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Brooklyn Nets: 5 goals for Dzanan Musa’s rookie season

By Alec Liebsch

BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 22: Brooklyn Nets Draft pick Dzanan Musa speaks at the Post NBA Draft press conference on June 22, 2018 at the HSS Training Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 22: Brooklyn Nets Draft pick Dzanan Musa speaks at the Post NBA Draft press conference on June 22, 2018 at the HSS Training Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images /

With the 29th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Brooklyn Nets selected Dzanan Musa of Bosnia. Not much is known about him by the average fan, so here are five things to look for as he learns the rigors of the NBA.

Put simply, Dzanan Musa was a bit of a wild card going into the 2018 NBA Draft. This is common for international players, because their tape is less readily available to scouts.

This did not bother the Brooklyn Nets, however. When they came on the clock at No. 29, Musa was clearly the prospect with the highest upside on the board. His ability to play a major role for a professional team, KK Cedevita, is no small feat.

His professional experience will carry over well, as will his evidently competitive nature. He’s what they call a “gamer,” which bodes well for an 82-game season.

Despite already being a pro, Musa is relatively raw. His decision to come over immediately after being drafted was surprising to most, while also being a deterrent for some drafting teams. Contrary to popular belief, his lack of immediate availability would’ve been more attractive to teams drafting outside the lottery, because most winning teams lack roster spots for unpolished rookies.

This created a perfect storm for general manager Sean Marks. He was able to snag arguably the best player available, because Brooklyn was one of the only three non-playoff teams picking in the 20s (the others were the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks).

With Musa comes a lot of risk, though. Not only is he physically unrefined, but his decision-making was not always superb for Cedevita. He has a long way to go to be a productive NBA player on both sides of the ball.

Musa has the foundation and intellect to make it work, so he should pick up on his weaknesses quickly. The most crucial elements of his game to refine are as follows.

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