Mario Hezonja is the second mystery man of the NBA Draft from overseas. He is an offensive stalwart given to youthful mistakes and consistency issues.
The European prospect stereotype is always in play. Sorry, the NBA and its fans can be kind of like that sometimes.
Despite every assurance Kristaps Porzingis is coming to the NBA next year, there are still Magic fans afraid of Fran Vazquez happening again and several other teams and fans wondering whether they will really come to the NBA immediately.
Then there are the playing stereotypes. The soft, quiet label. The lack of elite talent and athleticism. The cultural and language barrier. Some of them are real concerns and some of them are the ghosts of failed prospects in the past.
Daily Knicks
The two European stars at the top of this Draft seem to buck that trend. Kristaps Porzingis has great athleticism and a desire to go into the post even if he needs to add muscle. He does not quite fit in the box European prospects get painted into.
So what do we make then of a chest thumping, shooting, confident to the point of cocky European swingman? That does not quite fit in the box either.
Unlike many of the young European prospects who come over, Mario Hezonja played for a championship team in Regal Barcelona (yes, the same team as Fran Vazquez), and had a big championship game. That will be the last taste scouts have of Hezonja before drafting him tonight.
In total, he averaged 5.8 points per game with 45.7 percent shooting and 37.9 percent from beyond the arc. In Game One of the ACB championship series with Real Madrid, Hezonja dropped 18 points on 5-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc (6 for 10 overall).
Here is a guy who has a great skill in being able to shoot the ball and is hungry for a larger opportunity. One that will only come slowly in Europe. Young players tend to play more in the NBA than they do in Europe.
Hezonja though has something very different than many of his European forebearers. He has swagger and confidence. That has been both one of the things that has separated him from his European predecessors and also one of his greatest detractions and weaknesses. Teams wonder if he can focus in and be successful in the NBA, particularly on the defensive end.
His offensive confidence is both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness in that sense. It appears to affect everything that he does.
Then come all those stereotypical European questions about adjusting tot he culture, the schedule and the bump up in athleticism.
It is all part of the questions that go with this prospect.
Next: The Good
The Good
Hezonja undoubtedly has offensive talent. Really he seems like the complete package on that end of the floor.
He has great length for a player in his position, seemingly able to play both the shooting guard and small forward position. In the open floor he has great passing ability and seems comfortable in transition. Athletically, he is deceptively long and capable of finishing at the rim.
He matches all that with a great ability to shoot the ball. He made a high percentage of his 3-pointers at the international level and was used a lot to spread the floor.
That is something that cannot be taken away. And when Hezonja knows he is on, the scoring comes in avalanches.
As much as any other prospect at his position in this draft, Hezonja can create for himself and others. His height makes it easier for him to pass through a defense and his driving enables him to score.
So few players at his age are able to play with and without the ball. Hezonja is definitely one of those players.
Again, think about the ability to attack off the dribble but spread the floor with a 3-point shot when others drive and kick. That seems exactly what the Magic need.
Hezonja’s shot looks like a thing of beauty. He can get it off in little space too. That kind of quick release also proves pretty valuable.
Hezonja has the look, the skill and the shot to be a great prospect. If he had gone to an American college, we might be talking about him in the same breath as Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor. That is the unfortunate bias against European players.
Yet, there are reasons to be worried about Hezonja.
Next: The Bad
The Bad
The hardest thing for a young player — a young person — is consistency. How do you handle adversity? How do you handle things when it is not going your way?
That is the biggest question going against Hezonja.
For all the bravado and confidence he exudes when things go well, the reputation on him is he pouts when he misses a shot and loses focus defensively when the offense is not working for him. That is not the makeup of a great player. The great players take pride on the defensive end.
Especially for the Magic, they seem to value the defensive end of the floor. They have drafted players — Victor Oladipo, Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon — who care more about their defensive effort and intensity than whether a shot is going in or not. All three of those players are still figuring themselves out in the league, but undoubtedly all three have an inner drive.
That is what the defensive end of the floor usually shows — an inner intensity to improve and get better. Hezonja is still learning how to show that and bring that consistently to both ends of the floor. It will be something he has to work on as he matures.
And, as with many other young players, he still goes for the flashy play rather than the simple one. He will make mistakes in transition or think his skills can carry him past less skilled defenders. This may work some of the time, but it will not work all of the time.
Even his great passing highlights have him making little fundamental mistakes — jumping on passes, for instance. Those errors will only get magnified at the NBA level.
Hezonja is going to have to settle into a system and refine these skills, becoming more precise with his attacks and his play. A lot of young players need to do this though, so how much of a concern is this really?
For the Magic, it is more an issue of culture and whether he fits what they are trying to build. They also need some offense though and that is what Hezonja is best at, at the end of the day. Maybe that risk makes it worth it since the Magic are preparing to start winning and need that scoring potential on the perimeter.
