Ranking the 10 best center prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft
By Rowan Kent
Center #7: Tristan Vukcevic, KK Paritzan
The context for young players outside of the United States is always important when considering their draft status. There are a few leagues worldwide like the Australian, NBL and the lower levels of Euroleague where young players are empowered to take a leading role, but more often than not, truly tantalizing players are hardly afforded the same chance to shine that their American counterparts receive in college.
That’s why it’s less about looking at the stats for Vukcevic and more about observing his game. That’s not to say he’s been bad when on the floor; far from it. Across a number of different competitive settings, Vukcevic showed a great knack of efficient scoring, including a sweet shooting stroke that is rare for a player that’s seven feet tall:
Tristan Vukcevic is an NBA ready shooter at 7'0 with a quick, almost unblockable release (blocked 3 total times this year, only 1 on jumpers). Quality second round prospect that could easily fill a stretch 5 role right away, helping teams needing better spacing/shooting pic.twitter.com/ha3gHBR59q
— Mavs/Magic Draft (@MavsDraft) June 2, 2023
It’s hard to know exactly what Vukcevic can be at the next level, as he hasn’t flashed enough scoring or playmaking potential to be considered a likely starter. Still, any team like the Raptors or Heat that trust their developmental staff could look to draft Vukcevic late in the second round and hope he can pan out as a late-blooming center star.