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5 players for the Orlando Magic to watch at the NBA Draft Combine

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Kentucky's Shaedon Sharpe warms up Jan. 25, 2022.Syndication The Courier Journal
Kentucky's Shaedon Sharpe warms up Jan. 25, 2022.Syndication The Courier Journal /
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5 players to watch at the NBA Draft Combine

Nikola Jovic, Mega (Serbia)

This is not a particularly strong crop of international prospects entering the NBA Draft. There are a few players who will catch the eye and could end up in the first round. And there are always some players who slip through the cracks.

There are definitely a few international prospects to keep an eye on. And somewhat surprisingly all the major international prospects are set to make an appearance at the NBA Draft Combine.

The biggest name of these guys is Serbia’s Nikola Jovic.

And, yes, that is not a typo.

Jovic averaged 11.8 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game in 24.8 minutes per game for Mega in 2021 in four games. He shot 40.0-percent from beyond the arc on 3.5 attempts per game from deep.

For Mega’s U19 team, where he spent the majority of his 2021 season, he averaged 19.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game even while shooting 28.6-percent from beyond the arc.

Last year for Mega, Jovic averaged 11.7 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game and 3.4 assists per game in 27.8 minutes per game in 25 games played. He shot 35.6-percent from beyond the arc.

Like the similarly named Serbian Nikola Jokic, Nikola Jovic is a big man who does it all.

He is a super-skilled 6-foot-10 forward who works the perimeter, can attack off the dribble and finish in the post.

Jovic has a lot of defensive questions to answer. And so the agility drills he will likely perform at the Combine will matter. There are going to be questions about how much he wants to defend and complete his game.

Jovic right now is probably the top international prospect. But he is not expected to go until later in the first round. This is a player some teams could be looking to trade up and get because he has the talent to be a dynamic player in the NBA.

It is going to take a lot of research to figure that out.

He is not the only international player who will try to make a name for themselves at the NBA Draft Combine.

Other names to watch include New Zealand Breakers forward Ousmane Dieng and guard Hugo Besson and Gran Canaria forward Khalifa Diop and French center Ismael Kamagate. These are all international players who will have a lot to prove and show in whatever they do at the Combine this week.

All could be first-round picks at the end of the day.