Tag: Nikola Topic

San Antonio Spurs projected to take Euroleague point guard in new mock draft

This prospect might be the best solution at the point in the draft for the Spurs.

It is about as unclear as it has ever been on which potential top 2024 NBA draft prospect that the San Antonio Spurs will use their top selection in that year’s draft on. Currently slated to come in at a projected No. 2 overall by Bleacher Report draft expert Jonathan Wasserman, the league analyst also has a player in mind for the Spurs to use it on.

That would be Serbian floor general Nikola Topic, a 6-foot-6, 198-lb. point guard who last played for the Euroleague’s KK Crvena zvezda and is often compared to Goran Dragic at just 18 years old.

“More than anything else, the San Antonio Spurs will value his ability to create shots for teammates with his dribble manipulation, vision and advantageous … size for passing,” writes Wasserman.

“The Spurs also don’t have a ball-handler who puts pressure on defenses and the rim like Topic,” he adds. “And it was promising to see him hit both of his 3-point attempts in his first game back.”

Should San Antonio go with Topic in the draft this early, it would make taking Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham later less likely, and for good reason. We’d be very happy should Topic be on the board still, as he might be the best solution at the point in the draft for the Spurs.

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Latest NBA Mock Draft sees Spurs select 6-foot-6 Serbian point guard

In a recent mock draft, the San Antonio Spurs snag Serbian point guard Nikola Topic.

As the San Antonio Spurs look to build out their roster around Victor Wembanyama this summer, the NBA Draft will be crucial. If they want to build long-lasting success around the Frenchman, they’ll need to find more young talent. In Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman’s latest NBA Mock Draft, the Spurs snag Serbian point guard Nikola Topic, who stands at 6-foot-6.

“The San Antonio Spurs seem like a match for Nikola Topić, mostly due to the team’s glaring need for a lead playmaker,” Wasserman wrote. “The question is whether they would consider him if they wind up picking earlier in the top three. They should be more willing to look past his three-point percentages and defensive outlook at No. 5, though, given the wild scoring and passing production he put up this year at 18 years old.

“Topić hasn’t played since January 4, but he’s expected back for the Adriatic League playoffs. There is still scouting left to be done considering how much time he missed, but he’s also delivered a large sample size of convincing pick-and-roll play, rim pressure and finishing. And though his jump shot isn’t a strength yet, he’s demonstrated plenty of shotmaking confidence and backed up flashes with impressive free-throw numbers.”

The Spurs’ need for a true point guard next to Wembanyama makes Topic a near-perfect fit.

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ABA League Top Prospect Nikola Topić declares for 2024 NBA draft

Topić was named the ABA League Top Prospect after averaging 16.4 points, 6.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 19 total games this season.

Nikola Topić, a 6-foot-6 guard from Serbia, has declared for the 2024 NBA draft, his agent, Misko Raznatovic, announced Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Topić, 18, started the season on loan with Mega Basket in the ABA League in Serbia before returning to Crvena zvezda in December. He played three games there before suffering a knee injury that has cost him much of the season.

The 6-foot-6 point guard was named the ABA League Top Prospect after averaging 16.4 points, 6.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 19 total games this season. He joins the likes of Nikola Jokić, Goga Bitadze and Nikola Jović to win the award.

Topić is projected to be a lottery pick after dazzling this season before his injury. He brings great size to the next level and is likely more advanced than other prospects, given his professional experience in Serbia, which started when he was 16.

He has also represented Serbia at the junior level, most recently at the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship. He averaged 15.3 points, 5.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and two steals on 47.4% shooting from the field in seven games to lead his team to the gold medal.

Topić started progressing in his recovery from his knee injury and was spotted recently shooting and doing other on-court activities with the team. He could be limited in workouts during the pre-draft process, but it appears he will be ready for the start of next season.

The 2024 NBA draft will take place June 26-27 in New York City.

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Nikola Topic: NBA draft scouting report and intel

2005 | 6’6 | 7’0 WS | 201 LBS Team: Crvena Zvezda (Serbia) Best aggregate mock draft rank: 1 / Worst rank: 15 Agent: Misko Raznatovic In 13 Adriatic League games, Topic averaged 18.6 points and 6.9 assists per game, shooting 52.4 percent from the …

2005 | 6’6 | 7’0 WS | 201 LBS

Team: Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)

Best  aggregate mock draft rank: 1 / Worst rank: 15

Agent: Misko Raznatovic

In 13 Adriatic League games, Topic averaged 18.6 points and 6.9 assists per game, shooting 52.4 percent from the field and a three-point percentage of 28.2 percent. He also recorded 0.9 steals and 3.1 turnovers per game.

His father, Milenko Topic, is a former professional basketball player, head coach and gold medalist with the Yugoslavian National Team.

Recent Spurs NBA Mock Draft selection receives middling grade

In a recent NBA Mock Draft, the San Antonio Spurs’ third-overall selection received a lukewarm grade.

The San Antonio Spurs have a big opportunity ahead of them this summer. Victor Wembanyama has shown the capabilities to be the leader of the franchise moving forward, but he can’t do it all by himself. Nobody can. Not even the best player in the world is capable of winning a title without a great supporting cast, especially with all the talent in the league today.

