare as unless he has a breakout year then his draft stock wouldn't rocket. Some team would take a run at him and stash him away abroad as I don't see him suddenly becoming NBA ready in a year if he hasn't done so over the last two years and it could be say another 2 or 3 years of gradual improvement to get him an NBA ready game.

An NBA team has him on their books, getting drafted maybe improves his profile and earning power in Europe. He can carry on playing in Europe and still has the chance of an NBA career long term. He is after all only just 21 so not coming to the NBA until he was say 24 would not really harm him.

[ukicrules]

I on the other hand think that it is better for him to wait... now he is much lower than six months ago... if he continues to fall it is not big deal.... being in second round of undrafted is not much of a difference.... but since he is playing much better since they have a new coach and with another summer of National Team duties ( maybe he can even make it to the olympics) he could end up in top 15 again by the summer of 2009....