Analyzing Aleksa Radanov in an Adriatic League Game

November 7, 2017

Right now, I decided to take the time to evaluate FMP Beograd’s 6-7 swingman, Aleksa Radanov against BC Igokea. I had previously seen him play earlier when scouting Dzanan Musa for the first time this year, and Radanov had impressed me with his motor, athleticism, and playmaking skills. This time around, I decided to watch an Adriatic League game where he was the primary focus of the event. With thanks to YouTube via ABA Liga j.t.d., I was able to see him play in an October 29th match. Here are my thoughts on how he fared on this day, as well how he may currently rate as a prospect for the NBA.

Aleksa Radanov did a good job of making jumpers when he was on the floor. He took advantage of defenders leaving him open early on, and he was able to knock down spot up threes off the catch. He in particular excelled at making spot-up shots in the corner. Also, he was able to make a contested, pull-up mid-range shot over a taller player. However, he did miss several long-range jumpers as the game wore on, but in general he has seemed to significantly improve his ability to knock down spot-up threes.

Also, he excelled at scoring on the move. Radanov would garner scores on hustle plays, as he would quickly sprint down the floor, and he was able to score on a give and go on the break early in the game. Occasionally, he would cut to the hoop. Late in the game, Radanov managed to chase down an offensive board to score quickly on a put back, as he displayed a very good motor to do so, but he struggled to score on drives to the hoop when he would try to take his man off the dribble on isolation plays. Radanov did use a quick jab step to get to the hoop from the baseline, but he missed an awkward reverse layup in traffic. Late in the shot clock on another play, he missed on a running jump hook after moving to get the ball in the high post.

He also showed off solid playmaking skills. Radanov is an unselfish player that sees the floor well, and he also can be a facilitator when he is on the court. He plays with a good deal of patience, and he can find his teammates a wide array of ways to help set up scores for them. He can also operate as a point forward, and he will sometimes push the ball up the floor off of defensive rebounds. He will also look to set screens on occasion. However, he may not always throw crisp passes, which can either end up being intercepted, or it can lead to his teammate to not being in a good position to shield the defender away from being able to get to it.

In this game, Radanov displayed fairly good rebounding skills. He possesses a good combination of athleticism, motor, and instincts, as he will race in to get tough boards on both ends of the floor, and he also can leap up to get defensive rebounds in traffic. He also managed to draw free throws off of a defensive board after tipping a ball to himself off the glass.

Plus, he also showcased good defensive skills. Radanov is a solid help defender that can make numerous plays on the ball. He managed to intercept a long outlet pass to get a steal, and he also rotated to poke a ball away from a post player to a teammate to help his team force another turnover. He is an instinctive player that has good hands, and he can make it difficult for opponents to operate on offense. He also defends drives well, as he will contest shots to force misses, and he also blocked a shot emphatically from behind after fighting through a screen. Plus, he will rotate aggressively, and he has good lateral footwork to do so. However, he will need to improve his low post defense. He had trouble defending against bigger players, as he ended up allowing a couple of scores in this game.

Overall, Aleksa Radanov played very well in his team’s loss to Igokea, as he generally played a solid all-around game. He can be a key contributor in many different ways. He may still need to prove that he can consistently shoot well in games, but he is an intriguing prospect that could be a potential first round prospect in the future.

Other Notes:

FMP Begorad’s Borisa Simanic also got some run in this game, but he did not have a great game when was on the floor. He struggled with his jump shot, as he was unable to make any of his three-point attempts, even though all of his outside shots were on spot-up opportunities, and he showed fairly good mobility to get open once on a pick and pop play, but he did still show adequate skills in the other areas of the game against Igokea. Simanic dove to the rim to get an offensive rebound to score on a put back once, as he made a nice hustle play to do so. Also, he used a quick pump fake to draw a foul on a drive to the hoop.

Plus, he showed off adequate playmaking skills for a big man. He played unselfishly as he would look to find the open man, and he even used a hesitation move to kick it out to a shooter off the dribble once. However, Simanic occasionally would commit careless turnovers, as he was collided into a defender to be called for a charging foul on a drive. Later in the game, he also lofted up a crosscourt pass that was later intercepted.

He did not seem to rebound the ball very well, but Simanic did excel as an offensive rebounder when he was on the court. He would come away with a couple of key offensive boards. But he had trouble coming away with defensive rebounds. He often was not in good position to do so, and there was one play where he wandered too far away, as he didn’t block out his man, leading to his opponent to score on a put back.

Simanic showed off good defensive skills. He was active defensively, as he rotated down low to swat a shot off of a drive. He also managed to force a miss when contesting a shot in the post. Plus, he also contested a three to force an opponent to miss a long-range shot. However, he was late to get back in transition once, and while he nobly attempted to make a chase down block, he was too late, as he ended up being called for goaltending.

In this game, Borisa Simanic did not play too well as he struggled to make jumpers, but he did seem to consistently make good plays in the other facets of the game. He will need to be more consistent in knocking down jumpers, though. If he can do so, he could solidify a spot to be drafted either for 2018 or down the road.

I also was able to see Beograd’s 6-4 backup point guard, Aleksa Uskokovic play, as he received limited minutes in this game. The 1999-born international player from Serbia was able to effectively run the team when he was on the floor, and he provided an active presence on the boards. He played with a lot of grit, and he would really get after it on defense. He did seem to be too passive on offense, but he was able to make a nifty shot off he dribble to get a score early in this game. Uskokovic was able to score on a drive after using a stutter step to do so, as he did a good job of changing speeds on that play.

He doesn’t possess elite athleticism, but he was able to catch his opponent off guard, as his ability to use that hesitation move helped him get the necessary separation to get all the way to the basket. He did miss a deep three late in the game, though, and he also passed up several shots. He generally showed off good court vision, as he would play with patience, and he would consistently kick the ball out to shooters to set up scoring chances for them.

He also will push the pace after leaping up to get defensive rebounds. Also, he is an aggressive defender, as he will fight through screens, and he also hustled back in transition as he contested a shot on a drive to force a miss. However, he can be too aggressive at times, as he can be called for fouls when defending drives.

In all, Aleksa Uskokovic will need to be a more assertive player on offense as he will have to look for his own shot more in games, but he did do a good job of managing the game for his team when he was on the floor. Right now, he may be a long shot to be drafted, as he may need to significantly improve in the other areas, but he could end up a potential second round candidate in future drafts.

Overall, those are my assessments on Aleksa Radanov, Borisa Simanic, and Aleksa Uskokovic. Radanov impressed me with his solid all-around play, and Simanic could be a second round prospect worth looking at if he can be a more consistent shooter in games. Uskokovic will need to assert himself more on offense, but he could end up being a potential draft and stash pick down the road if he is able to have a solid season in the future. Hope you enjoyed this write-up, and thank you for reading.