At the 2024 NBA Draft this summer, the Spurs will have a top pick, and with it, they could select a guy who could turn into one of Wembanyama’s top running mates for the foreseeable future.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic recently wrote a mock draft where the Spurs snagged Nikola Topic with the third pick. However, Roberto Araiza of Air Alamo was lukewarm on the idea, grading the mock selection a B-.

“In that way, this selection would be a far more massive gamble by the Spurs than many may assume,” Araiza wrote. “While I think that type of upside gamble is warranted at this stage of the team’s rebuild (particularly if the Spurs have two lottery picks in this coming draft), there could be several more intelligent gambles that can be made with such a high pick come draft day. If you’re a believer in Topic’s top-end outcome in the league, this is a solid pick. Otherwise, this has the potential to be a big miss.”

What do you think of Topic as a future Spur?

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2024 NBA Mock Draft: Latest first-round projections at midway point of season

Rookie Wire took a look at the 2024 NBA draft class and where the top prospects stand as of Feb. 1.

The top NBA draft prospects worldwide have collectively reached the second halves of their respective seasons as they look to showcase themselves in front of scouts and executives.

The class this year has seen several players help their stock, while others have struggled and fallen down draft boards. Some players have also dealt with recent injuries and other factors that have prevented them from reaching their potential.

The draft is widely considered open at the top of the board, with several prospects in the conversation to be the first selection. Unlike last year, when Victor Wembanyama was the consensus No. 1 pick, there is no clear-cut choice this year.

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Prospects will continue to see their standing fluctuate over the remaining two-plus months of action on the court as scouts have more time to evaluate them. The sheer unknown atop the draft board should create plenty of storylines to follow over the remainder of the season.

The NBA announced on Wednesday that the draft will be expanded to a two-night format, with the first round set to take place on June 26 at the Barclays Center. The second round will be at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York the following night.

Rookie Wire looked at the class and where the top prospects stand at this point of the season. The order was determined by the reverse order of the NBA standings as of Feb. 1.

Note: Player fit wasn’t necessarily taken into account with each pick. Pick protections and other notes courtesy of Tankathon.

San Antonio Spurs take two forwards and a floor general in new 2024 NBA mock draft

San Antonio has three bites at the apple in the coming 2024 NBA draft.

The San Antonio Spurs need to surround Victor Wembanyama with complimentary players, and in the eyes of Bleacher Report NBA draft expert Jonathan Wasserman, San Antonio has three bites at the apple in the coming 2024 NBA draft that he has a trio of prospects in mind for the Spurs to select.

And while mid-January is not when most of us tend to start looking at the coming draft, for folks like Wasserman, things are just starting to heat up with the collegiate and overseas seasons now well underway. The B/R draft expert sees San Antonio turning to both the NCAA ranks and players currently suiting up in other pro leagues.

Let’s take a look at who he thinks would fit well with the Spurs.

2024 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Projecting the first round with Ja’Kobe Walter leading the way

The 2023 NBA Draft is challenging to predict but that won’t stop us from trying.

The 2024 NBA Draft is a genuinely challenging class to predict but that isn’t going to stop us from trying.

At this point in the season, there aren’t many players who have separated themselves as “can’t miss” prospects. Similarly, many players have clumped together in a similar tier and it is hard to differentiate much between many of those names.

If you’re into uncertainty and like the thrill of the unexpected, this is a fun group of players to evaluate because anything can happen and lots can (and will) change. But for those who want something more clear-cut, this process may become more frustrating.

Our mock draft looks different than some others around the industry and we expect that to remain true until the draft happens. Lots of factors will weigh into how teams evaluate these prospects and so that makes predictions even more hard to pinpoint than usual. While there is a lot we have learned, there is lots more to learn as well.

Unless noted otherwise, all data outside of the NCAA was pulled from our friends at Cerebro Sports — you can create a free account to evaluate player performance across all levels globally.

Our order was determined based on expected wins averaged out from ESPN, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. The teams outside the top eight in each conference were considered lottery squads. Trades were pulled from this database at RealGM.

The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Spurs select Nikola Topić, potential point guard of future, in recent mock draft

In a recent 2024 NBA Mock Draft, the San Antonio Spurs picked up a potential point guard of the future – Nikola Topic.

Roughly six months after the San Antonio Spurs selected Victor Wembanyama with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, things haven’t gone too well. Following a promising 3-2 start to the season, the Spurs have now lost 17 games in a row. It’s been a rough year, but on the bright side, they’re in line for another top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Pairing Wembanyama with another top pick could set the Spurs up beautifully moving forward, but they need to be sure to nail the selection. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report recently wrote a mock draft, and in it, the Spurs landed the second-overall selection.

With the pick, Wasserman has the Spurs picking Nikola Topić of Mega MIS.

5 prospects (Ryan Dunn!) who have most improved their 2024 NBA Draft stock since the season began

These are some of the most impressive prospects so far.

Even though the 2024 NBA Draft doesn’t have a clear No. 1 pick like Victor Wembanyama was last season, there is still plenty of intrigue.

Over the past few weeks, we have developed stronger opinions on some prospects who have performed exceedingly well since their season began. With an increasingly larger sample size across college basketball as well as internationally and in the G League, some players are beginning to separate themselves from the pack.

While we did not cover all those who have stood out with pleasantly surprising performances, here are some of the players who have already made us turn our heads a few times: