Borisa Simanic, Red Star Belgrade, Serbia, PF, 19.0 Strengths
-Great size for either forward spot at a hair under 7'feet in shoes. 9'0 ½ standing reach is big enough to play some center if his frame ever fills out
-Fluid athlete who can get off his feet quickly and plays above the rim effortlessly. Light on his feet and highly mobile overall
-Outstanding shooting stroke in warmups. Catches and shoots on the hop. Ball comes out of his hand very smoothly. Shows the ability to hit spot-ups and pull-ups from NBA range
-Shows touch on his floaters. Skilled player overall for a guy his size
-Shows some instincts as a shot-blocker. Has the timing, reach and athleticism to protect the rim a bit if strength isn't an issue.
-Undoubtedly has talent/upsideWeaknesses
-Doesn't have very long arms (7'0 ½ wingspan) relative to his height
-Has long had a projectable frame, but really hasn't done much with it. Weighed just 203 pounds at the Hoop Summit. Not clear if he'll be able to add much weight long term, which limits his ability to play the interior positions
-Doesn't have much ability to create high percentage shots for himself. Wants to get to his pull-up mid-range jumper every time.
-Can play above the rim, but shies away from contact at the basket, negating his physical tools.
-Doesn't have a great feel for the game. Struggles to see the floor effectively. Average passer at best
-Not clear what position he is best suited defending. Too upright on the perimeter to defend 3s. Too weak to guard most power forwards. Doesn't give you enough as a defensive rebounder
-Gets extremely nervous anytime he was asked to operate in competitive settings, even in shooting drills. Struggles with adversity. Hangs his head after misses. Not a next play guy.Outlook Simanic was a major tease throughout the week, showcasing impressive talent in the five on zero drills, but then completely going into a shell anytime a live defender was thrown into the mix. He struggled in the game as well, only playing ten minutes and having a difficult time getting anything going in his time on the floor. Simanic has had a very difficult season, barely seeing any playing time for Red Star, which surely hasn't helped his confidence. He's one of the bigger talents to come out of Serbia in the last few years, but there are major question marks about this point about his ability to realize his potential and turn into a productive player, even at the European level.
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