Next: Brett's Take
Brett’s Take
"Hezonja is 6-foot-8 and currently billed as a combo wing player who could play the shooting guard or small forward spot. His athleticism and size should render him a very big playmaking forward, while playing small forward full-time could be his eventual path. His skillset gives him the option of playing the 2, and he also has the speed to do it. That is a lot of what has scouts so intrigued with his prospects. His offensive ceiling is high. He is a very good athlete with superb leaping abilities, and he is a good pull-up jump shooter even extending beyond the arc."
Next: Draft Sites Say
Draft Sites Say
"Standing 6-8, he has ideal size for the wing position … Has a solid structure and high level athleticism even by NBA standards … He has bulked up some, adding muscle to his frame over the last couple seasons, training with top level athletes in a competitive environment. He still could work on his body strength to better withstand contact in the NBA … He lacks a solid mid-range game, which is the area where he struggles the most … He’s effective in ISO situations, but he tends to need a screen or generally a situation that creates an advantage for him, since when he’s forced to create a basket from off the dribble, he is less effective than other elite prospects."
"Hezonja is one of the most intriguing talents in this draft class, showing an impressive blend of athleticism and shooting ability while carving out a role off the bench for FC Barcelona in the Euroleague and ACB, the top leagues in Europe. Signing a seven year deal with the Spanish powerhouse prior to the 2012-2013 season, Hezonja served as the primary scorer on Barcelona’s 2nd team in the LEB Gold during his first year in Spain amid sporadic appearances for the club’s 1st team in mop up duty. Averaging only 9.6 minutes per-game playing for Barcelona’s senior team a year ago and 15.5 this year, Hezonja’s talent has shined brightly at times over each of the last two seasons, as he’s exploded for a number of big scoring games while playing an otherwise modest role."
Josh Robbins, Orlando Sentinel
"I think the Magic would be disappointed if the Knicks take Porzingis and would consider moving up to pry Porzingis away from the Knicks. Justise Winslow is the type of player — and person — Magic GM Rob Hennigan loves. Winslow’s smart, tenacious and selfless. But he’s similar in some ways to shooting guard Victor Oladipo and to combo forward Aaron Gordon. My guess is that the Magic instead would pick Hezonja, who combines above-the-rim athleticism with potentially stellar perimeter shooting. Hezonja’s buyout from FC Barcelona is said to be manageable. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the Magic take Texas big man Myles Turner at No. 5 or trade down to select Turner and also acquire a veteran or a future pick."
"The Magic have compiled a lot of young, talented players in the aftermath of their post-Dwight Howard rebuild, but it’s still not clear how everything fits together. Elfrid Payton, Victor Oladipo and Aaron Gordon are elite athletes, but don’t give Orlando much shooting. That’s where Hezonja could help at No. 5. Hezonja has great size and high-level athleticism for an NBA wing at 6’8. He’s a capable three-point shooter who could become very good over time."
"Do you know what’s better than two points? Three points. This is a shooter’s league. Teams are shifting to a spread look on offense – four out – so why not grab one of the best shooters in the draft? To paraphrase the esteemed Derek Bodner on the latest RtRS podcast, he said, “Orlando has some pieces. They’re not necessarily great pieces, but they’re pieces.” (Again, paraphrasing there). Elfrid Payton is a plus defender, whose jump shot and foul shooting need a complete overhaul. Hezonja could be a nice complement to Payton in the backcourt."
Chris Johnson and Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated
"Orlando bolstered its perimeter defense over the last two drafts by selecting Victor Oladipo andAaron Gordon. New Magic coach Scott Skiles has a track record of producing stingy defensive units, yet Orlando could use an injection of offensive talent after finishing No. 27 in the league in efficiency last season. Assuming Skiles can coax better defensive play out of the players already on board, Hezonja could boost Orlando’s prospects on the other end of the floor."
"The Magic have their backcourt of the future in Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton, now they can address their lack of depth on the wing. They very well may take Winslow if the Knicks take Mudiay, but in this situation, they take the better offensive talent in Hezonja, who can add some much needed scoring and shooting to their perimeter."
Next: Final Take
Final Take
If the Orlando Magic want offense with this Draft pick, Mario Hezonja is undoubtedly the guy they should take. Among the players they (or at least we) are focusing on, Hezonja has the most developed and advanced offensive skills along with the potential to grow them.
He undoubtedly would be the best option if the team needs scoring.
His shooting ability and ability to work off the dribble are going to be valuable at the NBA level. His confidence is going to help a ton too. This is a guy who knows his game and when he is on can play it at an extremely high level.
He is still rough around the edges though. He needs to continue improving his consistency and his efficiency within an offense. And he needs to commit himself to the defensive end outside of his shot.
That is something many young players have to do though. So how much should we be concerned by this? Maybe we should be more concerned with his turnovers and his inefficient play at times. The concern should certainly be on how his focus wanes when his offense does not work.
Again, consistency remains the big issue for Hezonja. He will have to prove he can be consistent as he grows. And he should. He is just 20 years old. All these guys have the time to improve.
If Hezonja improves on what he already is, he could be a very dangerous perimeter player.