He projects as a mid-to-late second round pick. The 6-6, 208-pounder struggled from outside, hitting just 34-of-126 3-point attempts (27.0%), so that has been the focus of his draft workouts. He averaged 16.1 points per game for the Razorbacks and was one of the squad's top defenders. Djurisic was one of four players listed at 6-6 or taller along with Ricky Council IV from Arkansas, Jordan Miller from Miami and Tevian Jones from Southern Utah.Ĭouncil helped Arkansas to the Sweet 16 in his lone season there after being named the American Athletic Conference Sixth Man of the Year in 2021-22 at Wichita State. The workout roster was further evidence of the Pacers' interest in rangy wings who can play defense. 55 in the second round and could obviously see the numbers change if they make trades. 7 overall pick, but the Pacers also have picks at No. None of the six are among the discussion at the No. That's not me."ĭjurisic was one of six players the Pacers hosted for a workout Tuesday. ![]() "I'm trying to prove I can shoot the ball from 3-point range," Djurisic said. His youth gives him plenty of time to improve on that, and he has potential to become another star form the Balkan states. ![]() He was 22-of-91 from 3-point range (24.2%) for Mega this season. His stats, however, show his 3-point shooting has been lacking, which is a narrative he's trying to change. He was held to single-digit scoring just four times all season according to Eurobasket, and in two games with Mega's U19 team, he scored 53 combined points.ĭjurisic's film from Europe shows he can be a strong finisher on drives to the rim and has a very good mid-range game. He averaged 13.1 points and 3.7 assists per game this season with 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals. I can be a leader on the court."ĭjurisic has proven he has a multi-faceted game. "I'm trying to prove I can play both defense and offense," Djurisic said. ![]() Tuesday's workout was his second for an NBA team at its facility and he believes it went better than the first. That was the main part."īut he's starting to get the hang of it. "So when I was playing defense, I got lost and confused. "My first workout, we played one-on-one and it was definitely hard because the 3-point line is further away from the basket," Djurisic said. The NBA court is longer, the 3-point line is further out, and the paint is rectangular rather than the trapezoid lane in FIBA that widens closer to the basket. More: Pacers' history of undrafted players nothing like the Heatīut for all of that exposure to NBA quality players and NBA-type workouts, it's still taken time since he's been in the United States for the combine and his workouts to get used to the ways the NBA court is different from International Basketball Federation (FIBA) courts. Insider: Four things to know about the Pacers' draft approach He's worked out with Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, who comes from Montenegro. It helped me a lot, definitely."ĭjurisic, a potential first-round pick in this month's draft and skilled wing who measured 6-7, 217.6 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, said his former teammate Jovic is one of his closest friends. So when we come here, we can get used to it instantly. "We do practices over there like here almost," Djurisic said Tuesday after a Pacers draft workout at the Ascension St. It also produced Clippers big man Ivica Zubac, former Pacers center Goga Bitadze, former Gonzaga star Filip Petrusev and Miami Heat wing Nikola Jovic, a 2022 first-round pick whose playing time has been limited in his first year. The program was home to two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, who will be pursuing his first league title with the Nuggets in the NBA Finals starting Thursday against the Heat. They played Indiana in The Bahamas in August of 2021 and Virginia in Italy last summer. It looks for opportunities in the summer to play American college teams on foreign tours. ![]() The 19-year-old Serbian is used to playing against adults with his professional club, KK Mega Bemax which plays in the Adriatic League and specializes in developing young players and sending them overseas to the NBA. INDIANAPOLIS - One of the most difficult things for Nikola Djurisic to get used to in draft workouts is the court itself. Watch Video: Nikola Djurisic speaks at a Pacers draft workout.
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